Like the blue waters of the sea, the tradition of celebrating seasonal and religious festivals runs deep throughout Greece and the Greek Islands of Crete and Kefalonia.
No surprise that the love of celebrating is woven into a culture where even the gods were fond of partying, – let’s take Dionysos, the god of wine and festivity (and some mischief!) or Apollo, in charge of of music and dance. Indeed, some of the ancient Greek philosophers, like Epicurus, were said to have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of pleasure, particularly food and drink. – And who are we to argue?!
Travel to Crete and Kefalonia at any time of the year and you are almost guaranteed to come across some local event or festival, not just National celebrations like Orthodox Easter or Carnival, but countless local festivities, too. Many Greek public holidays fall on a Friday or Monday, creating a special long weekend to enjoy with family and friends, and of course visitors are welcome to join in!
Here we have listed just a few of the main events and festivals which you might experience during your Freelance Villas holiday, but there are many more to explore once you arrive at your destination, or even before with the help of our practical digital area guides.
The question is: which to choose!
What? New Year’s Day
It wasn’t always the case that Greece followed the Gregorian calendar, in fact Greece was the last nation in Europe to change from the Julian calendar in 1923/1924 . Now, though, the 1st of January, and the first day of the solar year, is a public holiday in Greece and most families get together to enjoy a big meal at home. It is also the day that children eagerly await, as on New Year’s Day morning, (rather than Christmas Day) Agios Vasilis (Father Christmas) brings presents and fills children’s stockings.
New year’s lunch is traditionally roast pork or lamb. To finish the celebrations, the ‘head of the household’ cuts the Vasilopita (new Year’s Day pie/bread/cake), and the person who finds the coin baked into the pie, will have good luck for the year to come.
What? Epiphany – When? January 6th
Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas (Dodekaimero), is the last day of the Christmas holiday in Greece, also known as Theophany or Ta Fota (the lights). It is a major celebration in the Greek Orthodox Church and commemorates the baptism of Christ. It’s on this day that Greek Orthodox priests bless the water (whether it’s the sea, lakes or rivers) by throwing a wooden cross into it.
Brave locals then dive into the often freezing cold water and compete to retrieve the floating cross, a symbolic act believed to bring good fortune and protection from evil spirits.
What? Apokries (Carnival) – When? February 9th – March 2nd
Three weeks of some of the most colourful and entertaining celebrations happen during Aprokries (Απόκριες) or Carnival season. Individually known as Profoni, Kreatini and Tyrini (1st, 2nd & 3rd week) respectively, Apokries mark the lead up to Lent. Expect parades, street performers, costume parties and people throwing flour at each other, culminating in the most raucous celebrations the weekend before ‘Clean Monday’, from which onwards Lent is observed in all its solemnities. Apokria, literally meaning “away from meat” – is celebrated as a ‘goodbye’ to the period of meat-eating before the fast. The most popular Carnival in Crete, featuring Renaissance colour and Venetian flair, is held in Rethymnon.
What? Clean Monday – When? March 3rd
Those who might have over-indulged during the three weeks of Carnival have the perfect opportunity to detox on Καθαρά Δευτέρα (Kathará Deftéra), or ‘Clean Monday’, the first day of Lent. On this public holiday people in Kefalonia and Crete (and of course wider Greece) can indulge in vegetarian dishes or ‘seafood without backbone’ (such as shellfish, octopus or squid), – a merciful culinary exception, while abstaining from meat, dairy, eggs, oil and fish amongst other foods for the duration of Lent. It’s customary to eat ‘lagana’ (flat) bread with ‘taramasalata’ on Clean Monday. You’ll also see the locals flying kites, favourable winds allowing, – a popular tradition with Greek children!
What? Independence Day and the Annunciation of the Lord – When? March 25th
A double whammy, public holiday wise, this date marks a civil and a religious celebration : after the ‘Greek Revolution of 1821 -1829’ against the Ottoman Empire, the 25th March was declared Greek Independence Day. On the same day ‘The Annunciation of the Lord’ is celebrated in the Greek Orthodox calendar. Expect to see Independence Day parades to mark the occasion, and people ‘feasting’ on traditionally batter-fried cod and garlic dip (bakaliaros skordalia), as on 25th March, – while Lent is still observed – fish, wine and olive oil are allowed on the menu for this special celebration!
What? Easter – When? April 18th, 19th and 20th in 2025
As the most important holiday in the Greek Orthodox calendar, Easter is taken very seriously in both Crete and Kefalonia. Several religious services take place throughout Holy Week. The main dates are Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and and Easter Monday, which are public holidays. Much time is spent with family during these days, and once Lent finishes on Holy Saturday with the service of ‘Christ’s Resurrection‘, a lavish dinner is enjoyed at home or out with friends in local restaurants. Everyone (religious or not), takes part in the midnight service, which often takes place inside and outside churches to accommodate everyone, transmitted into lively church squares which turn into big playgrounds with children running around in much excitement. Kids often hold special candles, called lambadas, elaborately decorated with ribbons and Easter symbols, – a gift from their godparents.
School is shut for 2 weeks and many adults take time off to extend the public holiday.
More detailed information on Holy Week celebrations and Easter in Crete (and the rest of Greece).
What? Labour Day – When? May 1st
May 1st, International Labour Day, is also a public holiday in Greece. You will therefore come across political parades in larger towns, but many people celebrate the day entirely differently. ‘Protomagia’ (literally first of May) has its origins in ancient Greece and was a celebration of nature’s rebirth, of spring and flowers. People therefore have picnics in the countryside and make wreaths from wild flowers. Cafes and restaurants will also be busy today!
What? Kefalonia’s unification with Greece – When? 20th May
Today is the day when Kefalonia and the Ionian islands became part of the Greek state. The United States of the Ionian Islands had been a Greek state and protectorate of the United Kingdom between 1815 and 1864. It was ceded by the British to Greece as a gift to the newly enthroned King George I. The unification is celebrated in church services throughout Kefalonia on the 20th May and with a parade in the main square in Argostoli after.
What? Pentecost and Monday of the Holy Spirit – When ? (49 days after Easter)
Christians throughout the world celebrate Pentecost 49 days after Easter Sunday, Crete and Kefalonia are no exception. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks. Religious services are held, it is a public holiday and so is the following Monday, when many Greek families head to the beach to relax.
What? Cretan Diet Festival – When? July
The Cretan diet is said to be one of the healthiest on earth, based on fresh fruit, olive oil, vegetables, herbs, pulses, fish and dairy products. Nowhere is this celebrated more than in the municipality of Rethymnon , where a festival celebrating local food and wine is held for a week during July every year. As well as cooking demonstrations, exhibitions and local cultural and artistic events with live bands and dance, special menus are offered by local restaurants. If you love Cretan food and drink and are holidaying in the Chania or Apokoronos Region nearby, don’t miss it!
What? Snake Festival, Kefalonia – When? 6th – 15th August
Completely unique to Kefalonia, The Snake Festival is held in Markopoulo, near Katelios, at the Church of Panagia Lagouvarda (aka Fidousa), famous for its icon of the Virgin Mary, which is claimed to have miraculous protective powers. It is said that in 1200 AD, a group of nuns prayed for protection from approaching pirates. Miraculously, snakes appeared and surrounded the monastery, scaring off the invaders. Since then, snakes have been seen as a sign of divine protection in Kefalonia.
The harmless small, grey snakes, who have black crosses on their heads, are known to appear annually between 6th and 15th August and surround the icon of the Virgin Mary. While some sceptics claim the location of the church is merely on a migratory route, their appearance of the snakes is eagerly anticipated; their absence is believed to be a bad omen, as they failed to appear in August 1940, just before the outbreak of World War II, and in August 1953, when Kefalonia was struck by devastating earthquakes. They enter the church in swarms during these days, before disappearing for another year.
What? Assumption of the Virgin Mary – When? August 15th
This religious day, which comes after a two-week fast in Greece, commemorates the passing of the Virgin Mary. In the Western Church and in Greek Orthodox Faith it is believed that the Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up into heaven, body and soul. The day is celebrated with a feast.
It is also a very special day for those with names related to the Virgin Mary, like Maria, Marios, Despina, Panagiotis and many others, whose name day it is, – traditionally celebrated like a birthday in Greece.
This mid-August day is further widely considered the peak of summer, and a public holiday not only in Greece but several other Southern European countries, usually celebrated with festivals, fireworks, dining out with friends and family and partying until the early morning hours.
What? Feast Day of Agios Gerasimos in Kefalonia – When? August 16th
As the Patron Saint of Kefalonia, the commemoration of Agios Gerasimos’ death on August 16th, is one of the most significant days of the year in Kefalonia. Pilgrims visit the Monastery of Agios Gerasimos, the most sacred place on the island, as well as the Agios Gerasimos church in Lixouri, and Holy Mass takes place in the cave of the Saint in Lassi. What follows is a big festival with traditional and local music, dancing, food and wine. (The day the Saint’s bones were removed from his tomb, on October 20th, is also celebrated).
What? National Festival of choral singing, Kefalonia – When? During the whole of August
If you find yourself in Argostoli, Kefalonia’s capital in August, there will be ‘music in the air‘, with choirs performing in the evenings, sometimes in public squares or buildings, particularly at weekends. Opposite, in Lixouri, a similar festival is held at the beginning of September.
What? ‘Ochi Day‘ National Holiday – When? October 28th
‘Ochi’ [O-hee] means ‘No’ in Greek and refers to the Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas’ response to Benito Mussolini, when he asked for his troops to be allowed free movement in Greece.
Metaxa’s ‘No’ propelled Greece into a war that eventually led to its occupation by the Axis powers, but it also represented a spirit of bravery that is still celebrated today throughout the country. In the weeks leading up to October 28th locals start decorating streets and balconies with Greek flags in every village in Crete and Kefalonia, and heroic songs that boosted the Greek troops’ morale during those trying times, are played on the radio in many places. Expect to see school and military parades, executed with much pomp and Greek pride. As it is a public holiday, Greeks typically celebrateby meeting up with friends and family for a meal and/or to party.
What? Christmas and Boxing Day
As one of the most important days in the Christian calendar, Christmas is celebrated in much the same way in Crete and Kefalonia as elsewhere. It starts after the Divine Liturgy of the Nativity at midnight on Christmas Eve and goes on for 12 days. Many people fast for 40 days leading up to Christmas, breaking their fast with a festive meal after the church service.
Homes and streets are brightly lit and decorated, Christmas markets and Christmas trees may be set up in squares and public places, providing a festive atmosphere for locals and visitors alike. That said, Christmas trees are not a Greek tradition, the first one having been decorated by Otto, a Greek King of Bavarian origin, in 1833 at his palace. The custom caught on in the mid 1900s.
Most people stay home on Christmas Day to celebrate with their families, but presents are not exchanged until New Year’s Day.
What? New Year’s Eve
As already mentioned, Greek people know how to party, and New Year’s Eve is no exception. Most begin their evening at home with a beautiful meal and playing games, before the younger folk head out after midnight to bars and clubs until pretty much daylight!
Did you know that we have some very handy digital travel guides for our guests?
If you’d like to know more, click on our Kefalonia Travel Guide or our Crete Travel Guide.
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