Cypriot Celebrations

Cyprus is big one for celebrations. There is hardly any dry period throughout the calendar year and celebrations for one event actually merge into the other most of the time so that the place is reverberating with music and dance all the time on one pretext or the other. You can see busy municipal workers pulling down the decorations for one thing and hauling up ones for the next one .This continued festivity gives Cyprus a general happy, carefree atmosphere and a joie de vivre is palpable in its people all the time. Christmas and Easter are the biggest celebration, of course. They are big social and family events like in all Christian countries but here there is a distinct, predominant religious flavour to them.

Limassol carnival is the first event of the year that is something to look forward to. It epitomises the Cypriot spirit and verve for me. A ten day long event, when festivity is in the air and everywhere the eye can see. Colourful clowns and elves hang from all roundabouts, as also most government buildings, big crossings, and most popular places. The shops are bursting with costumes and accessories and you will find many spider men, supermen, pirates and dolls walking the roads. The carnival starts ten days before the beginning of lent, the forty day fasting period before the orthodox Easter, with the king carnival leading a parade and announcing the start. In Limassol ten days of partying, fancy dress balls and late evening celebrations culminate into a big parade on Makarios avenue.

The day after the Big carnival parade is the Green Monday, the first day of lent. The Cypriots are deeply religious and young or old, most fast during the forty day period. They go vegetarian for the duration. Green Monday is the first day of fasting. The many picnic sites are full of people eating, drinking, enjoying with friends and family and flying kites. Yes that is the tradition; the sky is full of colourful kites of all sizes. We never miss Green Monday invitations from Cypriot friends. They are really fun days out in the open countryside and weather at this time of the year is just beautiful. And the table is laden with variety of salads, pickles, olives, breads and delightful traditional vegetarian and sea food preparations. All washed down with the famous Cypriot wines.

The flower festival comes in May and originates from the Greek word Anthos meaning flower. It celebrates spring and the splendour of Nature. It is believed to have started as a tribute to Dionysus, the divine protector of theatre. All over the cities, especially in Limassol and Paphos, there are floats decorated with flowers and plants, big flower arrangement displays by the various municipalities and little children dressed in flowers.

Kataklysmos arrives 50 days after Greek Easter and is a water festival marked by festivities in all sea side towns. Water is believed to cleanse mankind of its sins and enable new life on earth.The Water Origin of the festival is also from the book of Genesis (Noah's Ark) and the great flood. The festivities themselves probably originated from the celebration of the birth of Aphrodite, who arose from the waves on the Southern coast of Cyprus. Larnaka is famous for its celebration of Kataklysmos more than other coastal towns. Festivities start early with the morning on the beach, with a hearty fish meze in the tavern and then by afternoon, the fair has started in full form. You can find all the delicious village sweets and other sundries.

Last week of September, limassol hosts a wine festival in the municipal gardens. Lasting a week, it is a very enjoyable summer evening under the stars. Smell of Souvlakia : the bar-be-que meat, favourite national food - fills the air. Children throng the many stalls and grown ups meet friends and family and enjoy a meal together.