August 15th represents a kind of turning point. Around the public holiday of August 15th is the official vacation time for most companies in Greece and the exodus from the big cities to the coasts or islands begins. Athens seems deserted at this time! – ideal for a city trip ;-)
Since most Greeks only get vacation in August, they visit their relatives in their home village. Ikaria has about eight thousand permanent residents and more than one hundred and fifty thousand first, second and third generation Ikariote emigrants live abroad. In August they all come from Athens, the mainland, Europe, America and Australia to visit their family on the island. It’s like a ghost, you might think the island is drowning because of all the people! The families flock together, enjoy life and vacation and celebrate together as only the Greeks can.
One speaks of “prin tis Panagias” or “meta tis Panagias”, i.e. before (the festival of) Panagia or after Panagia. The festival of Panagia not only divides summer into two halves, but the whole year. Once it’s over, you start wishing yourself “kalo chimona – a good winter” because after the holiday is over, you won’t see your relatives and family in the village again until next summer.
Although September and October are still mostly sunny and warm and are ideal for vacations, the big tourist rush ends at the end of August.
August 15th is the feast of Panagia, the All-Holy Mother of God, the most important festival in the Greek Orthodox calendar after Easter. Strictly speaking, it is “Assumption of Mary” and solemn masses and liturgical ceremonies and then exuberant dance festivals/panigyria take place in all churches and chapels dedicated to Our Lady.
In Ikaria there are 11 different panigyria on this day alone. However, it is not always the largest churches where the biggest celebrations take place. Often even very inconspicuous, small St. Mary’s churches celebrate their Panigyri, their patron saint, in a big way.
The most famous Panigyri in Ikaria takes place in Langada in Raches. Every year up to 5,000 (!) Greeks flock to the wild mountain landscape, to the small mountain oasis of Langada, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, to enjoy live music, baked goat, local wine and ikariotic dancing until the early hours of the morning to celebrate the day.
Our Lady has many names:
- Maria
- Panagia = All Saints
- Theotokou = Mother of God
- Despoina = mistress, mistress
It is the name day of Maria, Marios, Panagiota, Panagiotis and Despina.
Since name days are the important celebrations in the life of the Greeks and are celebrated extensively as “open house festivals”, in contrast to birthdays, which only play a role for small children.
Every family has at least one person celebrating their anniversary and so the whole of Greece celebrates on this day.