Listed 9 sub titles with search on: Festivals and fairs for wider area of: "MESSINIA Prefecture PELOPONNISOS" .
MESSINI (Town) MESSINIA
In Messini (Nisi) on the first Monday of Lent every year there is
the revival of the hanging of "Gria Sykous". This incident is true and dates back
to the summer of 1825 during the Greek Revolution (1821-1828). Then, the Ibrahem
Pasha, after his victory at Maniaki, came to Nisi and destroyed it completely.
He camped outside the city, in the area of Bouka, and made plans to attack Mani
knowing that the people of Mani (Maniards) expected him in the area of Verga,
outside Kalamata, to block his way. On the day before the attack he had a dream
and he got scared. In order to calm him, his people brought an old woman, Gria
Sykou, who was interpreting dreams, who became very happy when she heard his dream
and told him that «there’s a great disaster and bad things in store for him».
That’s what happened later because, in the battle of Verga which followed, the
Turks-Egyptians suffered a great defeat. When Ibrahem returned to Nisi, he found
Gria-Sykou and hanged her. In memory of that incident, there is a revival every
year which has become part of the carnival festivities of Messini.
This extract is cited March 2003 from the Messenia Prefecture Tourism Promotion Commission URL below, which contains image.
MESSINIA (Prefecture) PELOPONNISOS
On the Monday after Easter every year there is the Saetopolemos in places like Kalamata, Messini and other villages. It is an old custom of Kalamata, and it has to do with playing with fire, which dates back to the Revolution of 1821. Then, they put gunpowder in cardboard cylinders and, when they lit them, the flame and the noise they made caused the Turkish cavalry to run away. So, the saeta of Kalamata constitutes the remnant of a primitive flame-thrower which has been perfected today, and the bouloukia (=groups of people) who throw them are those who continue an ancient worship of fire which purifies and frightens at the same time.
This extract is cited March 2003 from the Messenia Prefecture Tourism Promotion Commission URL below, which contains image.
METHONI (Small town) MESSINIA
In Methoni, on the first Monday of Lent there is the revival of Koutroulis' wedding. This incident dates back to the Enetokratia (= domination by the Eneti), around the 13th century when the knight Ioannis Koutroulis lived in Methoni. He was married to Dona Agathi who was older than him as well as infertile. He fell in love though, with the beautiful Arsana whom he finally married after 17 years of trying to persuade his wife to give him a divorce. Everything turned out well and the wedding took place in the form of a festival that lasted for many days.
This extract is cited March 2003 from the Messenia Prefecture Tourism Promotion Commission URL below, which contains image.
PLATY (Village) ARFARA
In Platy, a beautiful small village on the messinian valley, horse races take place every year on the day they celebrate St. Georgeos which is a custom dating back to the 1800’s. Tradition has it that horse races started there, in which mainly young men who trained in horse riding took part in order to be used as messangers in the preparation of the revolution against the Turks. They misled the Turks by saying that the races were of a religious nature but in this way the chieftains had a chance to meet and organise the Revolution. In memory of these events, this custom is still continued and is held in the same place it used to.
This extract is cited March 2003 from the Messenia Prefecture Tourism Promotion Commission URL below, which contains image.
GARGALIANI (Small town) MESSINIA
1/7 - 20/7
During the first 20 days in July there are cultural events to honour the memory
of Telos Agras, known as Agapinia.
3/10 - 8/10
Every year on the October 3, which is dedicated to the Patron Saint of Gargaliani,
St. Dionisios the Areopagitis, there is a big celebration which lasts five days.
KALAMATA (Town) MESSINIA
2/2/2002
The metropolitan church of the Presentation of the Saviour is situated in Kalamata by the feet of the frank castle. The Church is of byzantine Style with double steeples and was founded in 1839 and consecrated in 1879. On the 2nd February, a day of glorious celebration for the church, it has been established since 1884 to hold a religious procession carrying the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary around the city. This procession is attended by many officials and a lot of religious people. The miracle icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the «Vrefokratousa» (=holding the baby) or «Elousa» (=showing pity) and is put on a throne with gilt, embroidered vestments and is decorated with votive offerings from faithful people and its painting is attributed to the Evangelist Loukas.
This text is cited March 2003 from the Messenia Prefecture Tourism Promotion Commission URL below, which contains image.
Receive our daily Newsletter with all the latest updates on the Greek Travel industry.
Subscribe now!
