Fifteenth of August in the Dodecanese: Customs and traditions that unite the islandstranslated

From the great pilgrimages and the traditional feasts in the village squares, the feast of Panagia remains deeply connected with the life, memory and identity of the Dodecanese. The fifteenth of August in the Dodecanese is not just a big religious holiday. It is a return to the place of origin from all the countries of the world where there are alienated Dodecanese, it is a pilgrimage, music and dance. It is the time when villages and small islands are filled with people again and the squares come alive through festivals that preserve elements of a tradition of many generations.

From Rhodes and Karpathos to Kasos, Symi, Tilos, Halki, Nisyros, Kos, Kalymnos, Leros, Astypalaia and Patmos, the Assumption of the Virgin occupies a special place in religious and social life.

Each island has its own expression. But almost everywhere one finds common elements: the preparation of the church, the vespers, the Divine Liturgy, the offering of food, the local instruments, the dances and, above all, the participation of the whole community.

The festivals and their importance in local societies For the oldest societies of the islands, the festival had a much greater…