Paros & Antiparos Festivals & Local Events
Traditional festivals on the islands throughout the year preserve local traditions. Many are religious based, others reminiscent of historical events and some for the sake of fish and fishermen. Once a year every little church celebrates its name day (its patron saint). During these festivals the religious element coexists with the joy of life, since after the liturgy, merry-making, dancing and local delicacies follow. Don’t miss this opportunity to dance and celebrate along with the sounds of traditional music and songs.
- Carnival Sunday: 40 days prior to Greek Easter, celebration in Marpissa
- Good Friday: During the procession of the Epitaph the villagers revive scenes from the passion of Christ, in Marpissa, Marmara, Prodromos, Lefkes and Aspro Chorio.
- Easter Sunday: Celebration of love, Marpissa.
- April 23: Festival of Saint George, Aliki.
- Festival of the Ascension of Christ: 40 days after Easter, in Agios Fokas, Parikia and Piso Livadi.
- May 8: Festival of Saint John the Theologian, Drios.
- June 23: Festival of Klidonas - burning of the dried flower wreaths made on May 1st, in Naoussa, Aliki and Prodromos.
- Holy Spirit Holiday, (Ash Wednesday): Holy Trinity Holiday.
- June 30: Eve of Saint Anargiri, celebration in Parikia
- 1st Sunday of July: Fish Feast, in Naoussa.
- July 17: Revival of "Tsabouna" (the bag pipe), Naoussa.
- July 16 & 17: Saint Marina day with a lot of festivities, fireworks and a big feast in Antiparos.
- July 24: Saint Anna Eve, Parikia.
- August 6: Festival of Sotiras, Aliki and Marpissa.
- August 15: Festival of the Virgin Mary, in Parikia. Having the famous Ekatontapiliani Church dedicated to Mary, this is considered as the most important celebration on the island. Crowds gather from all over the country to attend the liturgies and to worship
- August 23: Nine days after the Virgin Mary Holiday, the streets of Naoussa are flooding with “pirates” in a revival of a Corsair attack night.
- August 27: Saint Fanourios Holiday, celebrations in Ambelas.
- August 28 & 29: Saint John Detis Holiday, Naoussa and Lefkes.
- beginning of September: Celebration of “Trata” (a type of fishing boat); in Parikia.
- September 8: Celebration of Our Lady of Faneromeni, Antiparos.
- Holiday of Pera Panagia, Marmara.
Also during the summer all villages have various cultural events such as: fairs, festivals, concerts, shows, theatrical performances, art exhibitions etc.
Local Recipes
Paros cuisine has been based on local products from the sea and the earth. It is affluent in fish cooked in different ways, vegetables, horta (green leaved plants grown wild in the earth), beans, lentils and a few meat dishes, all cooked with olive oil and served along with local wine. Honey, scented herbs –oregano, sage, thyme- give unique aroma in each meal, while capers give that special touch to freshly cut salads.
Favourite Paros dishes are Kakavia (fish soup), Gouna (sun dried fish), Salatouri (ray fish salad), Kolokithokeftedes (zucchini balls), Tomato Balls, Chickpea Soup baked in a traditional ceramic pot, String Beans, Fava (split beans), Karavoli (escargot), Kalfa plants with garlic dip and many more. Excellent quality cheese adorns the Parian dinner table. The local sour cheese, ladotiri (cheese made out of olive oil), touloumisio (cheese aged in goat skin), mizithra (hard cheese), all these in combination with bread or paksimadia (dried pieces of bread), give a special touch to local cuisine.
Thanks to their natural flair, local housewives experiment with various ingredients and make different kinds of sweets, sometimes using sugar out of fruits: Rafiolia, Mitzithropitakia (small pies with cheese), Labrokouloura and Lazarakia (Easter cookies), Petimezenious and Skaltsounia, while the men of the island do their part in making wine and suma (local tsipouro), a very strong drink. In the grape harvests of the island they produce good quality Paros wine that compliments the meals, but also ‘gives the rhythm’ in social celebrations.
The Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Paros along with the Moraitis Winery use selected varieties of grapes grown on the island, chosen with care to produce Parian wine. In the wineries, wine connoisseurs take part in tasting and in promoting the local wines.
Gouna (salted dried fish)
Ingredients: Fish, preferably Kolios (chub mackerel), salt, pepper, oil, lemon, oregano
Clean the fish and throw away the heads. Split the fish open in half, cutting each one from top to tail, without separating it completely. Wash well and put plenty of salt and pepper. Place the fish under the sun for one day. Then, grill them on charcoal and serve them with a simple oil and lemon dressing.
Kolokithokeftedes (zucchini balls)
Ingredients: 500gr zucchini, salt, pepper, 200gr salted cheese, plenty of mint, 100gr flour, a little water
Grate the zucchini and mix it with the salted cheese in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour the oil in a deep frying pan. When the oil is hot, spoon out small amounts of the zucchini mixture and fry them at low temperature, in order not to burn but to be cooked inside as well, until they are golden brown.
Mitzithropitakia (sweet cheese pies)
Ingredients: 500gr fresh "mizithra"(sweet cheese), 2 eggs, ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup sugar, 3 spoons honey, 500gr flour, lemon grind, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp clove, a little salt, a little Chios mastic.
Filling: In a bowl, mix the sweet cheese, sugar, eggs, the honey and the spices.
Crust: Mix the flour, a little salt, the oil and water and blend them all together to make a soft dough.
Separate the dough in small round pieces, place a small amount of filling in the centre and pinch it all around. Bake at 200°C for 1 hour.