In Crete there are plenty of traditional feasts and celebrations. Because most saints celebrate in the summer, there is a feast almost every day between June and August. There are processions, food feasts and dances. If you have the chance to see a wedding or a christening, you will see the real way in which the Cretans celebrate, with plenty of wine, and always special pilaf rice and boiled goat.
The Cretans love to celebrate and there is almost always a feast somewhere. Often it is related to the feast day of one of the saints, a wedding or baptism and it is always an occasion for eating, drinking and having a good time.
Easter
It is the most important Cretan and Greek feast. Everybody tries to come back to their island to celebrate Easter with their family.
Epiphany
It is on the 6th of January in remembrance of the baptism of Christ.
Carnival
It marks the beginning of the fasting period prior to Easter. There are carnival processions in the cities. The best known are in Rethymnon, Souda and Chania.
Annunciation
25th of March. It is also a feast in remembrance of the revolt of 1821 against the Turks.
National day 25th of March
On 25th of March, Greeks celebrate the beginning of the revolt in 1821 against the Ottoman Empire. Military and school parades occur all over Greece.
Feast of St. George
23rd of April. Saint George is one of the most important saints in the orthodox religion, the patron saint of shepherds and peasants as well as for the armed forces.
May Day
1st of May. Spring festival where people drive out in the countryside, pick flowers and make wreaths to hang over their house doors. Many Cretans take their first swim in the sea on this day.
21st of May
Around this date several ceremonies take place in the province of Chania to commemorate the invasion of Crete by the Germans in 1941 and the Cretan resistance.
Feast of Saint John the Baptist
24th of June. Birthday of Saint John the Baptist as well as summer solstice.
Feast of Agii Apostoli
30th of June. The local church in the area celebrates after which the area is named.
Prophet Helias
20th of July. Many chapels built on peaks and hills are dedicated to the prophet Elias. He is also seen as the christian incarnation of the sun god Helios (note the similarities in names).
Assumption Feast of the Panagia
15th of August. It is the most important feast of the year after Easter and an occasion for big celebrations.
National holiday of 28th of October
Greeks commemorated the beginning of WW2, by rejecting the ultimatum of Mussolini to occupy Greece in 28th October 1940. Military and school parades occur all over Greece.
Saint Nicholas
6th of December. An important day as Saint Nicholas is the patron of sailors and seamen.
Christmas
It is far less significant in Greece than Easter but is still celebrated with family gatherings and traditional food.
New year
is a small family celebration but nowadays people also go out at midnight to light fireworks or, in regions such as Sfakia, to celebrate the new year with gun fire.
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