CUSTOMS
NEW YEAR 'S DAY On New Year's Day, in addition to the well-known customs of carols and footwork, which are celebrated in the same way as in the rest of Greece, the "sowing of leaves" also takes place as follows: the locals all sit around the lit fireplace, pull the coals towards the outside and throw olive leaves around the burning coals thinking of a wish! Whoever's card turns (twists and wraps) the most will have their wish granted!
CARNIVAL The celebration of the carnival, in addition to the well-known events, also includes the folk event "pepper rubbing". This is one of the most fun customs that gives a special color to the morning of Clean Monday. The leader sings once, the well-known mock song "how they rub the pepper" and the other dancers repeat it. So, while dancing, they follow the lyrics of the song and the corresponding movements. The leader holds a belt or a broomstick to beat offenders. Violators, that is, those who do not follow the leader's instructions, are punished with a beating! Another well-known custom takes place on the second day of Easter in the Kalyvia of the Limenarians and is called "For April rain". The inhabitants of the island gather to ask God for rain so that the vines do not dry up and the production of grapes and sweet wine of Thassos is not affected. During the event, the attendees are offered local snacks, plenty of Thassis wine and traditional sweets.
FIRE JUMPING The fire jumping custom is a characteristic custom for the island. On July 31st, the inhabitants light three bonfires at a regular distance from each other and young and old jump over them saying: "August, Paraygustos, with figs and grapes and with the miller's.....nuts". The habit of jumping the fire aims to renew and strengthen the health of the island's inhabitants. According to the beliefs of the locals, fire is power and as power it has the purpose of purification, health, maintenance, renewal. Thus, from the very beginning housewives washed, mopped, dusted and whitewashed the paved yards. Three fires were lit there and the custom was performed. In the past, they also roasted a garlic in the fire, took the cloves, the cloves, and ate them to prevent them from catching a fever. Then they would let the fires die out well, collect the ashes and spread them on the fig trees to hold the figs and not drop them. This process took place the next day, August 1st. August 1st is also the beginning of the 15-day fast for the feast of the Virgin Mary. On that day they also begin to study the "meromenia", i.e. the forecast of the weather for the whole year, from weather observations made in the first 6 or 12 days of August. The inhabitants observed the weather of each day and deduced from it the weather of the month corresponding to each day. So, the inhabitants continue this custom of jumping the fire, to say goodbye to July and to honor August to bring them abundance and health during the year.
THASITIC WEDDING The Thasitic wedding is the pinnacle of cultural events that gathers over 2500 visitors every year. It is a truly special event that keeps alive the cultural heritage of the place, representing traditional wedding customs. The girls of the village wash the bride's dowry singing together and on Friday the dowry is decorated in the bride's house, which today is the mansion of Hatziiorgis, and people come by to see it and silver it as before. On the day of the wedding, the girls sing various traditional songs of Thassos and decorate the bride. Then, after she is ready, her mother takes her into an adjoining room and gives her the last advice for the new life she is about to begin, puts a small lock around her waist, locks her, and puts a net over her for the evil eye and yeast. Just before the groom arrives, the girls sing to her "t' acous t' acous my bride what shall I order you, stand like a dove, bend like a rod, blush like a red carnation". In another mansion the young people dress up the groom and set up a dance while waiting for the best man to come. When the groom arrives at the bride's house, her friends lock the door and ask the groom and shout "groom us so we can give it to you". He is "forced" to order something to the girls to hand over the bride to him, and then the girls sing to the groom "my son-in-law, please do us a favor with the rose we give you, don't wither it." Then they all walk together along the village until they reach the field where the coronations (kisses and wishes to the "newlyweds") begin and the guests give money, pounds, flowers and jewels that hang on the lapels of the bride and groom. The mother-in-law treats the newlyweds with a sweet walnut with the same spoon, thus symbolizing the beginning of their life together. Immediately after, the young people of the village dance the dowries and then a folk feast follows. On that day, from early in the morning young men and women of the village treat the guests to raki and the traditional sweet of Theologos, saragli. The whole village is festively decorated and the women hang traditional textiles on their balconies.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou