The celebration of the Holy Seven Youths stands out for its distinctive features. It occurs within a secluded chapel in a small cove called “Mouzakia” between Oia and Imerovigli.
As the story goes, the Roman emperor Decius Trajan, upon his arrival in Ephesus around 250 CE, commanded the local population to renounce Christianity, embrace the worship of Roman gods, and demolish all Christian temples. Seven young men from Ephesus—Maksymian, Malchus, Martynian, Dionysius, Jan, Serapion, and Konstanty—fled to a nearby cave in defiance of this order. The emperor’s soldiers then sealed them inside, condemning them to starve. However, the young men fell into a deep sleep that lasted for 200 years, awakening only when Christianity had once again become the dominant faith in the area.
The church’s site represents the cave where the Holy Seven Young Men took refuge in Ephesus. Each year, on August 4, the people of Oia hold a festival to honour this event. They arrive at the Church of the Seven Holy Young Men by boat, and due to the church’s limited capacity, some attendees stay on their boats for the duration of the service and the subsequent celebration.
Access to this location is exclusively by sea, with boats departing from Athinio, the Old Port of Fira, Ammoudi, or Mesa Gialos, specifically on the eve and the festival day. This extraordinary island-style celebration occurs in a well-concealed church that symbolizes the cave where the Holy Seven Youths sought refuge in Ephesus to escape the persecutions targeting Christians.
The ambience is complemented by music, local wine, and the traditional fava bean dish, creating an authentic coastal festival dedicated to the Holy Seven Youths in Santorini. Furthermore, numerous participants opt to spend the night outdoors at the location, revelling in the traditional Cycladic festivities until the following day!
