15th August
Faithful to the customs and traditions of their ancestors, the people of Karpathos honour the patron saints of their villages during festivals, with lutes, lyres, bagpipes, improvised folk songs (mantinades), dances, and traditional delicacies. Among the most renowned festivals is the one held on the 15th of August, celebrated throughout the island, with the most notable taking place in Aperi, Diafani, Menetes, and Olympos. Women wear exquisitely crafted, colourful traditional costumes, food is offered free of charge, and the festivities continue until dawn.
Each summer on August 15th, the mountain village of Olympos in northern Karpathos becomes the setting for one of the most profound and moving celebrations in the Aegean: the Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary (Koimisi tis Theotokou). For the villagers, this day is both a religious obligation and a cultural expression, uniting centuries of tradition in a celebration that blends mourning, reverence, music, and dance.
A Sacred Day
August 15th, often called the “summer Easter” of Greece, commemorates the death and assumption of the Virgin Mary. In Olympos, the morning begins with a solemn Divine Liturgy in the main church of the Panagia. The service is marked by reverent hymns, incense, and prayer, reflecting the bittersweet meaning of the occasion—sorrow for her passing, but also joy for her heavenly transition.
The church fills early with villagers and visitors, many of them dressed in traditional attire, while the atmosphere carries a rare blend of grief and celebration.
The Rhythm of the Feast
After the liturgy, families gather in their homes or local tavernas to share food and prepare for the evening. The anticipation builds throughout the day as musicians ready their instruments: the Karpathian lyra, the lute, and sometimes the island bagpipe (tsambouna).
As the sun begins to set, the focus shifts to the village square in front of the church. Here, the feast transforms from liturgy to living tradition.
- The men take their places at the long wooden tables. Each wears a sprig of basil in his lapel, a symbol of blessing. They sing with deep, resonant voices, accompanied by the plaintive sounds of lyre and lute, while wine flows freely.
- The women, in due time, make their entrance. Dressed in magnificent handwoven costumes—embroidered, colorful, and adorned with jewelry—they add radiance to the scene. These garments are often heirlooms, passed down for generations, and their beauty alone makes the celebration unforgettable.
The Kato Horos
As night falls, the feast reaches its highlight: the Kato Horos, the “lower dance.” This is no lively or carefree dance, but a slow, deliberate, and solemn procession of steps.
- At first, only the men rise from the tables and form the circle.
- Gradually, the women join, their ornate costumes shimmering under the dim light.
- The dance unfolds with a sense of gravity, each step measured and purposeful.
The Kato Horos can last for hours, continuing well into the night. The dance is not merely entertainment; it is a ritual, a living expression of the community’s faith and identity, passed down through countless generations.
The Atmosphere
What sets this celebration apart is its fusion of mourning and joy. The Dormition of the Virgin Mary is honoured with reverence, yet the people of Olympos respond by reaffirming life, community, and continuity.
The entire scene—music echoing through the narrow stone streets, the glow of lanterns in the square, the solemn procession of dancers, the scent of food and basil—creates one of the most authentic and unforgettable experiences of the Aegean.
A Living Tradition
For the visitor, the feast is not just something to observe but to feel. It is a chance to witness how faith, music, dance, and costume merge into a single expression of identity. In Olympos, tradition is not a performance for outsiders but a way of life, and the Dormition celebration remains its most powerful expression.
✨ If you find yourself on Karpathos in mid-August, the Feast of the Dormition in Olympos is a rare opportunity: a journey into the heart of a community where sacred ritual and timeless tradition are still lived with sincerity and beauty.
