The celebration takes place every year in the town of Eleusis, on the eve of the Presentation of Mary, the 21st of November, in the post-Byzantine chapel of the Holy Virgin of Mesosporitissa.
The chapel was built above the ancient locale of Telestirio. It represents the revival of an ancient custom that began in the Mycenaean era in honour of the goddess Demetra (Ceres). In Christian times, the locals assigned that role to the Virgin Mary, naming her Mesosporitissa (sporos meaning seed) because it was the season when the sowing of seeds was underway.
The Custom of the Holy Virgin
On that day, the “Polysporia” (many seeds) are being prepared, a ritual dating back to ancient times. In other words, women boil legumes (such as chickpeas, beans, and lentils) and wheat in their homes, reviving the rural tradition of cooking what they produce. They then take it in a cauldron, where it is mixed with petimezi, pomegranate, and raisins. Then, the final product, the “polysporia”, is distributed after Vespers (around 5 in the afternoon) to the people who have gone up to the church to attend the festive service, along with bread, “artos”, for the celebration of the Virgin Mary of Mesosporitissa.
