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The monastery of Ai Giannis in Lakki is located inside the cave of the cape of Vroukounta, and its festival is on August 28 with a celebration that lasts two days and two nights. The locals set off on the eve of the festival either from Avlona either on foot or from Diafani by boat. When they arrive, they set up their supplies and start with a big meal, then rejoicing and dancing until dawn. After sunrise, the exhausted locals sleep in the open air outside the cave. The next morning they attend the church service and continue the feast until the evening.
Tradition on the island is a living reality. The Karpathos feast brings the folk songs of Karpathos to life but also presents the poetic talent of the Karpathians with their impromptu mantinades, short songs that express pain or joy, depending on the occasion.
One can attend such festivities with their traditional food and local musical instruments – and traditional hospitality. All visitors are welcome, while the island is flooded with the fragrance of freshly-baked sourdough bread, xerotigana, stifado, macarounes, and other local delicacies.
