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Parikia is the capital of the island of Paros and is also the main port town, as well as the island’s administrative and economic center.
The island celebrates Saint Chrysostomos of Smyrna on the Sunday before the day of the Exaltation of The Holy Cross (September 14th) with an event dedicated to Asia Minor with traditional dances from Asia Minor, a regalement with seafood, wine and souma, as well as with traditional songs from Asia Minor, along with numerous other celebrational events. All residents as well as numerous visitors participate with religious solemnity to the festivals of Paros, attending vespers and, following the divine liturgy, contribute in their own way to the feast. Some bring the traditional alcoholic beverage, souma, or wine while others bring pies, revithada, or other delicacies they have prepared before at home and the festival culminates with feasting, dancing and singing that goes on for many hours.
The most famous Parian dishes are the kakavia, gouna (salted sun-dried fish), salatouri, kolokythokeftedes, tomatokeftedes, chickpeas in the oven, ambelofassoula, fava, karavoli, kalfa with skordalia. The cheeses are also exceptional. Xynomizithra, ladotiri, brine cheese, touloumisio and mizithra, combined with paximadi, and kritharokouloures. Housewives make spoon sweet, rafiolia, mizithropitakia, lambrokouloura, lazarakia, petimezenia (cookies using petimezi instead of sugar) and skaltsounia as well as the traditional alcoholic beverage souma.
Photo: paros.gr
