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Ktikados is a traditional settlement with a mixed population of Catholics and Orthodox Christians. It has alleyways, small neighborhoods and flower gardens that bask in the sun. Strolling through the village, one encounters many elements of Tinos’ architecture: traditional houses and churches, cobbled lanes, arches and lintels, fountains and laundry houses. It is worth visiting the Catholic church of the Cross, one of the oldest on the island, and the Orthodox church of Ipapantis (or alternatively Megalomatas= Large eyes) with its icon of the Virgin of Megalomata.
On the first and second of February are two days of worship and social events in honour of the Holy Virgin or Megalohari and Saint Simeon (Agios Simeon) which constitute the celebration of the parish church of the Orthodox community.
On the island of Tinos it is a tradition to whitewash inside and out every church whenever it celebrates the memory of the saint to whom it is dedicated, while women of the village clean up the area around the church, polish the candle-stands, and decorate the sanctuary with flowers. After Mass, treats are served in the courtyard. The festival sometimes culminates in the main square with balo and syrto dances to the sounds of musicians playing instruments based on the violin.
People celebrating their name-day open their homes to the public, having decorated their tables with beautiful dinner sets and white tablecloths. A bounty of local dishes is served with abundant quantities of wine until late in the evening with offerings of psarakia, meringues, pasteli, and xerotigana along with homemade raki.
Tinos traditional dishes are artichokes cooked in a variety of ways, sun-dried tomatoes with batter, froutalia, savore with molasses, fried fish with petimezi sauce, pork sausages, the saltsisi, and the louza of Tinos. Cheeses include the famed graviera and the kopanisti. As for sweets, famous are the amygdalota, xerotigana, karidota, pasteli, loukoumi, and various kinds of halva as well as the renowned thyme honey of Tinos.
