1st of May Day at Tinos, Sklavohorio

Sklavohorio is a small, colorful village hidden in the slopes of Mt Tsiknias on the north side of the island of Tinos. There lies the church of Agia Triada (the Holy Trinity), along with a communal laundry house built in 1821. The great Greek painter Nikolaos Gizis was born in Sklavohorio, and spent his early years there. The house he was born in and spent his early years is open to visitors.

On Tinos, the Labor Day celebration is organized by the village association of Sklavohorio. Lambs are spit-roasted, the tables are set and food provided, along with dancing and song, for all those present. All the village residents take part, supplementing the meal with homemade meze, sweets, raki and more.

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.

Photo: tinostoday.gr