Easter Tuesday, which for the rest of Greece and the Orthodox everywhere is nothing more than a simple, everyday day of returning to work and everyone's obligations, for Folegandros and its residents is more Easter than Easter, I would dare to say ! On this day, the image will tour the southern part of Folegandros, the settlements of Petousi, Themonia Livadi, Livadi and Karavostasi, it will even enter the boats of the island and the ships, which may dock at the port at those hours, before returning on Tuesday afternoon again to Her house, on the top of the hill above Chora Folegandros, from where she gazes at the island all the time and helps its inhabitants! It all starts on Easter Sunday at noon, when throughout the rest of Greece the obelias has now been consumed, the red eggs have been rolled and everyone wishes "And next year!", at the time when Easter everywhere throughout the Greek territory and the The Orthodox world is ending, in Folegandros it is just beginning! The icon of the Virgin descends from the church in order to visit one by one all the houses of the island, during a three-day tour, starting from Chora, on Sunday afternoon with the whole village on foot, to end up in Ano Meria in the evening of the same day. The inhabitants of Apano Meria en masse accompany the icon of the Virgin Mary, on Monday afternoon, to the edge of the village, in Brovarma, where her all-day tour of the village is completed and they bid her farewell by worshiping her reverently, after her only overnight stay during the year in the parish church of the patron Saint George. Afterwards, the icon will return to Chora, to spend the night in Pantanassa and be close to Her other "children", the Choraites, with the three-day celebration ending, as we said, on the evening of Easter Tuesday, when the whole population accompanies their protector in Her permanent residence.
The temple of the Dormition of the Virgin, Panagia as the Folegandrites lovingly and reverently call her, has been built on the site where, according to surviving ancient inscriptions, there must have been a sanctuary of Selasphorus Artemis and Apollo the Protector. Perhaps we should also place the early Christian basilica of Folegandros here. According to the descriptions of the travelers of the 17th and 18th centuries, we conclude that this temple was the catholicon of the Men's Monastery, which is mentioned by the travelers Jean de Thévenot (a Frenchman, who visited the island in the middle of the 17th century) and the Dutch lieutenant Heinrich Leonard Pasch van Krienen. Ancient inscribed marbles are scattered in the forecourt, as well as a headless Roman-era statue built into the free-standing, tall bell tower. In addition, in the bell tower there is a built-in marble icon, in popular style, showing the Virgin Mary with Christ. The large, marble, inscribed cylindrical base, which is located in the aulogyros of the temple, also belongs to the Roman era. On its surface we observe the remains of the bronze statue, which was apparently resting on it. The church of Panagia is a single-aisled basilica with a dome, the length of which exceeds 30 meters. The dome features a low, eight-sided drum. A peculiarity of the monument is the existence, east and west of the dome, of two elegant temple-shaped structures. It also has a gynecomastia.
Easter Monday in Ano Meria (left), Easter Tuesday from Chora to Petousis
Easter Tuesday in Karavostasi
Easter pies and lazarakis of Folegandros
Easter Monday in Brovarma, Ano Meria
Entering the church, we cannot help but admire the amazingly beautiful, unique on the island, marble altarpiece, which was built in 1896 by the Tinian marble sculptor Kaparias, who ten years later built the also marble archbishop's throne, as well as the built pulpit. The carved and painted doors of the sanctuary, the unusual built throne, located in the center of its niche, and the marble slab, located directly in front of the Beautiful Gate, seem to come from the old temple. It bears embossed symbols, such as the double-headed eagle, and appears to be covering the grave of an important person. We must also mention that the Holy Altar rests on a marble, inscribed base of a Roman statue. The miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, lit up with splendor throughout the island, during the three days of Easter, was seized from the island on October 12, 1715, by the Turks, on the same day as the defection of the Folegandrians, by Kapudan Pasha Janum Hoxha. The large icon, of unspecified antiquity, miraculously returned to the island, but without its silver cover, which was re-installed in 1857 and is preserved to this day.
The Easter preparations on the island began - and continue to this day with slight variations in terms of what we will mention below - from Lent, with the internal and external "whitening" of the houses, i.e. their traditional whitewashing with lime. During Holy Week, the preparations focus on the preparation of Easter sweets and foods. On Great Saturday, all the housewives of Folegandria deal with "the butchers and the oven", i.e. with the slaughtering of the goat and the lighting of the home oven, to bake the pies - original individual cheese pies in the shape and size of an individual pizza - as well as the sweet honey pie, made from myzithra and local thyme honey. As for the goat, baked in the oven with potatoes, it is the pre-eminent Easter delicacy of the Folegandrite table, while its entrails are turned into the delicious tripe soup - it has nothing to do with either a stew or the well-known tripe of patsa restaurants throughout the territory-, which is consumed on the Saturday night after the Resurrection. On the Saturday of Lazarus, they bake "Lazarus", long breads with raisins, which symbolize the wounds of Lazarus.
At noon on Sunday, the main part of the Easter celebration begins in Folegandros. The miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary descends accompanied by a crowd of believers from Her temple, which is located on a hill above Chora, while a much larger crowd of people - locals and visitors included - waits to welcome her at the entrance of the village, in Pounta, to to accompany her with the village priest, of course, in her procession to all the houses of the small town without exception.
As darkness falls, the icon of the Virgin Mary heads towards the western exit of Chora, where the people of Anomerites, always accompanied by their village priest, are waiting to pick it up and carry it to their village on foot. After the celebratory vespers at the parish church of Ai-Georgi, many people spend the night in the church to commemorate this unique overnight stay of the Virgin Mary in Ano Meria.
On Easter Monday, after the liturgy, the Virgin Mary begins the "marathon" of her tour of all the houses of the village without exception, a time-consuming process that lasts the whole day, since the village extends over a total length of more than 3 kilometers , with its small neighborhoods located on either side of the main road, which, like a backbone, crosses the island.
During these three days, the icon of the Virgin is accompanied by a crowd of people, who follow it on foot along all the routes. The men consider it their honor to carry this precious "load" in pairs on their shoulders, while the children fight over who will be the first to hold the banner of the Resurrection and the six wings. A characteristic harbinger of the coming of the Virgin Mary is the sound of a small bell, which the children do not let go for a moment, as well as the clinking of the barrels that honorably welcome her in every home. Also in all the houses, the table is richly laid waiting for the people who follow the Virgin Mary, with all kinds of local and non-local foods and snacks, sweets, fruits and drinks. Especially in Apano Meria, the abundant mezes are indeed of unimaginable variety.
In the evening, after the tour has been completed, the icon of the Virgin arrives at the eastern exit of the village, in Brovarma, where, after a short prayer, it is delivered into the hands of the priest and the residents of Chora, who have come to accompany her, always on foot. back to their village, but after first all the Apanomerites present, without exception, worship Her. During the march there are short stops for blessings, especially when the procession passes in front of one of the many chapels of the island and this of course applies to the three days of the procession.
In Chora, the Virgin spends the night at I.N. of Pantanassa, inside the Castle. After vespers and while the Choraites spend the night near Panagia, the Apanomerites feast in the taverns of their village, just as the Choraites had done the previous night, during the overnight stay of Panagia in Ano Meria. On Tuesday, the holy Icon performs the third and most difficult part of its tour, as it leaves Chora and heads towards the rural areas in the SE. side of the island, Petousis, Themonies Livadiou and Livadi, on a route that will remain indelibly etched in the memory of those who follow it even once!
Easter Sunday in Chora
A short stop to rest in the courtyards of Petousi's farmhouses is really welcome, especially when it is always accompanied by a treat with the excellent quality cheese products produced in the area, with the outstandingly delicious fresh myzithra, so tender that the locals call it as "mind". The route follows some of the most difficult paths of the island, especially in the section that connects the settlements of Petousis with Themonies Livadiou, however the beauty of the landscape and the view towards the neighboring islands, east of Folegandros, fully compensates the crowded participants in sequence of the Virgin Mary.
Around midday, the icon of the Virgin Mary and its entourage arrive at Karavostasis, the port of the island, where, in addition to the houses of the settlement, they visit all the boats, which, when the weather conditions permit, take the icon for a ride, in order to bless the waters. During the hot hours of the day, the Virgin will "rest" for a while in the small church of Agios Artemios, always in Karavostasis, so that no settlement is left complaining and less blessed, while in the afternoon the Icon with its procession will start for the Chora, where she is again welcomed by a crowd of people, followed by a final procession through the main streets of the village and finally, everyone together accompanies her back to her temple, where Vespers is celebrated and the Virgin Mary remains until the next Easter, when she will again be near the Her faithful.
The last part of our presentation includes the part of the procession of the image of the Virgin Mary, which has actually been part of her custom for the last decades, that is, the entry into the ships, which may be in the port at the time of the procession -and they always make sure they are- , as well as the long sea ride, which brings the Icon to the northern shores of the island, below Chora, to the sea foot of Agremnos tis Panagia, the mountain that hosts Her temple, accompanied by all kinds of boats that may be on that day and time at the port of the island. This sea walk, which when the weather is "good" is a truly enjoyable experience, after passing through the cave of Chrysospilia, it reaches below Chora, while along the entire route sparklers and all kinds of fireworks are thrown from the sea , as well as from those who follow the boats' route from the rocks and until the return to the safety of the port of Karavostasis.
