Festivals and Celebrations

Carnival developed from ancient Greek roots, from rites associated with Dionysios the God of wine, and occurred at the beginning of the spring to ensure a good harvest and successful breeding of the animal stock. Now the celebration of Carnival has widened and in Corfu has been enhanced with Venetian influences. The first parade takes place in Corfu Town on the first Sunday of Carnival with a procession of floats to start off the fun and get people in the mood. On Tsiknopempti (the last Thursday of Carnival) the tavernas fill with songs, glasses fill with wine and the streets fill with confetti. The climax of the celebrations take place on the third and final Sunday with the procession of King Carnival, who is brought to trial for the sins of the previous year and sentenced to death by fire, so that all the evil is burnt with him. At the end of the procession he is cremated, his will is read and a great party with music and dancing follows. However, it is in the countryside and villages that Carnival really returns to its roots. In Pelekas, the final Sunday of Carnival is celebrated in the village square. The villagers disguise themselves from head to toe, often as old women and dance together to the music of the local 'orchestra'. These disguises traditionally allowed women to join in the fun without fear of recognition. The dancing is followed by the cremation of King Carnival and a party in the evening where the village sits down together to eat, drink and dance before the forty days of fasting which precede Easter.

The next day is known as Clean Monday which marks the beginning of Lent. Far from being a solemn occasion it is a day dedicated to picnics of fasting food and kite-flying. In Pelekas on Clean Monday, weather permitting, the whole village makes its way to Glyfada Beach where families picnic on shellfish, octopus, taramasalata, salads, pickles and the loaves of unleavened bread specially baked on this day. Huge quantities of wine are drunk and this feast where no meat, butter, eggs or cheese are present ushers in forty days of fasting, which until recently most Greeks observed. In the afternoon the Pelekas Cultural Society provides the entertainment with music and a display of dancing by a group wearing the traditional costume of the village.

Easter is the greatest holiday in the Orthodox Church. In Pelekas, as in the rest of Greece, it begins on Good Friday with a funeral procession and culminates with a celebration of the Resurrection at midnight on Saturday. On Saturday morning, at 11 o'clock earthenware pots are thrown from upstairs windows into the street below in the belief that any bad spirits in the house will be thrown out with them. Midnight on Saturday is a magical time and the church and square are packed. The square is slowly lit by the candles the villagers have carried from the church and around the village while following a representation of the empty tomb. As the bells peal midnight the sky is set ablaze by fireworks accompanied by flares and shotgun blasts. On Sunday every family roasts a lamb or goat over charcoal and the day is spent eating and drinking. In the evening there is music and dancing in the square, including a display of traditional Corfiot dances by the local dance group. On Easter Monday there is a procession to the Church of St George on the hill above Vatos. Here there is a service after which the villagers enjoy an open-air picnic.

On August 23rd there is a Festival in Pelekas to celebrate the feast day of The Virgin Odhigitria (leader) after whom the local church is named. Once again the square is filled with music and dancing and the smell of souvlakia (kebabs) cooking on charcoal grills. It is a time of year when those from Pelekas who have moved away to the cities return to their village and join in the celebrations. Every parish in Greece has an annual celebration and similar festivals take place in and around Pelekas at other times of the year including Mirtiotissa on 24th September.