On August 15, also known as “Summer Easter,” is celebrated in Cyprus, with folklore scholar Anna Tselepou speaking to CNA about the holiday’s customs.
The Feast of the Assumption and local festivals have long been intertwined in the collective memory, with the tradition remaining alive in the Paphos district as well, where the religious celebrations of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary are combined with music, dance, food, and social gatherings. These festivals, which over time have evolved into celebrations and festivals, continue to be an important part of the cultural and social life of the communities.
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In the past, the panigyri was primarily an outdoor religious and social event, but it also had a strong commercial aspect. On that particular day, visitors could buy vegetables, fruits, and legumes, as well as everyday items such as utensils and tools, and traditional products.
This commercial aspect was an integral part of the festival experience and allowed villagers and visitors alike to combine their participation in the religious celebration with their daily needs.
In the Paphos district, village festivals, even in their new form, continue to be celebrated. In almost all communities, events featuring music and dance are organized, giving residents, expatriates returning to their villages, and visitors alike to meet, dance, sing, and celebrate, keeping the elements of local tradition alive.
At the same time, the holy monasteries of the Paphos district are celebrating the great feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos. Today, crowds of the faithful from all over Cyprus are visiting the monasteries of Saint Neophytos and Chrysorogiatissa, participating in religious ceremonies and paying homage to the Virgin Mary.
Churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary, scattered throughout the island, hold services with great pomp and attract hundreds of worshippers, as well as vendors. This scene is part of a long-standing tradition, in which the religious festival served simultaneously as a gathering place and an occasion for social interaction.
According to Anna Tselepou, a scholar of tradition, the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, celebrated on August 15, can be considered one of the most important feasts in Christianity and, by extension, one of the most important religious feasts in Cyprus.
As reported by CNA, a full fifteen days are dedicated to the Virgin Mary, with preparations for the feast beginning during the period of fasting, until the Feast of the Assumption marks the day on which the name of the Virgin Mary is celebrated.
The grandeur of the celebration is such, notes Ms. Tselepou, that August 15 is called “Summer Easter” or “Easter of the Virgin Mary,” a designation that reflects the significance of the day for Cypriot society and especially for the faithful.
In the churches, she adds, there are hundreds of handmade loaves of bread offered for the feast of the Virgin Mary. Their preparation and transport to the church are part of a custom that continues to this day and links religious faith with family and community traditions.
With particular grandeur, especially in churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the day is devoted to the glorification of her name, he notes. Housewives, he adds, bring the bread they have kneaded the previous evening to their churches, along with the loaves intended for the next day’s festive table. In this way, as they say, “they will celebrate the feast of the Virgin Mary,” actively participating in the celebration and glorifying her name.
For the faithful of Cyprus, the Virgin Mary has always held a special place in their hearts. Especially for the women who wore black because of the wars in our country, the relationship with the Virgin Mary has taken on an even deeper meaning, notes Anna Tselepou. The Virgin Mary, as she points out, is the constant invocation that comes to people’s lips in both times of joy and sorrow.
“Thus, the Feast of the Assumption in Paphos is not merely a major religious celebration. It is also a day when faith, tradition, family, social gatherings, and festivities come together, keeping alive a cycle of customs passed down from generation to generation,” he notes.
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Source: KYPE
