Have you ever been in a “paniyiri”?
A centuries old tradition of the island are the festivals or “paniyiria” organized on the eve of the day a saint is celebrated. They attract crowds of cheerful islanders as well as many foreigners not only chanting and praying but cooking, eating, drinking and feasting long into the night outside in the whitewashed forecourts of the churches or in the villages’ central square.
The paniyiri starts with...
