The traditional wedding on Spetses
The
traditional wedding on Spetses demands that the couple go to the church
together - although nowadays a male member of the family of the groom may
accompany her - and walk home afterwards with friends and relatives, led
by musicians playing the lute and violin.
Religious festivals are celebrated throughout the year in the many chapels
of the island. The vespers, the divine service and the blessing of the
Holy bread take place followed by the traditional 'treats'. During the
month of July numerous people gather at the festivals of St. Marina, Panagia (VirginMary), Kapsodematousa, St. Markella, St. Paraskevi, Prophet
Elias, and during September at the festivals of Panagia of Daskalakis and
of St.Mamandos, where the children leave small candles to float on the sea
after vespers. In spring, there are the festivals at the two 'Panagies of
Elona' (churches of the Virgin Mary) and the festival of St. George, which
takes place at Zogeria, where folk musicians entertain against a backdrop
of sea and nature.
Carnival
At Carnival time, according to
custom, people in fancy dress visit houses in the local neighbourhood. On
the last Sunday of the carnival period, there is a big feast at the Clock
Square, where hundreds of locals and vistors gather. This festival is
organised by the Municipality of Spetses. The high spot of the feast is
the burning of the King of the Carnival in the centre of the square, which
is followed by fireworks. The next day, Shrove Monday,tradition continues
with the flying of kites and local feasts in the neighbourhoods of
Sourbouti, Kounoupitsa and Kastelli.
The local guilds of working people
celebrate the day of their patron saint as a family feast .The most famous
of these are the hunters' feast at Panagia Daskalaki, the drivers' feast
on St. Christopher's day, the fishermen and sailors' feast on St. Apostles
and the feast of the tradesmen on the Three Spetsiots saints day.
Easter
On
Spetses, like on all the other Greek islands, Easter, apart from its
deeply religious character, also includes the phantasmagoric spectacle of
fireworks shining across the sky. On the night of Christ's resurrection,
the fishermen keep an old custom and burn a small boat in the courtyard of
the church of Analypsi (Ascension of Christ). On Easter Sunday afternoon
at Kounoupitsa Square,the burning of an effigy of Judas takes place, a
very old custom which has recently been revived by the Spetsiot Panayioti
Mathios.
Festivals and at family feasts
The people of Spetses have always loved singing and dancing and
there are many songs originating from Spetses that are heard in festivals
and at family feasts. There are also songs brought here by sailors that
Spetsiots have paraphrased according to their traditions. The Spetsiot
dances 'syrtos' and 'hasapikos' are among the favourites.
The traditional local costume
The traditional
local costume is also seen on all the islands of the Aegean as well as on
the Peloponnesian coast at Ermionida, with slight differences. The men's
costume is the classic style and consists of knickerbockers (traditional
trousers), a shirt, a waistcoat and a belt. The women's costume consists
of a white silk blouse with a long skirt and a belt, as well as the
characteristic embroidered headscarf.
Among the many
kinds of popular art that were developed on Spetses are, the renowned
Spetsiot pebble mosaics which decorate the narrow streets and squares (in
the past they have also decorated Omonia Square in Athens), traditional
wooden ship-building at the shipyards, the weaving of rugs and textiles
from family looms, as well as wood carving.
Armata
The
most famous of all events on the island, with both religious and national
significance, and attracting thousands of visitors, is the 'Armata'. The
highlight of this festival takes place on the second Saturday of September
and is a re-enactment of the naval battle of 8th September 1822. This is
an authentic folk event, with the participation of hundreds of locals,
framed by a programme of special cultural events which take place during
the week prior to the re-enactment. The Battle of Spetses is one of the
greatest events of the War of Independence. After the defeat of Dramalis
by Kolokotronis at Dervenakia, the war in the Peloponnese was hopeless for
the Ottomans. Only a few forts put up resistance, forts such as the
renowned Palamidi at Nafplion. This stronghold was put under seige by
Ypsilantis from the land and by Bouboulina from the sea. The Ottoman
fleet, in a final effort to provide Nafplion with arms and ammunition,
sailed toward the Argolic Gulf with a plan to attack first Spetses and
then Hydra, and so, on 8th September 1822, the Ottoman fleet sailed into
Spetsiot waters. The island's captains, with help from the captains of
Hydra and Psara, fought heroically and managed to put the Ottoman fleet to
flight after spreading panic by setting fire to the Turkish flagship.
Significant men of letters and of art, Greek and
foreign, loved, lived and were inspired on Spetses, contributing to the
cultural prosperity of the island. Between the First and Second World
Wars, one particular character, despite difficulties, gave, with his
works, a strong base for the subsequent development of the island.
