Cycladia | Island Events

Patmos, as one of the most famous religious destinations in Greece and the place where Saint Ioannis found shelter and God dictated to him the text of the Apocalypse, could not be but the best place to celebrate the Easter season. During Easter time, the celebrations and traditional customs take another dimension that overwhelm the entire island and its numerous churches.

Celebrations connected to Easter time and the Passions of Christ take over the entire island and its numerous churches. Preparations for the holy day of Resurrection start from Sunday, right before the Week of the Passions of Christ.

All churches on the island are adorned with flowers to welcome the customs of the next days. A great number of church services take place in all the churches and monasteries of the island throughout the entire week, with the most impressing the ones which take place in the chapel of St. John within the cave which served as his hermitage (Cave of the Apocalypse).

By far the most unique Easter custom on Patmos is the “Rite of the Lavatory” that takes place on Holy Thursday morning at the Town Hall square and it consists in a representation of the Last Supper. The Reverent takes the place of Jesus and washes the feet of 12 monks that represent the twelve students and are sitted around a platform serving as the table of the Last Supper. Then the Reverent retires to pray, simulating the transfer of Jesus in Gethsemane Garden, where he was delivered by Judas in the hands of the Roman soldiers.

Until the Sunday of Resurrection various rituals take place on the entire island and on that day a second Resurrection rite takes place in the Monastery of Patmos during which the Evangelio (Gospel) is read out in Italian, French, Russian, English, German and Serbian and, also, in Homeric Greek.

The festival was first organized in 2001 and since then it usually takes place in early September. It is one of the most important festivals of religious music at an international level and it gathers artists and choirs from around the world. The festival is symbolically held right under the Cave of the Apocalypse.

The Greek Folk Dances Festival was also firstly organized in 2010 and is held during the summer. It unites traditional dance groups from all over Greece and Asia Minor. Visitors have the opportunity to get acquainted with Greek traditional dances, admire the diversity and distinctive tradition depicted in the dance costumes and understand the symbolism of the dances that are frequently connected with specific historic events. This festival is an event that should not be missed by those who wish to dive into the Greek culture and its nearby Asia coast.

This festival started taking place on Patmos in 2010 and it is usually held in mid-July in an open air theatre, especially designed for this purpose, overlooking the port of Patmos and the Monastery of St. John at Hora. The IFFP is the meeting point for foreign and Greek filmmakers and it is mostly an artistic event but at times it may host some kind of competition too. Many interesting parallel events, like seminars and workshops, give visitors the opportunity to mingle with a multinational artistic crowd.

The most important religious feasts are usually accompanied with an all-night long celebration, free delicacies and drinks:

Feast of Holy Mary, August 15 at Kampos, Skala and Hora
Feast of St. John the Theologian, May 8, Hora
Feast of St. John the Theologian, September 26, Hora
Feast of the Prophet Elias, July 20, Hora
Feast of Christ, August 6, Kampos
Feast of Saints Anargyroi, July 1, Hora
Feast of All Saints, 8 weeks after Easter, Kampos

For more information please contact the Municipality of Patmos at +30 22473 60300 or visit www.patmos.gov.gr