Local celebrations on Kefalonia

Local celebrations Kefalonia

Carnival is still celebrated in Kefalonia island in the old traditional way, and is one of the most famous in Greece. The cavalieri in their white fustanellas and their dames dance the lively carnival dances in the squares and along the streets.
On "Clean Monday" (Kathara Deftera), the first Monday of Lent, people invade the countryside to celebrate the koulouma, to picnic in the open, to dance the polka and quadrilles and the kafalonian ballos on the music of local bands.
Mayday, as in the rest of Greece, is the festival of Nature, Spring and Labour, a day to be celebrated in the countryside.
Easter follows the traditional pan-Hellenic customs, with church services, feasting and dancing.
On Easter Monday at Vlachata, the icon of Sisia Monastery is carried in procession through the village.
On the 21st May, at Argostoli, is commemorated the Union of the Ionian Islands with Greece.
On 20th July in Razata, Saint Elias public feast. Then follows the great public feast of Our Lady on August 15 with the strange little snakes in Markopoulo and another celebrations in Lixouri. On the 16th August the procession of Agios Gerasimos, the patron saint of the island, takes place at Argostoli and Skala.
September 8: public feast of Our Lady of Lamia in Dilinata; at Fiskardo the Birthday of Virgin is celebrated to the accompaniment of local traditional instruments; on the same day is the feast of Our Lady of Platytera in the colourful Monastery of Paliohersos in Erisos.
October 20: procession of Agios Gerasimos at Argostoli.