Our Crete 2011-2012

OUR CRETE 2011 - 2012. Or from Helsinki to Kalyves and back.
Glimpses of the journey and Crete.
Photos and texts © Hannu Lehmusvuori, Kiti Malmi-Lehmusvuori & Milli

Use without permission prohibited

Seventh (heaven) photostop: Crete 2011-10-01 to ->. Page 70.

KALYVES EASTER - Friday, April 13 till Sunday, April 15, 2012

Easter in Kalyves evokes many, contradictory, and strong feelings. To us Finns it resembles a combination of our older, pagan traditions of New Year, Vappu (1st of May), and Mid-summer! And somehow here the Orthodox tradition is mixed up into a special coctail of joy that brings the villagers together!

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Whereas this resembles more the feeling of Easter in Finland!
Could it be that religion is taken too seriously among Finns?

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On Saturday this is part of the solemnity in Kalyves...

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...which actually aims at having a bonfire festival on the beach to BURN JUDAS...

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...so that you can go into a taverna to eat, to drink, to listen to music, and to dance...

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...before Easter Sunday - when this is the center of attraction!
All of this we enjoyed with Nikos and Mikko.

If you want to see a fuller view of the annually repeated Easter Festival in Kalyves,
go to our diary on our previous long stay here: Cretan Diary 2006-2007
There the links 66 to 70 will give you more on Easter!

The weather aftercast:
Warm, and also windy, days.