Festival of the prophet Elijah

The monastery of the prophet Elijah at Sifnos It was built in the middle of the 17th century on the highest peak of the island (670 m.). The church is surrounded by cells, which constitute the fortification of the monastery. Here the faithful came to protect themselves from pirates and would-be conquerors.

The view from the roofs of your cells is breathtaking. On the first level, the villages of Sifnos Apollonia, Artemonas, Kastro. Beyond the Aegean with Paros, The Naxos, The Heraklion, The Virus, Sikinos, the Folegandros, The Santorini, The Milo, Kimolos.

The dining room of the monastery is an elongated imposing room with many walks (arches), where on one side is the kitchen with the ovens and on the other an elongated table for 50 people.

For festival of the Prophet Elijah the preparation of the dinner (supplies, their transportation by mules and cooking), but also the expenses are borne by the feasts, a group of 20 people, who maintain the monastery. The entrance to the dining room is through a door and the exit from the next one. The tables will be set and rolled many times, which requires wonderful coordination and perfect organization on the part of the fairs.

Once guests get their seats at τραπέζι, the chickpeas, salads and wine are served first, followed by the braised goat with the spaghetti and the grated kefalotyri. Towards the end of each meal, someone shouts in a stuttering voice: "Long live the festivals." "To live", they all answer together from the table, rhythmically hitting their forks on the plates and the pandemonium is repeated two more times, as both cooks and waiters should be honored.

The impressive route to the top, the architectural beauty of the monastery and its unique location, the unique dinner, the Sifnos song and dances, the enthusiasm of the hikers, but above all the fun, the willingness to offer and the generosity of do festivals the festival of the Prophet Elias in Sifnos one of the most interesting of the Archipelago.