Feast of Agia Paraskevi

The brilliant festival of Agia Paraskevi in Downside of Amorgos is the largest traditional festival of the Cyclades.

The main feature of the festival is volontary offering in kind and at work of the inhabitants of Kato Meria.

Offers of M.O. animals each year exceed 150 sheep and goats and 2 cows. feasts dominated by animal sacrifice.

The bread of the festival is made entirely in Amorgos. The farmers from the island or the surrounding area (Koufonisia) bring as their curse their own wheat and barley, which is ground in the Gavras apple. In the oven the general command for many years has Lucas Loudaros while in the kneading is responsible the George Roussos. The oven is located inside the facilities of Agia Paraskevi, it is magnificent and holds 56 loaves of two and a half kilos producing an average of 750 loaves

The food boils in large cauldrons and needs constant stirring, something that is usually undertaken by the most handy and perform this service under his watchful eye. Chef Vangelis Mendrinou from Kamari, who has the general order for the kitchens.

The food offered at the festival is the classic Amorgian potato, the cut and the vinegar served in deep ceramic dishes to fit the particularly generous portions.

The potato is cooked in about twenty cauldrons that each hold about 400 kg of food. His recipe in this quantity is 165 kilos of goat and sheep meat, 200 kilos of potatoes, 5 kilos of belte, 30 kilos of onion, 15 heads of chopped garlic, spices, cinnamon, pepper, cloves.

After serving, dozens of "servants" pass the potato to the 1.000 seated. The large courtyard where the tables are laid, the instruments are played and the dance is done is a new project and it was made to be able to serve 1000 people in each group (usually 3-4 groups are made).

The view of 20-30 boilers with all the cooking it is very moving. Because in this very space, all the effort of food preparation (wheat, barley, oils, animals, cheese, fruit) and all the time of the hundreds of volunteers, who consider it more honorable to be called servants of her grace or faith, are concentrated by the well-dressed volunteers. It is a pure pleasure to see them work with so much fun and generosity in order for the island community to forge its social cohesion and faith in the future around a big table.

The dances they start shortly after midnight and last until dawn, just before the start of the orthosis. And hundreds of young men and women danced until the final fall.