Paphos is an astonishing city with the same stunning unique cultural traditions. The resort experiences the heaviest tourist traffic during the season of bright festivals and ethnic holidays as many of them are focused on foreign guests. The brightest event tourists may observe on Paphos vacation is the Anthestiria Flower festival being the most waited holiday as among local people so among foreign guests. The date of the Festival start varies each year. The holiday usually begins by the end of May.
A major part of festive events within the festival takes place in the harbor and in the Poseidon Avenue. According to one of the theories the moment of the festival establishment dates back to ancient times. Later on the holiday was identified with Dionysus. However during the fest in the ancient Greece offerings were brought to other gods and idols as well and to Aphrodite and Demeter in particular. The theme of the festival is rather simple. It is held to celebrate spring coming.
As many years before so now the main event of the festival is the parade of flowers. Thousands of people travel down the central streets of the city carrying fresh fragrant flower bouquets. Anybody can take part in this symbolic ceremony. The festival in which all contemporary tourists can take part was first held in 1920. In the middle of the past century the Anthestiria Flower festival was referred to theme ecological events.
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