Colors of Kefallonia - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Kefalonia’s culture and traditions are unique, the island is shrouded in many beautiful legends and stories. It has unique symbols and features, which can't be explained scientifically so far. A very beautiful legend is associated with Melissani Lake that was named after a nymph who suffered from unrequited love for the god Pan. The nymph wept so much that her tears have formed a lake. Not so long ago, interesting finds were found at the bottom of Melissani. Here, archaeologists discovered an ancient clay sculpture of the god Pan and the nymphs.

Today, local people have an interesting tradition: all couples in love must come to the lake to stay together forever. For this, lovers should join hands and lower them into the water. After this ritual, their love will be eternal. Those who have not yet found their love need to wash with the lake water.

The island of Kefalonia is associated with an amazing religious phenomenon, a scientific explanation for which has never been found by researchers. It is connected with the ancient Dormition of Virgin Mary Church located in the town of Markopoulo. Every year on August 15, locals celebrate a holiday dedicated to the patron saint. On this day, an enormous number of snakes always crawl to the temple. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Some snakes having a black cross-shaped pattern on their heads creep on to the ancient icon of Our Lady of Fidus inside the temple, while others just stay on its adjacent territory. On this holy day, even dangerous poisonous snakes never sting people and can be safely held in hands. The amazing phenomenon has been repeated every year for several hundred years, there are no scientific explanations for what's happening here.

If a large number of snakes is not observed near the temple on the day of the holiday, locals consider this a bad omen. Over the past hundred years, snakes have not come to the temple twice, which in the first case foreshadowed the beginning of the war and a strong earthquake in the second. Day of the Assumption of the Mother of God is connected with one more amazing phenomenon. Every year, on the Feast of the Annunciation, local people bring white lilies to the temple, leaving flowers at the icon of the Mother of God until the Dormition comes. The flowers completely dry out in five months but every year on August 15 beautiful white flowers start blooming again on the lifeless stalks cracked from the heat.

It is particularly interesting to explore Kefalonia during the days of major religious holidays when unique celebrations and rituals are held in all cities of the island. Interesting traditions can be witnessed in the last week before Easter. On Holy Thursday, on the city streets, one can notice children painting large earthenware jugs.

It is customary to smash these jars on Saturday before Easter - it is believed that residents of Argostoli were the founders of this interesting tradition. Locals use large jars to store various products. To attract a rich harvest in the new season, it is customary to break old jugs and make new ones instead. It is believed that this tradition was first born in pagan times, but with the advent of Christianity inhabitants of the island did not abandon their old customs.

Interesting celebrations are held on the island all week before Easter. Here you can observe beautiful processions passing through the central city streets. Some unique religious shrines stored in local churches are put on public display only on a festive day. Kefalonia is one of the world's major pilgrimage centers. Most believers and ordinary travelers visit the island on the eve of major religious holidays in order to see miracles taking place on the island with their own eyes.

On any given day, guests of the island can personally observe one of these incredible wonders. To do this, you need to go to the foothills of Omalon where the ancient monastery of Holy Jerusalem is located. Next to this monastery is a small cave temple founded by the monk Gerasimos in the 16th century. Now the monastery is connected to the temple by a very narrow underground passage. To get to the temple, one has to literally crawl through it.

It is surprising that even big men can easily overcome such a narrow passage. Absolutely everyone is allowed to visit the ancient temple. After overcoming the narrow tunnel, all visitors to the cave temple find themselves completely clean, none of them get dirty. Today, Kefalonia is considered one of the most amazing places on Earth where friendliness and hospitality of locals give the island a special charm. They proudly tell travelers about the amazing features and traditions of their homeland.