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?Panigiria? (in singular: Panigiri) is the name given to local feasts, they could be religious or just thematic (like figs or olives). These feasts usually are made on town squares and in open-air spaces with celebration and a lot of music (in most cases traditional Greek music). The most of ?panigiria? take place during the summer season in a lot of towns and villages of Messinia, they attract locals and tourists, everyone, close or far who want to participate. |
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| In the city of Messini, every year on the morning of Clean Monday (the first day of the Great Lent) some local actors represent a scene which is based on a real story, which goes like this: Siko, an old woman, went to Ibrahem to tell him about a dream she had, which predicted that his expedition against the Greeks will have a bad ending, because of the bravery of Greeks. She was hung by Ibrahem for this prediction. In this representation, the crowd also participates and other people are also "hung?. |
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| The Marriage of Koutroulis is also a theatrical representation which takes place on the fountain square of Methoni, also on Clean Monday. It is a representation of a true story from the 14th century, when an Archbishop named Nifon did not allow a marriage between Ioannis Koutroulis and a married woman who wanted to divorce. Koutroulis was so in love with the woman that it lasted for 17 years, and after that time they received the authorization to marry. A great feast took place then in Methoni, and the Marriage of Kotroulis became an expression in Greek, as well as a legend that many people know.
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| Easter is the biggest celebration among all Orthodox Christian holidays. There are a lot of traditions which are characteristic for all Greece, but also some local traditions. One of these is the rocket war (Saitopolemos), which happens at the night of Easter, and which means that little groups of people throw rockets in the air. These rockets make noise, light and smoke, remindind the old rockets that the Greeks living in Messinia used in past times against the Turks. |
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