The dynamic start of the tourist season in Paros is marked by March, with arrivals increasing even compared to the corresponding month of 2019, which was a record year for the island.

Specifically according to first spring month of 2023, 15,912 passengers, 2,653 vehicles, 1,161 trucks and 451 two-wheelers disembarked on the island, compared to 15,178 passengers, 2,073 vehicles, 743 trucks and 400 two-wheelers that had disembarked in March 2019.

It is noted that this year the number of ship departures within the month was 190, while in 2019 it was 140.

Easter customs attract thousands of people to the island

The great demand for the Cycladic destination also increases in the run-up to Easter, which, despite its secular character, preserves unchanged the customs and traditions of its cultural heritage.

According to a recording of the events of the local Media, from Palm Sunday until Holy Wednesday, churches, chapels and monasteries are filled with believers, while on Maundy Thursday night the women of the island decorate the Epitaph with elaborate compositions from the fields.

At Naoussa, the Epitaph is adorned and mourned under the chant of the Fate of the Virgin Mary which emotionally vibrates the atmosphere of the mourning evening. On Great Friday, in the village of Prodromos, a traditional Parian dish, the famous chickpeas, is offered to honor the memory of the dead. In the monastery of Ag. Georgiou also, in Lagada, the dramatized representation of the ascent to Golgotha ​​takes place. In an evocative natural landscape, the priest, leaving the monastery, lifts on his shoulder a large wooden cross that represents the Cross of Martyrdom and climbs a steep hill reminiscent of the hill of Golgotha.

Crowds of people watch the action experiencing the most reverent moments of the Divine Drama while the bells ring mournfully. On the evening of St. Paraskevi, in the villages of Marpissa, Prodromos, Marmara and Lefkes, the famous “Reenactments” of the Week of the Lord’s Passion take place. As the faithful participate in the procession of the Epitaph, scenes such as the Prayer on the Mount of Olives, the Last Supper or the Crucifixion of the God-man are dramatized live by young men and women, with unique theatricality.

The Procession of the Epitaphs also in Parikia, which takes place at 12 midnight under choral mournful hymns, is also extremely overwhelming. Climax moment, the meeting of the three elaborate Epitaphs of Parikia and their elevation visible to the world.

On the morning of Holy Saturday, at the first Resurrection in the village of Marpissa, there is a brilliant procession of the image of the Resurrection with a crowd of believers following, while little girls dressed as angels precede her in the alleys of the village. On the night of M. Saturday, the Resurrection of the Lord is solemnly celebrated in all the churches of the island. Splendor, merry bells, kegs and sparklers seal the festive evening.

On Easter Sunday, in Marpissathe “Feast of Love” takes place where a large open-air Easter table is set up with traditional Lambria dishes, music and lots of dancing!

There the custom of “Cradle” is also being revived by young men and women. In Naoussa, on Easter day, on the Second Resurrection, there is a procession of the icons of the temples of Pantanassa and the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, followed by a large number of people and also the “burlotierides”, young people of the village, who observe the custom of throwing barrels at the moment of the procession. The custom, which has its roots in the Greek Revolution, makes the continuation of the litanic procession episodic with Naoussa “on fire” from the banging and red smoke of the burlotieris.