Fifteenth of August – Corfu: The epitaphs of Panagia

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August 15th, the “Little Easter” of summer, is celebrated in all its glory

On the eve of the fifteenth of August in Corfu, the island “sinks” in absolute darkness. The church bells ring throughout the day, while at night there are countless epitaphs of the Virgin Mary that roam the streets and cantonments of the city.

A characteristic of all epitaphs is that they are decorated with hundreds of colorful, white, red and pink ribbons, symbolizing the Holy Belt of the Virgin Mary. The ribbons will be distributed to the faithful on the “nine days” of the Virgin Mary and they in turn will keep them in the iconostasis of their homes, to bring them health and good fortune.

This characteristic custom, in Corfu, is lost in the depths of the centuries and continues from generation to generation with the women of the respective parish associations making the epitaphs of Panagia more and more impressive every year.

Epitaphs are always accompanied by the local philharmonics and the choirs of the island. The custom takes place all over the island and captivates all its visitors.

The fifteenth of August, the “Little Easter” of the summer, is celebrated in all its glory. In every neighborhood and every village there is a church dedicated to Panagia. In the city, the Virgin Mary of Eleusis, in the Mantoukiu area, has its place of honor, where the longest epitaph litany takes place, as it starts at sunset and lasts more than three hours.

In the countryside, the women of the clubs still observe the custom of the “orphan” pasta which they will distribute to the visitors after the procession of the epitaphs of the Virgin Mary, while in the country of Corfu they will distribute fasting breads with aniseed in the churches, a special recipe that is only found in island.

The epitaphs of Panagia in Kekrira

On the day of the Fifteenth of August, the island dresses up in its festive attire. Corfu cuisine has its honor. In every house, patchitsado or pastitsada with thick spaghetti and chicken, which is also the main dish of the day, is always based on a special recipe that the people of Corfu keep as a sacred secret.

There are many people, mainly tourists, who will also try the dry-roasted lamb that you meet from good roasters who are on the streets early, setting up countless spits.

RES-EMP

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