Mykonos Local Customs

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If you visit Mykonos during easter time you will have an opportunity to see the locals doing something that has nothing to do with tourism! lol Easter Sunday called Pascha in greek and it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. It’s very important for the orthodox not only that day but the whole Easter season that lasts 40 days but in ourdays most of the people pay attention for one week (the week before easter Sunday when the schools are closed). It’s a movable public holiday and most of the times it’s on April. Most of the greek families in mainland wait for that day because of the famous traditional custom of eating roasted lamb. In Cyclades islands that wasn’t a local custom but I noticed that some restaurants in Mykonos done it on the beach for the tourists!! Although the majority celebrates it as a non religion day Easter is the most important festival of orthodox church (more than Christmas etc)

In Mykonos on great and holy Friday the local women are on the streets around 21:00 singing some gospel songs and it’s nice to watch the ceremony even if you are not a believer. The small alleys of Chora was really packed with people following them from the one chapel to the other. On great and holy Saturday it will be nice for you to be near a church. You will see all light in the church go down around 23:30 and a new flame will come from the priest (supposed to be from Jerusalem) and he will give light to the candles of the believers that wait outside holding candles. Then the priest reenters the church and sings the divine liturgy until 2am. From my experience almost everyone is going back home at 00:30 to have the traditional meal! :) And of course everyone is waiting the day after for the lambs! I hope you are not a vegetarian visiting Greece that day! lol

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Mykonos is home to quite a few rural properties and small farms. When the animals need to be moved they use the same roads as the cars. Since it's a bit difficult to teach the rules of the road to a sheep, it goes without saying that the sheep have right of way and you and your car don't scare them a bit. They just carry on regardless as you will see in the pics. We had the added experience of being overseen through the process by a very cheeky donkey!

People were having a dinner outside and then started dancing. Some even got up on the tables to dance.
The atmosphere was great and it was wonderful to watch people laughing and having a good time. I was tempted to join them but was too shy :-)

The island of Mykonos has a volunteer organization which strives to control the stray animal population through neutering,spaying and assisting with adoptions. There are donation jars for this organization in some shops.
It must be working to some degree because there didn't seem ( to me) to be as many strays ( especially dogs) as in other places.

The dog pictured on the left did not appear to me to be a stray. He seems rather chubby and a little long in the tooth! :-)

Mykonos has a deserved reputation as being the most expensive of the Greek Islands, though Santorini can't be far behind, and this extends to the Island's street merchants. Not for them the cheap pirate designer handbags, CD's, watches and other junk, but aiming for a more discerning market with a single product and taking the time to dress appropriately. This nautical-looking guy is selling clocks with their lifebelt frames, needless to say I declined his kind offer despite the 75% discount!