Easter in Paros

Easter in Paros combines unique customs and festivities with a blooming spring nature and is unforgettable!

On Palm Sunday litanies are held on the island, in some of which you can still meet children holding palm trees and singing the traditional song of Vagios. On Maundy Thursday night the atmosphere on the island is particularly oppressive. All churches remain open for the faithful who gather and spend the night next to the Crucified, decorating the epitaphs. But Great Friday is unique! Since the beginning of the 20th century, the custom of representing the passions of Jesus has been established. This is done along the route of the epitaphs in the villages of Marpissa, Prodromos and Marmara. The entry of Christ into Jerusalem, the repentance of Magdalene, the Last Supper, the ascent to Golgotha and the Crucifixion, the Deposition, etc. are represented. On the same day, in the ports of Parikia and Naoussa, the epitaphs of the parishes meet with the accompaniment of hymns from choirs and crowds of people.

On Easter day, in addition to the smells wafting from the courtyards of houses throughout the island, in Naoussa, after noon, the Second Resurrection takes place in a festive atmosphere while the people who gather watch the dancers of the town’s dance groups impress with their figures in ball and drag!