Kataklysmos
22nd to 24th June 2024
Kataklysmos, aka The Festival of the Flood, is one of the many Orthodox festivals that take place every year and is one of Cyprus’ favourites. Although we don’t know the exact
origins of the festival, the name ‘Kataklysmos’ refers to the biblical flood, i.e. the era of Noah’s Ark, and we interpret it like this …
Joyful Procession
The feast day commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, 50 days after Easter. In Genesis, we have Noah and in Greek myth, Deukalion and his wife, who are saved to give birth to a new and moral generation. Hence, one of the most popular customs and arguably the most fun is a joyful procession to the sea, where people sprinkle and often throw water over each other, symbolising the purification of the body as well as the soul … ‘Hmm, I’m taking a bucket with me this year’!
Song & Dance
The ceremonies take place in all coastal towns and resorts and celebrations include folk dances, canoe and boat races, swimming competitions, wrestling and the bellowing of popular songs such as Tchattista, which could pass as a sort of ‘Cypriot Rap’, haha! … which to explain; are improvised verses sung by different parties competing with each other. The Cypriots love any chance to sing and dance and they thrive on playing-off against each other, entertaining themselves and the crowds. It’s a really wonderful experience!
On the Day
Following church service, the priest leads the way to the harbour, where he blesses the sea, and throws a precious cross into the water, then the young and brave, or not so young and foolish, dive to retrieve the cross. Entertaining, especially to those who watch, these events reflect the spirit of the day. The diver who hands the cross back to the Priest receives his blessing and also the prize of a sovereign … after this, the festival begins!!!
Events
The music and song of yesterday are now combined with the popular music of today, some very famous Greek Singers will be performing during the Festivals around Cyprus and street vendors still sell their wares to carefree crowds who dress up and ‘promenade’ with their families. Many events continue into the evening and delicious local products, such as barbecued corn on the cob, locally grown nuts, loukoumades and sousouko, can be found for sale.
Nightlife
These days we see an increasing amount of Beach Bars, Beach Parties and Nightclubs jump onto the bandwagon and arrange events along the coast as residents of Nicosia and all the other inland residents swarm down to the coast for a long weekend!
The Sea
This week is all about the sea and water. So, naturally, you can just spend all day lying next to the sea … any excuse to get your toes wet and top up the tan!
The Weather
Believe it or not, it’s no coincidence, so, if you’re wondering why we’ve had this crazy weather these past few weeks it’s coz it’s Kataklysmos! … We also cover an article about The Lost City of Atlantis, by our editor Tony Dynamou who interviewed the guy who found it ‘Robert Sarmast’.
Enjoy
Tony Dynamou
Here’s a few photos of the annual water fight on the beach at Silver Sands Beach Hotel in Protaras. Courtesy of Paralimni Youth from a few years back … Send us your photos if you want to add them to this Gallery …
