• • • •

The Fire Walking Ritual of Greek Macedonia 2024

Where: Agia Eleni, Serres, and Thessaloniki, ,
When: Tuesday, May 21, 2024 - Thursday, May 23, 2024
Add Comment
Image by Gerhard Lipold From Pixabay
Image by Gerhard Lipold From Pixabay

The Anastenaria is a northern Greece traditional ritual of fire walking which dates back to pagan times.

There are variations in the ritual from place to place, and though the ”Anastenaria” is a ceremony that derives from times before Christ, it is dedicated and attached to the christian faith. This ceremony takes place on Saint-Konstantinos day, 21st of May.

The whole celbration lasts three to four days. The communities, which celebrate the Anastenaria, are descendants of refugees from Eastern Thrace that settled in Northern Greece following the migrations necessitated by the Balkan Wars and by the later exchange of populations in 1923.

Every year, barefoot villagers of Agia Eleni, Serres, and of Langada, Thessaloniki, get themselves worked up into a trance before walking over hot coals.

[Courtesy of Astoria Travel of Athens, Greece]

For accommodations, check the most recommended hotels in Thessaloniki and around, most of them suggest FREE CANCELLATION option or NO PREPAYMENT NEEDED – PAY AT THE PROPERTY:
Accommodations around Thessaloniki:
Booking.com
Did you find a mistake? Write us.

Event Videos

Event Related Information

Event links:
Contact details:
Greek National Tourism Organization 7, Tsoha (see map ). 11521 Athens Tel.: +30 210 8707000
Contact Email:

For your attention !

IMPORTANT !
As unforeseen circumstances can arise, the details of events are subject to change. We highly recommend checking with the organizers before making any travel arrangements to ensure up-to-date information.

Country Information

Capital:
Athens
Currency:
Euro (EUR)
Voltage and Frequency:
220v 50Hz
Dialing country code:
+30
Time Zone:
UTC+2 (Summer UTC+3)
Language:
Greek
Location:
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey.
Climate:
Temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers.
Information email:
Tourist website:
Information address:
Ellinikos Organismos Tourismou-EOT (Greek/Hellenic
Greece background and overview
Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and Communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. A military dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, lasted seven years. The 1974 democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981 Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the euro zone in 2001.
[Courtesy of The World Factbook]

City Information

In-country dialing code:
31
Longitude:
22.94389°
Latitude:
40.64028°

Add Comment

Click here to post a comment

Concerts Sports Theatres & Festivals

Our website uses cookies in order to give you a better user experience, by continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of cookies as described in our cookies policy.