Every year on August 15th, Greece comes alive with one of its most cherished celebrations: the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, known in Greek as 'Koimisi tis Theotokou'. Often referred to as the “Easter of the Summer,” this feast combines deep religious devotion with vibrant cultural traditions.
Across the country, towns and villages gather in churches and monasteries dedicated to the Virgin Mary, where solemn liturgies are followed by joyful festivals. Bells ring, processions take place, and communities share in music, dancing, and traditional food. From the islands of the Aegean, where celebrations last for days, to mountain villages that keep age-old customs, the 15th of August reflects the unique blend of faith and culture at the heart of Greek life.
On this occasion read Odysseas Elytis’ poem “Wind of the Virgin” [Ιn Greek: “Ο άνεμος της Παναγίας”]
In a hand-spread of sea you tasted the bitter pebbles
At two in the morning sauntering on desolate August
You saw the moon’s light walking with you
A lost step. Or if the heart was not in its place
It was earth’s memory with the beautiful woman
The wish that yearned in basil’s bosom
For the wind of the Virgin to blow at it!
Hour of night! And the northwind drenched with tears
Just as the heart shuddered in the clenching of earth
Naked beneath the constellations of its silent trees
You tasted the bitter pebbles in the depths of dream
When the clouds untied the sails
And without the sin’s crying “uncle” the weather
Was incised in your first viscera. Before initial fire
You can still see the beauty of sand
Where you played your vow and where you had the wish
Hundred-leaved, open to the wind of the Virgin!
[Translated by Jeffrey Carson και Nikos Sarris, The Collected Poems of Odysseas Elytis, John Hopkins University Press, 1997]
🖼 Μaleas Konstantinos, Santorini, 1924 – 1928 (Oil on canvas) – National Gallery
