Οn the Aegean island of Nisyros, the Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary holds a special place in locals’ hearts.

The celebration takes place in the monastery of Virgin Mary Spilianis, located in Mandraki. On the eve of the feast, vespers are held, followed by a night vigil. All night long, boats arrive, filled with people. Ships, before they dock at the port of Nisyros, sail below the monastery whistling, while bells ring in return.

Pre-festival celebrations (panigyria) are held in the streets, in Zosimopouleio. The celebration begins with a traditional dance called “coupa”: in Greek, it is a religious vessel. Women form a circle dancing, as the lead dancer holds a “coupa”. Men approach them, paying respect to the woman leading the dance circle, chosen for her spiritual or community status in Nisyros.

An integral part of the religious tradition of Nisyros, is the custom of the Enniameritisses. A group of devoted and religious women, live ascetically in the Monastery, for nine days. They embrace silence, strict fasting, while offering 300 prayers a day, in honor of the Virgin Mary.

Nisyros is one of Greece’s hidden gems– it has a unique blend of volcanic landscape, spiritual depth and rich natural environment. Notably, the Municipality of Nisyros has officially submitted a nomination for the island’s inclusion in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.

Greek Art Now is a project on the Google Arts & Culture platform, aiming to digitize selected artworks from the collections of seven major Greek museums, and contribute to their promotion on for a global audience.

📚📚Οn the occasion of the publication of her latest book "A minute before my funeral", writer Stella Teneketzi spoke to Reading Greece about the transformative power of #literature and #language as the most powerful communication code.

"Literature, when it wants to, can function as a crack in normality – a space where words escape the “should” and create the “might”. When we write differently, we begin to imagine differently; and that in itself is a transformation. This is how new languages are born: first, to speak to the deepest part of ourselves, then to connect with the world we want, so that in the process our new world can converse with the old. It is worth saying here that these new languages are of course not only made of words".