Panigiria in Amorgos

Preparation for the Agia Paraskevi feast begins on July 17 and intensifies from July 23, when the church's communal kitchen runs continuously. On the day itself, roughly 170-200 sheep and goats and two to four calves are slaughtered as tama - votive offerings pledged personally to the saint by families whose prayers were answered. Around 800 handmade loaves of eftazymo bread are baked in the wood-fired church oven (56 loaves of 2.5kg per batch). The feast's lead cook held the role for 46 consecutive years as of the most recent documentation. The church at Kato Meria has dedicated infrastructure built for this single annual event: a slaughterhouse, a traditional oven, a galley, guest rooms, and communal dining halls. Up to 300 volunteers work day and night for a full week.

The food served is specific to Amorgos: patatato (goat meat slow-cooked with potatoes in large cauldrons), xydato (goat intestine soup with vinegar - not found elsewhere in the Cyclades), macaroni kofto with local myzithra cheese, and chickpea-octopus risotto. Violin and laouto players perform from midnight through dawn; on the same day, the port village of Katapola holds the Psimeni Raki Festival - a live demonstration of artisanal raki distillation with honey and spices, local musicians, and dancing. A separate major panigiri takes place at the village of Langada on August 14-15 (Panagia Epanochoriani). The Monastery of Hozoviotissa (founded 1017 AD, built into a 300-metre cliff face) celebrates its patronal feast on November 21 - one of the rare major panigiria outside the summer season.