Summer on Tilos has one centre of gravity: Agios Panteleimon, the island's patron saint, at his monastery above the sea in late July. From there the calendar moves to Megalo Chorio, to Livadia and to a village that only comes alive at night.
Panigiria · Tilos
May - September
Panigiria run from May to September, and the season peaks at Dekapentavgoustos - the Dormition, on 15 August - when most villages hold their feast. Each programme is set close to its own saint's day, so the list fills late and empties out of season.
Saint Panteleimon's day is July 27, but on Tilos the celebration spreads over two or three days at his monastery on the island's northwest tip, set into a rocky slope high above the sea, with pebble-mosaic floors and old frescoes. It is the biggest feast on the island: Tilians come back from everywhere and pilgrims arrive from the neighbouring Dodecanese. After the liturgy the tables go out under the plane trees, and the food is homely and filling - meat with potatoes, tomato salad with capers - before the night turns to live traditional music and dancing.
The next day, July 28, the celebration shifts to Megalo Chorio and the courtyard of the Taxiarchis church for the Dance of the Cup. The lead dancer holds a cup, onlookers drop money into it, and it passes from hand to hand until everyone in the circle has danced with it. The money goes to the upkeep of the church. For a long time this was the one day of the year when young islanders could get close to each other under their parents' eyes - a young man showed his interest by dancing next to a girl and leaving money in the cup.
In August the feasting moves to Mikro Chorio, a village abandoned for decades, which fills with people around its church of the Virgin on the eve of August 15. On August 23 the Panagia Kamariani outside Megalo Chorio and the Panagia Politissa in Livadia celebrate with music, dancing and free food, and on August 31, the feast of the Holy Belt, families from Mikro Chorio return to their old village once more. Easter has a Tilian twist too: on the third day after Easter Sunday the island gathers at the farmers' goat pens for wine, cheese, music and dancing.
The saint's day is July 27, and the feast at his monastery spreads over the days around it, with tables under the plane trees and live traditional music. See the current calendar on Mood.
A July 28 custom in the courtyard of the Taxiarchis church in Megalo Chorio: the lead dancer holds a cup, people drop in money for the church and the cup passes round the whole circle. In the past it was the young people's chance to meet.
The abandoned village of Mikro Chorio comes alive on the eve of August 15 with a feast around its church, and again on August 31 for the Holy Belt. The nights currently on the programme are listed on Mood.
