Klidonas
Every year, on June 24th, the feast day of Saint John of the Klidonas in the Vlach villages of Grevena, you shall experience one of the most distinctive summer rituals. The custom of Klidonas is revived in several variations, always within a unique atmosphere of symbolism, faith and old traditions. It is associated with divination and the fate of unmarried girls —a connection revealed through rituals such as the use of “silent” water drawn from the village fountains or wells— and the central role is played by the young women of the villages. If you happen to be in a village where Klidonas is revived on that day, you can take part in a celebration from the distant past that comes alive in the present and culminates in songs, dances and a large feast in the village square.
