Lazarines
The Lazarines are a unique spring custom that will immerse you in the atmosphere of nature’s rebirth and communal celebration. It is a living tradition revived in twelve communities of the region: Agia Paraskevi, Aiani, Ano Komi, Karyditsa, Kaisareia, Kipoi, Kato Komi, Krokos, Kteni, Lefkopigi, Metamorfosi, and Rodiani. The Lazarines —women and girls of the villages— spend days preparing for the Resurrection of Lazarus. They gather in konakia —designated spaces where they create their colorful costumes with impressive jewelry— learning the songs and organizing the custom’s scheduled activities. The events begin on the Saturday of the Akathist Hymn and culminate on Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday, with dances, songs, visits to churches and cemeteries, and festive door-to-door visits to homes. Each community adds its own distinctive elements: oath rituals, symbolic jumps, ritual use of eggs, or visits to memorial sites — all deeply symbolic of life, the rebirth of nature, and collective memory. In many villages, you will also taste the characteristic “Lazaropita”, made exclusively for the custom. Without doubt, it is worth experiencing the Lazarines tradition firsthand, which has been included in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece.
