Festivals and Local celebrations
In this section, there will be important dates for Festivals and Celebrations or noteworthy scheduled works around the vineyards,
in case you want to plan your holidays to include such events.
For example, in August there is the olive and olive oil festival in Laconia, the Fig festival in Messinia, grape harvest in all of the vineyards in southern mainland, Aegean Islands, Crete.
In autumn, we have the nut harvests around Greece and the islands – almond, pistachio, walnut, chestnut. ‘Tsipouro’ distillation, tomato paste.
Winter is a dormant period. Both the earth and the farmer rest.
Spring, starts with important works in the vineyard: pruning. In some areas, we have more olive picking.
Temperatures rise slowly, more warmth, more sun, more light: nature awakens and it is a beautiful sight!
Harvest and Fares
In rural Greece, harvest is always an important time of the year. Even from antiquity, our forefathers felt the need to thank the gods for the fruits, fish, wine, foods, by organising a festival, a “panigyri”.
Even nowadays, Greeks will turn a chore into a cause for celebration: Olive picking, grapes harvest, wine making, “Tsipouro” (our grappa), chestnuts, apples, cherries, tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms. Depending on the season, somewhere in Greece there will be a celebration for either harvest or in honour of a patron saint.
Picking chestnuts in mountainous villages around Greece
They are picked in mid October to mid November. All the villagers will participate in the picking, with they hands, day after day, for a month. On a scheduled weekend in early November, though, they will put on their best clothes, gather in the central square and lay on beautifully decorated tables their fresh chestnuts for sale.
Wait, there more! their wives and children would have made their own preparation: Tasty pies, mouthwatering sweets, jams and cakes (all made with chestnuts) are laid next to the fresh nuts to be sampled and sold. They set up warming wood fires, drink plenty of gutsy ‘tsipouro’ and with live music, the chestnut bazaar turns joyfully into a feast!
Join the locals
Kick off your shoes, take off your watch, and join in the picking, hear the rhythm of the earth, sing, laugh, taste and drink to your health! Make friends and most importantly, make memories that will last through the cold winters back home!