Holidays & Traditions of Cyprus
Public Holidays
In Cyprus, days off are public and religious holidays. Banks, government offices and most shops are closed.
| Date | Holiday | Greek name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year | Πρωτοχρονιά |
| 6 January | Epiphany | Θεοφάνεια / Τα Φώτα |
| Movable | Clean Monday | Καθαρά Δευτέρα |
| 25 March | Greek Independence Day + Annunciation | Ευαγγελισμός |
| 1 April | Cyprus National Day | Εθνική Επέτειος |
| Movable | Good Friday | Μεγάλη Παρασκευή |
| Movable | Easter (Sun + Mon) | Πάσχα |
| 1 May | Labour Day | Πρωτομαγιά |
| Movable | Kataklysmos (50 days after Easter) | Κατακλυσμός |
| 15 August | Dormition of the Virgin Mary | Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου |
| 1 October | Cyprus Independence Day | Ημέρα Ανεξαρτησίας |
| 28 October | Ohi Day / "No" Day | Επέτειος του Όχι |
| 24 December | Christmas Eve | Παραμονή Χριστουγέννων |
| 25 December | Christmas | Χριστούγεννα |
| 26 December | Boxing Day / Second day of Christmas | — |
Special cases
| Situation | What is open / closed |
|---|---|
| Easter Tuesday | Banks are closed, everything else works |
| Holy Week | Museums and archaeological sites are closed only on Easter Sunday |
| Resort areas | Many shops are open even on holidays |
❓ Which day is a public holiday: 15 August or 17 August?
→ 15 August (Dormition of the Virgin Mary)
New Year (1 January)
Vasilopita (Βασιλόπιτα)
New Year’s cake with a coin baked inside.
When it is cut: on New Year’s Eve or on 1 January
Tradition: The head of the family cuts the cake. The first piece is for Christ, the second for the house, then for the family members in order of seniority. Whoever gets the coin will have good luck all year.
Origin: The legend of Saint Basil the Great (Agios Vasilis o Megas), who returned the people of Caesarea their jewels baked inside loaves of bread.
Other traditions
- Agios Vasilis (Άγιος Βασίλης) — the Cypriot Santa Claus, brings gifts to children on New Year’s Eve (not at Christmas!)
- Breaking a pomegranate on the doorstep of the house — for good luck
- “Renewing the water” — all jugs in the house are emptied and filled with fresh water
❓ When is Vasilopita cut?
→ On New Year’s Day (1 January)
❓ When do Cypriot children receive presents?
→ On New Year’s Day (from Agios Vasilis)
Epiphany / Θεοφάνεια (6 January)
The end of the 12 days of Christmas. Celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan.
Traditions
Blessing of the waters:
- The priest throws a cross into the sea/river/lake
- Young men dive into the cold water for the cross
- Whoever retrieves it receives a blessing and good luck for the year
Where it takes place: all coastal towns, especially the ports of Larnaka, Limassol, Pafos
Pouloustrina (πουλουστρίνα): children sing carols and receive money from their grandparents
Loukoumades (λουκουμάδες): traditional honey doughnuts — obligatory treat
Kalikandzari: according to folk belief, evil spirits (goblins) who roam during the 12 days of Christmas are driven away with holy water on Epiphany
❓ What is thrown into the water on Epiphany?
→ A cross
❓ What is the name of the money that children receive on Epiphany?
→ Pouloustrina
Clean Monday / Καθαρά Δευτέρα
The first day of Great Lent. Movable date — 7 weeks before Orthodox Easter.
Name
Also: Green Monday, Ash Monday
Traditions
Flying kites:
- The main tradition of the day
- Symbolises the aspiration to God and the beginning of spring
- The sky all over Cyprus is filled with kites
Picnics in nature:
- Families go to the mountains, beaches, parks
- They eat Lenten (fasting) food outdoors
Food:
- Lagana (λαγάνα) — special unleavened bread, baked only on this day
- Taramasalata, hummus, tahini
- Octopus, squid, mussels (allowed)
- Olives, vegetables, legumes
- Forbidden: meat, dairy products, eggs, fish
❓ Which bread is baked only on Clean Monday?
→ Lagana
❓ What is the main tradition of Clean Monday?
→ Flying kites
25 March — Double Feast
Greek Independence Day
Anniversary of the start of the Greek revolution against the Ottoman Empire (1821)
Annunciation (Ευαγγελισμός)
The Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary the birth of Christ.
Traditions: military and school parades, church services
1 April — Cyprus National Day
Anniversary of the beginning of the liberation struggle of EOKA against British colonial rule (1955).
Traditions: parades, laying of wreaths at the monuments to the heroes of EOKA
❓ What event is commemorated on 1 April in Cyprus?
→ The start of the EOKA struggle (1955)
Easter (Πάσχα)
The main religious holiday in Cyprus. More important than Christmas.
Another name: Lambri (Λαμπρή) — “Bright” / “Radiant”
Great Lent (Σαρακοστή)
- 40 days before Easter
- No meat, dairy products, eggs
- Many Cypriots keep at least the last week
Holy Week
Maundy Thursday (Great Thursday):
- They bake flaounes (φλαούνες) — Easter cheese pies
- Eggs are dyed red (symbol of the blood of Christ)
Good Friday:
- Decoration of the Epitafios (Επιτάφιος) — the bier/shroud of Christ — with flowers
- Evening procession with the bier through the streets
- Women chant psalms and sprinkle the icon with rose water
Holy Saturday:
- Lampratzia (Λαμπρατζιά) — lighting of bonfires, burning an effigy of Judas
- Children collect wood for weeks in advance
- Fireworks, firecrackers
Easter night
- Service in church, everyone holds unlit candles
- At midnight the priest proclaims: “Χριστός Ανέστη!” (Christ is Risen!)
- Response: “Αληθώς Ανέστη!” (Truly He is Risen!)
- Passing of the Holy Fire from candle to candle
- Fireworks all over the island
After midnight
- Breaking the fast: avgolemono (αυγολέμονο) — lemon egg soup, or magiritsa — lamb offal soup
- Egg cracking game (τσούγκρισμα): people tap red eggs against each other; whoever’s egg remains uncracked at the end has good luck
Easter Sunday
- Souvla (σούβλα) — whole lamb on the spit
- Flaounes, red eggs
- Family feasts, music, dancing
- The celebrations continue until Tuesday
Flaounes (Φλαούνες)
What: Easter pastries with a filling of halloumi, mint, sometimes raisins
Saying: “No flaouna before Easter, no dowry before the wedding”
❓ With which holiday is the Lampratzia tradition associated?
→ Easter
❓ When are flaounes baked?
→ On Maundy Thursday (Great Thursday) (the eve of Easter)
❓ What do people proclaim at midnight on Easter?
→ “Χριστός Ανέστη!” (Christ is Risen!)
❓ What is the main dish of Easter Sunday?
→ Souvla (lamb on the spit)
1 May — Labour Day
Holiday of spring and labour. Public holiday.
Traditions:
- Picnics in nature
- Weaving wreaths from wild flowers
- Rallies and demonstrations
Kataklysmos / Κατακλυσμός
What: festival of water, “The Flood”
When: 50 days after Easter (Whit Monday / Pentecost)
Where: especially popular in coastal towns
Origin
- The biblical Flood of Noah
- Saint Lazarus came ashore in Larnaka
- Ancient pagan festivals in honour of Aphrodite (born from sea foam)
Traditions
Splashing with water:
- People pour water over each other in the streets
- Symbol of cleansing and renewal
In Larnaka (the main celebration, for more than 100 years):
- Festival on the Finikoudes seafront
- Included in the UNESCO list of intangible heritage
- Fairs, concerts, folk dances
- Tsiattista (τσιαττιστά) — improvised poetic duels (also on the UNESCO list)
- Karagiozis (Καρκατζιόζης / Καραγκιόζης) — traditional shadow puppet theatre
- Boat races, water sports
Treats: loukoumades, soutzoukos (churchkhela), porika (sweets with nuts)
❓ How many days after Easter is Kataklysmos celebrated?
→ 50 days
❓ In which city is the main celebration of Kataklysmos?
→ Larnaka
❓ What are the improvised poetic duels at Kataklysmos called?
→ Tsiattista
15 August — Dormition of the Virgin Mary
The third most important feast after Easter and Christmas. Called “Summer Easter” or Dekapentavgoustos (Δεκαπενταύγουστος).
Preparation
- 1 August: beginning of a two‑week fast (no meat, fish, dairy products)
- 6 August: Transfiguration of the Lord
Traditions
Pilgrimages:
- Monastery of Kykkos (Κύκκος) — the most famous
- Monastery of Trooditissa (Τροοδίτισσα)
- Monastery of Chrysorrogiatissa (Χρυσορρογιάτισσα)
- Panagia Chrysospiliotissa (Παναγία Χρυσοσπηλιώτισσα) in Deftera — cave church, the ceremony is included in the UNESCO list
Panigyria (Πανηγύρια):
- Fairs near monasteries and churches
- Folk dances, music
- Loukoumades, siamishi, γλυκά κουταλιού (fruit in syrup)
- Souvla, kleftiko
Name days: Maria (Μαρία), Marios (Μάριος), Panagiotis (Παναγιώτης), Panagiota (Παναγιώτα), Despina (Δέσποινα) — the most common names in Cyprus
❓ What is the feast of 15 August called?
→ Dekapentavgoustos or “Summer Easter”
❓ Which monastery is the most famous pilgrimage site on 15 August?
→ Kykkos
1 October — Cyprus Independence Day
Formally: independence was proclaimed on 16 August 1960
Celebration: 1 October — officially designated as Independence Day in 1963 (moved from 16 August to avoid the summer heat)
Traditions:
- Military parades
- Official ceremonies
- Official speeches
❓ When does Cyprus celebrate Independence Day?
→ 1 October
❓ When was the independence of Cyprus proclaimed?
→ 16 August 1960
28 October — Ohi Day (Όχι)
History
28 October 1940, 3 a.m. The Italian ambassador delivered Mussolini’s ultimatum to the Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas: let Axis troops pass through Greece or face war.
Metaxas’s reply: “Όχι!” (No!)
Greece repelled the Italian invasion and pushed the troops back into Albania. Later Germany occupied Greece.
Meaning
- Symbol of resistance to fascism
- National pride of Greeks and Cypriots
- Winston Churchill: “We will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, we will say that heroes fight like Greeks.”
Traditions in Cyprus
- Military and school parades in all towns
- The main parade is in Nicosia in front of the Embassy of Greece
- The President reviews the parade
- Church services
- Laying of wreaths
❓ What does “Ohi” mean?
→ “No” in Greek
❓ To whom did Metaxas say “No”?
→ Mussolini (Italy, 1940)
Christmas (Χριστούγεννα)
The second most important religious holiday after Easter. Celebrated on 25 December according to the Revised Julian calendar.
Preparation
- 40‑day fast (from 15 November)
- Decorating houses, Christmas trees, streets
- In villages in the past, a pig was slaughtered on Palm Sunday and sausages were prepared for Christmas
Παραμονή Χριστουγέννων (Christmas Eve — 24 December)
24 December is a public holiday.
Kalanda (κάλαντα):
- Children go from house to house singing Christmas carols
- Tradition dating back to Byzantine times
- They knock on the door: “Να τα πούμε;” (Shall we sing?)
- They receive sweets and small amounts of money
- They accompany themselves with a triangle or accordion
Baking:
- Christopsomo (Χριστόψωμο) — “Christ’s bread”, sweet bread with a cross on top
- Kourabiedes (κουραμπιέδες) — almond biscuits in icing sugar
- Melomakarona (μελομακάρονα) — honey biscuits with cinnamon and nuts
Christmas Day (25 December)
- Morning service in church
- Folk belief: entering the church with the right foot brings good luck
- Family lunch: turkey with rice, raisins and nuts
- End of the fast
12 days of Christmas
From 25 December to 6 January (Epiphany)
Kalikandzari (Καλικάντζαροι):
- Evil spirits/goblins living in the centre of the earth
- They come to the surface only during these 12 days
- They enter through chimneys and cause mischief
- Driven away with holy water on Epiphany
- Protection: red thread, pancakes and sausages on the roof
❓ What is the name of the Christmas bread?
→ Christopsomo
❓ What are the Christmas carols called?
→ Kalanda
❓ What are the evil spirits active during the 12 days of Christmas called?
→ Kalikandzari
❓ When are gifts given in Cyprus — at Christmas or New Year?
→ At New Year (from Agios Vasilis)
Special shop opening hours before holidays
Before Christmas and Easter, shops stay open longer than usual — more shopping, gifts, food.
But there are restrictions:
| Day | Shops close at |
|---|---|
| Παραμονή Χριστουγέννων (Christmas Eve, 24 Dec.) | 18:00 |
| Παραμονή Πρωτοχρονιάς (New Year’s Eve, 31 Dec.) | 18:00 |
| Μεγάλη Παρασκευή (Good Friday) | 18:00 |
Key points to remember
| Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| Main religious holiday | Easter |
| Bonfires at Easter | Lampratzia |
| Easter baking | Flaounes |
| New Year’s cake with a coin | Vasilopita |
| Cypriot Santa Claus | Agios Vasilis (comes at New Year) |
| Independence Day | 1 October |
| 15 August | Dormition of the Virgin Mary (Dekapentavgoustos) |
| Festival of water | Kataklysmos (50 days after Easter) |
| Clean Monday tradition | Flying kites |
| Clean Monday bread | Lagana |
| Ohi Day | 28 October |
| Christmas bread | Christopsomo |
| Christmas carols | Kalanda |
| What is thrown into the water at Epiphany | Cross |
| Christmas Eve (24 December) | Public holiday |
| UNESCO in Cyprus (festivals) | Kataklysmos, Panagia Chrysospiliotissa |