Κατηγορία: Culture, History & Traditions

Fire, Cedar & Memory The Tsagkala Carnival ritual in Skotina, Pieria — where fire, community and older layers of memory meet. 22 February 2026 · Skotina, Pieria The cedar fire of Tsagkala in Skotina, Pieria. © Experience Pieria In the village of Skotina, beneath the slopes of Mount Olympus, fire still has the power to […]

Every January, something unusual rises above the streets of Litochoro. Tall masts carrying crosses and colourful banners appear as part of the town’s Epiphany celebrations — a distinctive local tradition known as the Sichna, or Sichnoforia. Under Mount Olympus, faith, community and local memory come together in a tradition that has been carried through generations […]

Greek Easter in Dion-Olympus | Traditions, Processions & Local Celebrations Easter in Dion-Olympus, Pieria is experienced through churches, processions, village squares, traditional food, music and gatherings that bring communities together beneath Mount Olympus. From the solemn atmosphere of Holy Week to the celebrations that continue around Easter Sunday and Saint George’s Day, the period offers […]

Greek Easter in Pieria, Greece | Traditions, Food & Spring in Olympus Greek Easter in Pieria brings together some of the things that make spring in northern Greece special: Orthodox traditions, village life, family gatherings, local food and the landscapes surrounding Mount Olympus. Greek Easter in Pieria at a Glance Season: Spring What to experience: […]

Clean Monday in Pieria, Greece | Koulouma, Kite Flying & Local Traditions Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera) marks the beginning of Great Lent in Greece and the end of the Carnival season. In Pieria, the day is closely connected with Koulouma, kite flying, traditional Lenten food, outdoor gatherings and the arrival of spring. Clean Monday Koulouma […]

Tsiknopempti is an extraordinary pre-Lenten celebration all over Greece on the Thursday of the second week of the Triodion. This celebration is a time to indulge in a large quantity of grilled meat, marking the final feast before the fasting period of Lent begins. Pieria region is the most incredible region where Tsiknopempti is celebrated […]

The First Ascent of Mount Olympus | Boissonnas, Baud-Bovy & Kakkalos More than a century ago, Mount Olympus was a very different mountain from the one hikers know today. There were no marked trails, modern mountain refuges or climbing infrastructure leading towards its highest summit. On 2 August 1913, Frédéric Boissonnas, Daniel Baud-Bovy and Christos […]

Greek Easter in Pieria | Traditions, Epitaphios & Local Celebrations Greek Easter is one of the most important moments of the year in Greece. It is both a deeply religious celebration and a time when families, villages and communities come together around food, traditions, music and shared memories. In Pieria, Easter offers visitors a chance […]

Burning Cedar Fires in Litochoro, Pieria | A Greek Carnival Tradition Discover the cedar fires of Litochoro, a distinctive Carnival tradition where fire, smoke, community and local memory come together at the foot of Mount Olympus. During the Carnival season, the neighbourhoods of Litochoro gather around large cedar fires that turn the winter night into […]

Apokries in Pieria, Greece | The Greek Carnival & Triodion Traditions Discover Apokries in Pieria through Greek Carnival traditions, the Triodion, the cedar fires of Litochoro, ancient ritual echoes and the local communities that keep these customs alive. Apokries is the Greek Carnival season — a time of masks, costumes, music, food, laughter and collective […]

Religious Tourism in Pieria | Monasteries, Churches & Pilgrimage Sites A journey through the monasteries, Byzantine churches, pilgrimage sites and sacred landscapes of Pieria, Greece. Religious tourism in Pieria is not limited to a single monastery or pilgrimage route. Across the region, churches, monasteries, chapels and places connected with local saints form a landscape where […]