Culturele evenementen op Kreta

Crete today – just as it has been throughout its long history – is a cosmopolitan island. Nonetheless, it has managed to preserve those elements which belong customarily to the folk tradition.

Cultural events on the island – traditional or otherwise – can be found year-round, though they reach their peak in the summer. On the one hand, the big cities organize summer festivals embracing every sort of matter in the spectrum of folk art – usually lasting days or weeks. In this category, we can put the Kyrveia (Ierapetra), de Kornareia (Sitia), de Zomerfestival (Heraklion) en de Renaissance festival (Rethymnon). On the other hand, there are many villages in Crete that organize various smaller festivals and traditional celebrations. There are feasts and carnivals, Cretan music and a rich artistic output that retains the linkage between Crete today and that of times gone – a past that lives on, albeit constantly evolving. Thus, in the big cities, you can get a taste of the cosmopolitan and contemporary art scene, whereas, in the villages, you may experience old-style festivals accompanied by traditional music, much dancing and local delicacies.

Traditionele festivals en beurzen

Every summer the traditional festivals and fairs are the primary attractions of the Cretan villages, for locals and international visitors alike. In particular, they provide occasions for social gatherings and the maintenance of old customs and habits. The festivals are usually connected to a religious occasion, taking place in the village square where there is dancing to the tunes of the lyra and the lute – of course, accompanied by plenty of local food and wine.

Het belangrijkste van deze zomerfeesten is waarschijnlijk het feest van de Maria Hemelvaart die plaatsvindt op 15 augustus en een nationale feestdag is. Dit is een feestdag in heel Griekenland en ook al is het maar één dag, er zijn verschillende festiviteiten verbonden aan deze dag in de laatste twee weken van augustus. Andere keren worden deze traditionele feesten georganiseerd rond een lokaal product. Zo hebben we de Aardappel festival (Tzermiado op de Lasithi plateau), de Wijnfeest (Dafni, Heraklion prefectuur), Festival van Aardewerk (Thrapsano, Heraklion), Feest van de Citrusvruchten (Garazo, Mylopotamos), Festival van herders en hun kazen (Zoniana, Mylopotamos) en dergelijke. Het lokale product wordt gevierd en in grote hoeveelheden geconsumeerd, maar wees er zeker van dat er ook ander voedsel, muziek en dans is.

“Kazani” – Raki Distilling

Dit is het proces van raki-stoker wanneer de druivenmost wordt omgezet in vloeibaar vuur. De most is wat overblijft nadat de druiven zijn geperst voor de wijn. Het ritueel van de raki-distillatie wordt op het hele eiland uitgevoerd na de oogst en met name tussen oktober en half december. Het evenement vindt plaats op de kazania – around the copper or modern stills, which are to be found wherever grapes are grown. Some are almost industrial in scale and export while others are small local producers. Usually, a part of the process is accompanied by a small feast with food, wine and obviously warm and fresh raki! All this has an important and central place in society as raki, or tsikoudia speelt een belangrijke rol in de Kretenzische cultuur.

Rethymnon – The Renaissance Festival

De stad van Rethymno eert zijn verleden door het organiseren (gedurende de laatste 25 jaar) van de Renaissance Festival. Every summer, the festival brings to the city music, art exhibitions, theatrical performances – all drawn from the Kretenzische en Europese Renaissance – as well as childrens’ events and other happenings. The festival is always a success and there are various events for everyone, with happenings housed in the Fortestain de Venetiaanse kerken, de moskeeën en in de straten en pleinen van de stad.

Heraklion Zomerfestival

In recent years, Heraklion has established the vibrant Heraklion Summer Festival, which combines theatre, music, dance and the visual arts, with the participation of important Greek and foreign artists. This includes also several events that involve local groups and clubs. The performances take place primarily at the outdoor-theatres of ‘Nikos Kazantzakis’ and ‘Manos Hatzidakis’, both located in the moat outside the Venetian walls to the south, and also in other recently renovated spaces in the gates and galleries of the same walls, as well as in the main Plateia Eleftherias Plein naast de Archeologisch Museum van Heraklion.

Houdetsi Muziek Festival

One of the newest projects on the island – with tremendous potential and surely destined to play an important role in the coming years is the Houdetsi Muziek Festival. Het wordt georganiseerd door de musical workshop ‘Labyrinth’ and is the brain-child of Ross Daly. The festival takes place in early August and includes dozens of concerts, spotlighting major Cretan artists and musicians from all around the world. It covers a wide range of music tastes – from the most experimental to the ultra-traditional, and naturally includes dancing too! At the same time, there is often a bazaar, a market with local produce, and an exhibition of musical instruments.

Carnaval in Rethymno

Het carnaval van Rethymno heeft een lange geschiedenis want het werd voor het eerst opgericht in 1914. Recentelijk heeft het zich nog verder ontwikkeld, zodat bijna de hele stad actief meedoet; vele duizenden bezoekers komen uit heel Kreta en zelfs uit heel Griekenland om deel te nemen. De festiviteiten duren meerdere dagen en bereiken hun hoogtepunt tijdens de Ceremoniële parade op de laatste Zondag van Apokrias. A key feature during the festival is the ‘Schattenjacht’ – a game for children and adults alike. It spans the whole city and the participants are organized into teams. This also provides an excellent way for the locals and visitors to learn more about their city and its history. A similar festival has also been established in Heraklion.

Hyakintheia in Anogeia – Rethymno

Dit is een driedaags evenement dat jaarlijks in juli plaatsvindt en gewijd is aan Agios Hyakinthos – the Cretan “Heilige der Liefde”. It takes place in an area a little outside the village of Anogiaop de hellingen van De berg Psiloriti at an altitude of about 1200 m. Each year the festival has a different theme, which often combines traditional Cretan music and folk traditions with those from other parts of Greece, or even from further afield in the Mediterranean. At the same time, there are workshops showcasing traditional cheese-making methods – whilst guests can drink raki and other Cretan delicacies.