Dances - Songs - Local Dresses

The love of the spetsiots for songs and dances is a very old tradition. There are lots of original  songs heard at family feast and panigyria.

There are also songs brought by sailors and transformed according to spetsiot habits. The spetsiot syrtos and chasapikos dances are the beloved ones at all parties and feasts.

The local dresses are seen on other Aegean islands and the Peloponesioan coasts of Ermioni, bearing slight differences.

The men's outfit composed of the classic trousers called "vraka" with a shirt and a sleeveless gilet.

The women's dress is a white silk shirt with a long skirt and a belt, plus an embroidered silk scarf, covering the head.

Easter - Spetsiot wedding

On Spetses thare has always been the effort to keep up the traditional habits that accompany the history of the island through the years. The Spetsiot traditions come both from the islands and the main land, due to the proximity with the Peloponese and the setting of the Peloponesians on the island.

The spetsiot wedding called "Gamos". The tradition demands that the couple go to church together on foot and return home after the service, followed by their friends and family, lead by the musicialns playing violin and lute(laouto).

On Spetses as well as on other Greek islands, Easter takes on a fascinating aspect with the fireworls going off around on the "Ressurection" night next to the deeply religious atmosphere, in all Churches. In Analipsis the fishermen keep an old tradition alive by burning a boat in the courtyard of the Church. On Easter Sunday in the afternoon, the burning of Judas takes place outside the house of Panagiotis Mathios, the man who restored the tradition some years ago.

Religious feasts called "Panigyria"

During the whole year there are religious feasts celebrated in different chapels all around the island, where the service takes place in the evening and in the morning, with the blessing of the people and the bread, especially brought to the church.

After the service follow the "kerasmata", the drinking turns. During summer time the month of July gathers an importand number of people at the Panigyria of St. Anargyrion, St. Marinna. The Virgin Mary, the "Kapsodematousa", St. Markella, St. Paraskevi, Prophitis Ilias. In September follow the "panigyri" of St. Mamas, "Panagia of Daskalaki" and the "Armata".

In Spring there is the panigyri of St. George at Zogeria where the popular musicians entertain the people next to the sea and beautiful nature.

All local associations have their own feasts on the day of their Saint, as a family happening. One of those is the famous "hunters" day with the panigyri of Panagia of Daskalaki, the drivers day on St. Christopher day and the fishermen feast on St. Apostles day.

Apart from the very old tradition of people visiting houses all dressed up, on the last Carnival Sunday there is a big fiesta in the clock square, where thousands of inhabitants and visitors come to dance.

The next day, on the first Monday of lent called "Clean Monday", the islanders and their friends keep up the custom at the open gathering at Sourbouti, Kounoupitsa, where the food is prepared by the locals. Earlier on that same "Clean Monday" the children climb up to the top of the mountain to let their kites (Filandras) fly.

Popular art and craft

The spetsiot pebble designs, the rug and woven products from family looms of Spetsiots women, as well as wood craft, are some of the popular craft developed in Spetses.