View Original Topic: Water Festival bank holiday weekend 6/7th June Ayia Napa

Posted By: Bloomer

Loads of things going on this weekend in Ayia Napa to celebrate the festival of water.

Posted By: journo

Larnaka has the biggest celebrations for Kataklysmos. Always plenty to do along Finikoudes. Not all commervcial either. The Cyprus Association of Cancer Patients and Friends is always there.

Posted By: olivewood

I have just had a walk along Finikoudes tonight (Thursday) and lots of stalls setting up along the whole length of the seafront. Lots of rides etc.for children including a huge bouncy castle near the Sun Hall Hotel. A lot of the stalls will apparently be open from tomorrow (Friday) evening for the next two weeks. :)

Posted By: mollymore

Bloomer wrote: Loads of things going on this weekend in Ayia Napa to celebrate the festival of water. can anyone tell me how they celebrate the festival of water

Posted By: journo

With watersports, folk music, dancing, traditional foods, poetry, contests for "chatista", or rhyming songs in the Cypriot dialect and - particularly in Larnaka - seafront stalls selling dried fruit and nuts plus all manner of other goods from toys to clothes and antiques, charity stalls, toy stalls and try-your-luck games plus carousels kiddies rides and fairground stalls on the beach. The 'watersports' can also include throwing water at everyone! On the religious side, early in the morning on the first day of the celebrations, the priests of coastal towns and villages throw a cross into the water. The swimmer to retrieve it receives a replica - or simply a blessing - which is supposed to bring luck/protection in the coming year. Kataklysmos co-incides with Whitsun/Pentecost/the Day of the Holy Spirit - 50 days after Orthodox Easter (but also is a reminder of the story of Noah and the Flood). For an idea of what was on offer in Agia Napa this year (and information on how Kataklysmos was celebrated in days gone by), see: http://www.agianapa.org.cy/docPaths/kataklysmos_2009.pdf