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  Christmas is the biggest Christian festival after Easter in Greece. However, unlike for example in Germany, Christmas presents are not exchanged in Greece. This is the job of the Holy Vasilios, which is celebrated on the 1st of January. Christmas in Greece is also a celebration with the families.  They all come together and [...]

For the Zakynthians olive oil plays an important role. Almost every dish is seasoned with a dash. The waiver of oil during the Holy Week means to Zakynthians a real hardship, as some even use olive oil as a medicine. They say that if you want to reach old age, one should take every morning [...]

Wine- κρασί In addition to olive oil, wine is another important produce of Zakynthos. Traditionally, the cultivation of grapes is one of the main concerns of the Zakynthians. This comes from ancient times. Even then, Zakynthos was famous for its wines. The Venetians took care of it at the time of their rule to the [...]

The patron of the island of Zakynthos: Agios Dionysios The Island feast (24.8.) Backgrounds The Holy Dionysios was born in 1547 in Zakynthos, son of Nutzios Sigouros and Pavlina Valvi. He was baptized in the name of Draganigos and is of aristocratic descent (one of the leading families of the island). Since his youth he [...]

Currants – κορινθιακή σταφίδα In August, sometimes even into September, we see the currants spread all over the island infront of the houses. In former times they were put on square wooden frames. Today they use great awnings or meshed networks. They originally come from the region of Achaia on the Peloponnese, but mid-16 Jh [...]

The “Caretta Caretta” (loggerhead turtle) is still one of the most common turtles in existence. It is found in all tropical and subtropical seas and also in the Mediterranean. Zakynthos, and especially the Bay of Laganas are among the most important breeding grounds in the Mediterranean. The turtles back is reinforced up to 120 cm [...]

The mild Mediterranean climate and humidity help Zakynthos to a green landscape. Even the most barren places on the Island bloom in the spring. The greenery made the Venetians name the Island „Flower of the Orient“ – in their language „Fior di Levante“. In August the average temperature is 27 ° C in January around [...]

The Greek Orthodox Easter – “Pasha” rarely falls on the same day as the Easter of the Catholic and Reformed. But the real problem behind the present situation arose in the 16th Century when the Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian in 46 BC. It took some time until all countries appropriated this calendar (Greece until [...]

If you arrive unprepared into the Zakynthian carnival, you will be very surprised in what your eyes will see. It does not seem to be Greek at all, with all that is happening in the streets.  More or less three weeks per year are covered by the carnival, with dances, parties, parades and theatrical performances. [...]

25 km north of the capital of Zakynthos is the village of Alykes which was a former fishing village. It has now become one of the biggest holiday resorts on the island. The old fishing port of Katastari has become a popular seaside resort. It lies in a wide sweeping bay. Fortunately it is not [...]