Kataklysmos - 'The Water Festival'Kataklysmos or ‘the festival of the flood’ in Larnaca celebrates Pentecost. Originally a pagan Cyprus festival to celebrate Aphrodite, it has evolved into a Christian celebration of the Flood. The festival takes place on the Sunday of Pentecost so the dates change each year. All seaside towns mark the event, although in some towns it is bigger than others. Larnaca usually puts on the biggest show, while in Ayia Napa or Limassol for example, the festivities can last for several days. Tourists usually arrive early and enjoy the beach first. The event starts when a priest throws a cross into the sea. The diver who retrieves it is given a blessing. From there the fun begins – prepare to get very, very wet as there are plenty of water fights! Throwing water onto one another here is symbolic of purifying the soul, but it is also a great way to keep cool and most importantly, it’s a lot of fun! A lot of the celebrations focus on water with swimming competitions, banana boat rides and boat and canoe races taking place but there are also many land based activities to enjoy. Music and dancing take place in both the streets and in on stages and locals take pleasure in teaching tourists the traditional folk dances of Cyprus. Local poets hold readings and there are also fairs. This is a celebration that you cannot see anywhere else in the world, so if you really want to see the real Cyprus, this is a festival not to be missed!
Return to Cyprus Festivals and Events from Kataklysmos
Copyright 2010-2012. All Rights Reserved.
No reproduction permitted without permission.  |
