Annual Literature festival; second year

Skopelos, 20-4-2024

PRESS RELEASE

INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL OF SKOPELOS

“LITERARY SPRING-NIKOS MARKOU” 2024

HONORED LITERATURE: SCANDINAVIAN

SKOPELOS, APRIL 27 Saturday & 28 Sunday 2024 VENUE ORFEAS CINEMA AND CONFERENCE CENTER. FREE ENTRANCE

With great joy and pride, the Municipality of Skopelos announces the 2nd International Literary Festival of Skopelos “Literary Spring-Nikos Markou”, honoring Scandinavian literature and featuring guest authors and translators from Norway, Sweden, and Iceland.

Greek readers, traditionally familiar with the “classics” of Scandinavian literature (Ibsen, Strindberg, Hamsun), began rediscovering the literature of the northern countries with the rise of Nordic noir in the early 21st century. However, the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2023 to Norwegian Jon Fosse has crowned a remarkably successful publishing journey of non-crime Scandinavian literature worldwide.

With this in mind, this year’s “Literary Spring-Nikos Markou”, in its second year as an international literary festival, dedicates its efforts to acquainting and rekindling the relationship of Greek readers with contemporary Scandinavian literature, its authors, and translators.

Official guests of the festival:

• Eirikur Ertu Nørdudal (Iceland): novelist, poet

• Jan Henrik Swahn (Sweden): novelist, translator

• Tomas Marco Blatt (Norway): poet, novelist

• Margarita Melberg (Sweden/Greece): translator

• Vicky Alyssandraki (Iceland/Sweden/Greece): translator

• Theodoris Rakopoulos (Norway/Greece): poet, translator

• Krystalli Glynidadaki (Norway/Greece): poetess, translator

Organizing Committee:

Krystalli Glynidadaki

Eleni Kosma

Lizzy Tsirimokou

Stamatis Perissis

Giorgos Papadavid

With the support of the Municipality of Skopelos and the Embassies of Norway and Sweden in Greece, Norwegian Literature Abroad (NORLA) and the Swedish Arts Council (Kulturrådet), the Region of Thessaly, and Thea Home Hotel.

Municipality of Skopelos

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Independence day celebration in Glossa

Roger send us these lovely photo’s of the celebration of Independence day in Glossa. Thank you Roger!

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25th of March remembering the War of Indepence

The Greek War of Independence (1821–1829), also commonly known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war waged by the Greeks to win independence for Greece from the Ottoman Empire. After a long and bloody struggle, and with the aid of the Great Powers, independence was finally granted by the Treaty of Constantinople in July 1832. The Greeks were thus the first of the Ottoman Empire’s subject peoples to secure recognition as an independent sovereign power. The anniversary of Independence Day (March 25, 1821) is a National Day in Greece, which falls on the same day as the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary.
(source: https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Greek_War_of_Independence)

(Source: Anonymous – 19th-century painting. National Museum of History, Athens)

LASKARINA “BOUBOULINA” PINOTSI
(Constantinople, 11 May 1771 – Spetses, 22 May 1825)
Laskarina “Bouboulina” Pinotsi (Greek: Λασκαρίνα “Μπουμπουλίνα” Πινότση; May 1771 – 22 May 1825) was a Greek naval commander, heroine of the Greek War of Independence in 1821, and considered the first woman-admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy.
Read more about here here: Bouboulina

Most shops and offices will be closed.

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Kales 2024

Even after all the years that I have lived on this island I am still surprised about all the people that hold this island together. They turn up when sad things happen but also when a tradition needs to to celebrated. The “Kales” parade this year for instance. The wedding parade that dances through the streets of Skopelos on the last Sunday of Greek carnival. Below are the bride and groom of this year. They were a great succes!

Young and old were dressed up. In traditional clothes or disguised… Young people with musical instruments. The older ones including them. The families leading the procession and singing the songs and telling us what we need to sing next. A lot of traditional clothes that were worn had extra ornaments in silver. There were emblems and coins completing the outfits. Probably heirlooms. Whole families together, the parents by themselves mostly and the children in groups with other children. In many corners of the village, in the neighbourhoods near the squares many people had drinks and food ready. Wine everywhere, meatballs, cheese pies and the traditional “galakta boureko”! The whole parade ended up in the harbor near the municipal cafe where the dancing continued with live music. Congratulations to the cultural association of Skopelos who organized everything. They have managed to revive and keep the traditions of Skopelos for the next generation.

This video was filmed at Mylos square, the best square to dance on. Many people came to have look and dance.

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Carnival on Skopelos; the last Sunday and clean Monday

(These photos are from various Kales parades from several years before)

Carnival is still in full swing on Skopelos with several parties organized on Saturday evening, mostly by associations that try to raise money to be able to continue their activities.

On Sunday, the last Sunday of carnival in the villages of Elios Glossa and Skopelos, various activities are being organized. Elios is used to organize a parade with decorated cars. This Sunday they will start at the Delphi hotel around 14.15 hours. The parade will end in the centre of the village at the headquarters of the Cultural Association. There a party will be held.

In Skopelos town the tradition of “Kales” will be held. A wedding parade with a lot of cross dressing will roam around the town with the wedding party and the musicians at the front and the guests following the newlyweds…
The party will leave from the headquarter of the cultural association of Skopelos at 14.00 hours which is in the street leading off from the Platanos square and from there they will visit the several squares of Skopelos and ending up in the harbour. The party with dancing and singing will continue there!

Glossa will have festivities too. I have no information yet about when and where…

Clean Monday before Lent (most shops and offices are closed) is the day you clean out all the cupboards and the fridge and make nice plates of food. The taverna’s will have special plates, many of them will be sea food. There will be live music too! Dress up and have fun everybody!!

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The traditions live on

I realize how fortunate we are to have so many talented musicians play for us in restaurants, on festivals and on many other occasions. Last night, on the celebration of Internationl Women’s day, Yiorgos Anagnostou and Christos Thomas played in taverna Kariadia. I noticed how clear the bouzouki of Yiorgos sounds. Really wonderful to listen too!

Tomorrow afternoon around two o’ clock the participants of the Trata tradition will start roaming around Skopelos. Dressed up boys and men, part of a ship’s crew and their captain carry a handmade boat from reeds, including a furnace with a lot of smoke and pass from neighbourhood to neighbourhood singing dirty songs, dancing, drinking, eating rice pudding and other snacks offered by the people living near the squares. This tradition has a long history dating back to the God Dionysus. The ships and their crews will end up in the harbour later in the afternoon. The ships must float in the sea not?

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Tsiknopempti (charred) Thursday today

I knew without a doubt that we would meet dressed up people in the village today because of Tsiknopempti. When we saw a bride we knew that there was also a wedding party somewhere. They were just about to go on a drive about the town. Usually cross dressing takes place. It was nice to see everybody made an effort for the occasion!

Tsiknopempti is a celebration in honor of the meat that some will forgo for the 40 days of Lent. Today many people will grill meat and in general will burn it a little so it is charred and has a strong “meaty” smell (tsikna). Local restaurants will put on special plates for those celebrating Tsiknopemti.

The local custom of Μουτσουνες/Moutsounes will also be celebrated this year in front of the Xenia building opposite the children’s playground at 20.00 hours this Friday.

Costumed children and grown ups will go out in the evening, some with scary masks, charcoal smudges on their faces and/or heavy/make-up. They will knock on doors and be asked to come in and sing and maybe scare the people a little. They will be given sweets, fruits and sometimes wine too!!! The kids say they are going for μουτσούνες = dirty faces.

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Bountalas Shipbuilding museum

Skopelos has a big affiliation with building wooden ships. On the island there were several big shipyards ( in Glysteri, in the harbor of Skopelos etc.) and many people on the island were employed there. During the Greek war of Independence 1821-1831, several boats made on Skopelos, took part in this war.

The Skopelitan Bountalas family had shipbuilders in their family but at some point in time the shipyards closed their doors. The family then decided to start the art of small shipbuilding. The technique was their in their lifelong history anyway.

Grandfather Triandafylos taught his son Jannis and he now teaches his daughter Rigina.

Fairly recently the Bountalas family was able to work and expose their boats, their tools and their materials in a bigger space close to their home and the result is amazing.

The Bountalas micro shipbuilding museum tells us about the history of this family and the art they perform. The boats on exhibit are amazing and so are Jannis, his wife and their daughter Rigina. Their enthusiasm and love for what they do is wonderful to experience. I feel thankful that they saved and are continuing to show and create handmade ships and smaller boats and preserve a very important part of Skopelos his history.

If you want to get in contact for a visit please contact Rigina: their email address is shipbuildingbountalas@gmail.com, telephone: 00306981039495. They are also on Facebook and Instagram as Art Shipbuilding by Bountalas.
You can read more about them here: Bountalas shipbuilding

Here is an article about shipbuilding on Skopelos and with photos of boats build on Skopelos. It is in Greek but you can probably translate it. skopelos shipbuilding with photos

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Filming in Thessaly; Kostas Kexagias

Kostas Kexagias (@konstantinos_k_photography) is a photographer from Larissa and he has entered the yearly “filming in Thessaly” competition which is organized by the International Film festival of Larissa. Photographers and film makers were asked to promote the Thessaly province with any means they have and can use, film of photography.

Kostas came third in the category film. Skopelos is also featured.

THESSALY 25 HOURS video here
(copyright Konstantinos Kexagias)

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The end, for now, of Greek festivities

Fishing in winter is a wonderful passtime. At the moment there are a lot of Bogue/Γόπες around and as a family we have been quite a few times to fish for them.

The result is this.. Every time we catch about 30. Fried Bogue and fishsoup are a hit at the moment at home.

Yesterday Epiphany was celebrated, with the cross being thrown in the harbor of Skopelos.

Plenty of people attended and three men jumped in the sea to catch the cross.

After that many people went for coffee or to the Xenia building where the New Year’s cake was cut by the municipality.

Today is the nameday of Jannis and Joanna

For now until Carnival we will have a less busy time celebrating. Today is the day that we clear up the Christmas stuff. After tonight the boxes full of ornaments will go back to their storage. Xronia Polla!!

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