“Every place and zakoni
every neighborhood and antenti”

which means that every place has its own habits, customs and traditions.

So is Papigo. It has its own habits associated always with the religions faith and worship. Customs and traditions which have gone off in the course off time. All of those who have experienced we can not forget it. Let’s “watch” them though as they took place beginning from 1st January.

The New Year began with the visiting or to who you would see first from the residents of the village for good fortune in the rest of the year if he was "a good person".

• Carols from young children for Santa Claus who was holding paper and pen was the main feature of the day. The treats were apples, dry figs, quinces and money (according the financial status of the house owner).
• First thing in the morning someone had to go to get water from the tap of the village and cover it with butter.
• In a freshly-cut branch of oak tree all the members of a family sat so as to be healthy all the year, like the wood of the oak tree.
• At noon at the special and rich lunch of the New Year in the place of the today New Year Pie had the meat pie. Delicious pie, finely with meat, abundant butter and of course the lucky coin, the money. Christmas had been with different carols: "kalinta melinta, tsousoula mbarba, Nicola, fkiasi bamboo kloura" the "the lalagites" essential sweet with layers of pastry, nuts and syrup. The "kathra" – a kind of baklava, the Christmas buns and patsias.
• The fireplace was burning non-stop all the twelve days and the ash shouldn’t be cleaned for fear of the kalikatzari.

During the "Theofania" the Holy Cross "game out" that is at the end of the church segregation of holy water, a kind of auction took place during which someone would offer the most money and would get the Cross and of course the blessing for healthy and good year.

During the “Theofania” the Holy Cross “game out” that is at the end of the church segregation of holy water, a kind of auction took place during which someone would offer the most money and would get the Cross and of course the blessing for healthy and good year.

Carnival Time: The “afonos” the bonfire at the night of the Tirini Sunday towards the Lend Monday was the great event of the Carnival. The children saying the equivalent wishful song for the souls, gathered wood from homes, placed them out the front place of the church and the Sunday night the lit the bonfire. Groups of disguised people- especially with animal skins- visited the homes, did not speak or greeted anyone, gathered treats and at night together with gypsies-musicians and the whole village were having fun around the bonfire. Jokes, tricks and teasing as well as “hapsaras”, a boiled egg tied on a string who would “eat” it first, were one of the most usual customs of Carnival.

Lent Monday: The fasting but also the “ sismantoures” that is improvised kites were the highlights of the day. It was forbidden to mention names of animals such as wolf, fox or rodents because he  “spoiled the breading and the flocks of animals.

In March we had the necessary “martitsi” worn in the wrist, white and red string for the sun which come along with Spring. People also watched carefully the advent of the emigration birds (shallows, koukaloga) as you should have full stomach when you first saw them in order to “crush it” ad not the opposite.

April Fools’ Day was characterized by the usual customs of lying and playing tricks.

At Easter also they had customs with religious character.

On Saturday of Lazarus all the children from the village went with bells at homes, chanting the “Lazarus” and gathered eggs.

The “Vagia” came from Vikos and they should be there on the Saturday of  Vaia and on Sunday of Vaion everyone held a branch of dapne and if someone didn’ t they were hit by those who had one. The lamp on the pit wasn’ t used, they preferred it in the oven and stiffed its belly with the famous “trima”, a rare food ( vegetables, onions,livers, dry bread and some rice).

On the 1st May they had as a custom to make Coronary of May which were made with a special plant with small sprouts and excellent scent which called also May. And also another custom is the closing with wire of the front door of the houses.

When there was a big draught during May-June to make rain they did the “paparouna”: the dressed a first born child whose parents lived, with flowers and walked around the village singing a relevant blessing chant for God to give a good and bless for rain.

On the 3rd May of the day of Saint Mauras  didn’ t plant any seeds so as not to come out black. And on Saint John’ s- where in other parts light a bonfire (Klidonas) in Papigo didn’ t eat anything which had red colour such as tomato.

In July there were two festivals which all waited with joy: The day of the Prophet Elias in the Great Papigo which is still taking place today and the Saint Panteleimona in the Small Papigo which it has been stopped.

The “merominia”: During the first day of August people watched the weather and according they predicted the weather of the for coming year beginning of course from January: 1st August= January, 2nd August=February etc.

Thus, they had a general prediction of weather which would help them a lot in farming and livestock tasks. These predictions were usually precise.
Another way of predicting the weather- especially the following winter- was the “krania” and the “leftokara” (the wild walnuts). Krania trees and walnuts are too many in the area of Papigo. If now in August and September they had a lot of fruit the winter will be heavy.

On 8th September the day of Holy Maria of Paliouri- the monastery bearing the same name is celebrating there is a festival in the Small Papigo.

The Autumn customs was and is still the “tsipoura”, that is the procedure of distilling and producing of “tsipouro” which was done with special joy. The first “tsipouro” is called “protolat” and it is very strong.

On 30td  November the day of Saint Andreas, they made a special food called “Bolia” “the pianepsia of the ancient”, they boiled wheat, corn, lentils, chickpeans, beans, peas and ate them after he segregation. A dish should be blessed from the priest for good yield in he fields.

{jb_info The data come from the Club of Papigo Smartening
http://sillogospapigou.gr{/jb_info}