Limassol carnival

Carnival is celebrated in every town, but Limassol tends to be the focus of the celebrations which occur in late February or early March depending on the date of Greek Orthodox Easter. Ten days of celebrations include parades, music, costumes and many parties.

Green Monday

The day after carnival ends is Green Monday, which celebrates the beginning of the 50-day Orthodox Lent. Families gather and have vegetarian picnics because meat and fish are banned during Lent. Kite-flying competitions are very popular, and great fun to watch.

Kataklysmos

The annual festival Kataklysmos (Festival of the Flood) takes place 50 days after Orthodox Easter. Celebrated only in Cyprus and a few Greek coastal villages, this is a truly unique festival. Celebrating the biblical story of Noah and the Flood, the festival involves lots of water, with the biggest events occurring in Larnaca.

The festival has an open-air fair with stalls selling traditional food and toys. Moreover, there is a competition for rhyming songs in Cypriot dialect and performances from Greek and Cypriot singers and dancers. You will see people sprinkling each other with seawater, which symbolises purification of the body and soul.

Easter

Easter is not a festival per se, however it is considered to be the most important holiday in the Greek Orthodox calendar. It is a solemn period following the celebrations of Carnival, and food such as meat, fish, and dairy products are prohibited. Easter, celebrated after the full moon of spring equinox, is a time of renewal where people clean, cook and buy new clothes for the Holy Week before Easter. On Easter Monday families get together and play games.

Cultural Festivals

Anthestiria Flower Festival

The Anthestiria Flower Festival is held each May to celebrate spring and the rebirth of man and nature. The main focus of Anesthesia Festival is the flower parade in Larnaca with stunning decorated floats  and people carrying flowers, but the festival also features exhibitions, flower markets and shows.

Limassol Wine Festival

At the end of August, the great wine festival takes place in the Municipal Garden of Limassol and lasts for 12 days. Started in 1961 to promote the country’s wines, it’s now Cyprus’s largest festival.

Visitors have the chance to taste the best local wine of Cyprus with Cypriot food, that are offered for free from 8pm until 11pm. Moreover, performances such as folk dancing and singers are included in the festival programme.

Kypria

One of the most important cultural festivals in Cyprus is Kypria, held through September and October. The programme features ballet, opera, cinema, art, theatre and music that is performed by artists both from Cyprus and around the globe.

Source: JustLanded.com