According to Conde Nast Traveler and National Geographic
“To cook like Greeks” urges its millions of British readers National Geographicadding that the Sifnos it has a rich culinary history and is extremely beautiful with the white lovely villages of Apollonia, Artemonas and Kastro, sandy beaches and landscapes dotted with chapels and criss-crossed by dozens of paths.
At the same time, as the best Greek island for culinary delights and traditional festivals, Sifnos is featured in the list published by the Spanish Conde Nast Traveler regarding the Greek islands that will stand out in 2024. The popular travel website states that Sifnos owes its “tasty reputation » to Nikolaos Tselemendes who wrote the first Greek cookery book, while it is scattered with pottery workshops that make the clay vessels in which chickpeas and mastelo are prepared.
“Authenticity, nature and gastronomy are the three elements that are inextricably linked and are ‘responsible’ for the uniqueness of Sifnos. Through our contacts with travel editors, tourist operators and scheduled meetings with professionals at international tourism exhibitions, it is realized that Sifnos derives its strength from the incomparable natural beauty, the local culture and the soul of the locals. In this spirit, Easter also has a special dynamic on the island which reveals a unique world of traditions and customs”, said the Deputy Mayor of Tourism of the Municipality of Sifnos, Yiannis Rafeletos.
In particular, the meeting of epitaphs from different settlements in two parts of the island on M. Paraskevi evening stands out. On Easter Sunday at noon, the service of the Second Resurrection takes place in the picturesque Monastery of Panagia in Vrysi where the entire clergy of the island participates. Also after the end of the vesper of Love, drinks, sweets and red eggs are offered to all present. The festive table of Sifnos does not miss the homemade xinomyzithra, and the melopita, a local sweet made of honey, myzithra and eggs, while the lamb is roasted in the mastelo, placed on the grill made of vines, with local red wine and dill. Strengthening traditions, local clubs are reviving timeless Easter customs such as the “swing” as well as the group game “chunia”, a type of “bowling”, played until recently by young men and women in every neighborhood.
