Last year there was something exciting ”happening” on quiet Cycladic Island of Serifos. It was an event called
Kapetania.
I swung by the hilltop Chora, or main village, to check it out just
after twelve noon. At first glance, I’d described it as a fun costume
parade of sorts but it turned out to have much more meaning.
The Serifians had scheduled to march together to various villages
throughout the day. They’d gather around a few flag bearers and dance
around them linked outstretched arm-over- outstretched arm in
traditional Greek fashion. Greek food and the island’s wine was offered
along with big smiles. All that happened until they paraded off to the
next stop on the island.
costumes in honor of apokries
A distinct and colorful part to the celebration was that many people also happened to be dressed up for
apokries which is like Mardi Gras in Greece.
Apokries is the time of the year to pull out an awesome costume, be merry and attend parties in it. Of course,
apokries has
a deeper religious meaning but in any case you wouldn’t look odd
walking around with a crazy wig or a funny mask these few weeks of the
year.
A
few local musicians provided the Greek traditional music. Donned in
their costumes they seemed like a happy group of traveling troubadours
complete with their snare drums, wooden flutes, a
bouzouki (Greek
mandolin) and a violin. They were accompanied at times with live singer
who belted out the tunes just fine without a microphone.
However, a lot of the Serifians were actually dressed in traditional Greek costumes. It turns out that
Kapetania
also has to do with the Greek War of Independence which was fought
against the Ottoman Empire in the first half of the 1800s. After the
Greeks gained their independence, a civil war presumed and the leaders
of the opposing Greek sides were called the
kapetenous.
Kapetania,
with its parade and traditional costumes was a kind of reenactment of
how the opposing Greek parties fought for control over the young nation.
I’d find out more at the last village stop.
The last stop of the
Kapetenia took place by late afternoon in a sweet little village, called
Panagia.
There a dark-bearded Serifian perched on the church roof put his
hunting rifle to good use and rang out a series of ceremonial gunshots
as the sun began to set. As the heavy shots pierced through the air,
the Greek dancing resumed.
More of the amber colored island wine,
homemade pies, village cheese and sweets passed through the crowd. Then
suddenly, a big tussle went down before my eyes. The flag bearers got
in a fight! Instead of anyone taking sides around me, I quickly learned
it was part of the ceremony. The tussle was actually a renactment of
how the kapetanous fought during the Civil War. Each side would fight
to take down the opposing side’s flag to put up their own and claim
victory.
In Serifos,
Kapetenia takes place each Sunday, the day before the national Greek holiday and religious holiday called
Kathera Deftera
or Clean Monday. Kathera Deftera marks the beginning of Lent when
those of the Greek Orthodox faith begin fasting before Easter.
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