Karpathos impresses visitors with its stunning natural landscape with the varied scenery that alternates from green or craggy mountains, meadows, valleys, endless sandy beaches, sheltered coves, and picturesque settlements with traditional architecture. But what gives the island its character is its people who, faithful to the customs and traditions of their ancestors, seem to have stopped time. Every village has at least one main church dedicated to a patron-saint whose feast day is observed with lutes, lyres, and tsabounes (bagpipes), mantinades (sung rhyming verses), folk dances, and traditional dishes with deep roots in local cuisine. While each panigyri is special, the best known religious folk festivals on Karpathos are the feast of Ayios Haralambos at Aperi on February 10; the feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin at Evangelistria in Pigadia on March 25; the feast of Ayia Marina at Menete on July 17; and, the feast of Ayios Pandeleimonas at Stes in Othos on July 27. The latter is the biggest of all and everyone from Othos makes certain to be there on the eve of the feast, the day itself, and the second day. For days before the feast, many people work hard to prepare for the celebration. The small church of Ayios Pandeleimonas at Stes, a dependency of Othos which has grown into a quaint settlement as its inhabitants have renovated the old farmhouses or built new ones with respect for traditional architecture and have lavished care on labor on their ancestors vineyards and gardens, taking advantage of the fertile soil and ample water from the spring located below the forecourt of Ayios Pandeleimonas. The church is enveloped in a part-natural and part-landscaped environment with a view across the sea to nearby Kassos. This charming backdrop is enhanced by the welcoming and lively character of the locals as both combine in the perfect setting for revelry. The communal meal is laid out at the “megaron”, a large hall near the church. Pilgrims eat in groups, or tavles, of about 300 people. The celebrants have the opportunity to enjoy the scenery, be treated at makeshift coffee houses or visit households that are open to visitors who are offered refreshing fruit, beverages, sweets, coffee, meze, or wine. Groups of friends go from house to house but the largest groups usually gather around the musicians and seek to honor their hosts by reciting improvised verses. As the sun sets, everyone finds their way to the churchyard where the dancing and merrymaking begins. The panigyri of Ai Yiannis at Olympos is also special. The footpath from Avlina leads to Ayios Ioannis Baptistis after a roughly ninety-minute trek. A large wooden roof made from tree trunks has been erected at the edge of the cove to shade the open-air dining area. Pilgrims deposit their belongings and lay their bedclothes on terraces of compacted soil. Rungs dug into the rock about twenty meters over the water lead to the cave sheltering the tiny chapel of Ayios Ioannis Baptistis. The panigyri begins with a sit-down feast and syrmatiko song with verses describing acts of heroism and continues with mantinades, rhymed verses that tell a story or describe a situation, with the singer accompanied by the lyre; the lyre player loudly repeats each verse, encouraging guests to do the same. Next is the kato horos, a slow dance that the panigyri sponsor starts with a partner. The steps are slow and dragging, two forward and one back, and are barely perceptible as it takes the dancers a long time to complete their circle around the main dining area. While the mantinades are being sung, dancers take to the stage—men in street clothes and young women in colorful traditional costume with headscarves and kolaines, necklaces made of gold coins. The dancers form a semi-circle with arms crossed and look towards the guests. Another dance, the gonatistos is performed between the siganos and pano horos: the man leading the group dance now improvises steps and dance figures. This type of dance is known as kavos; while the lead changes, dancers toss money on the dance floor. Finally, the pilgrims are given pieces of bread and, according to tradition, are also treated to chickpea soup, loukoumades (deep-fried dough puffs) drizzled with honey, and slices of watermelon. The observance ends on the second day of the feast at the horostasi at Avlonas. There, musicians’ chairs are set on a massive table and around it the chairs of merrymakers. The dancers sit on the platform and await their turn. The panigyri’s last day is dedicated to youths and it is where young girls under the age of ten perform their first dance in full traditional dress. Songs tell of locals who have stayed or who have left the village and returned, they sing of new residents and young loves. The most moving moment is when pilgrims walk past the cemetery singing mantinades about the departed. Other religious folk festivals: July 27, Ayios Pandeleimonas, Katodio (Aperi) August 6, Christos, Ithos and Valandou (Aperi) August 15, Menetes, Pyles, Aperi, Olympos August 22, Panayias at Kyra Panayia (Aperi) August 28, Ayios Ioannis, Lakki, Olympos (Vrykonta) August 29, Ayios Ioannis, Lori (Aperi) September 7, Larniotisa, Pigadia September 8, Panayia Vrysiani, Mesohori and Panayia Playias, Volada September 14, Ypsosis Timiou Stavrou, Pyles September 17, Ayia Sofia, Arkasa November 3, Ayios Georgios, Spoa