Sunny beaches, nature colors, a soulful atmosphere... What else can you expect from a vacation in Cyprus? Happiness, joy, and fun!
The island of Aphrodite is the perfect place to have fun in the finest ancient traditions.
Cypriots are party-loving persons by their nature. Therefore, the festive calendar of Cyprus is full of bright events, and the cookbook of locals has many festive dishes.
Holidays in Cyprus can be roughly divided into state, religious, national and even 'folk' holidays. Each region has its own local saints, whose days of remembrance are also a reason for joy.
Holidays hold a special place in the hearts of Cypriots.
Local residents celebrate every event on a grand scale and are happy to involve tourists in this process. Every festive date on the island is a reason for mass festivities, street concerts, dances, songs and festive dinners. Warmed by the bright sun, Cypriots turn any celebration into a unique, unforgettable, special, unique and very colorful event.
It is noteworthy that the holidays are not transferred in Cyprus.
Companies are mostly closed on public holidays. But there can be some exceptions.
Therefore, if an employee works on holidays, they get a bonus of 75% of their hourly wage. The company director decides whether the company should work on public holidays. If so, all employees get an additional payment of 75%.
It should be mentioned that the coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed the holiday calendar on the island last year.
Some celebrations changed their format, others had to be postponed altogether until better times. However, we hope that soon the COVID-19 problem is finally solved, and the calendar year in Cyprus becomes full of fun festivals and unforgettable celebrations.
Let's see what holidays and weekends await the residents of Cyprus in 2021:
- March 15 (floating date) Green Monday (Καθαρά Δευτέρα)
- March 25: Greek Independence Day (Επέτειος Ελληνικής Ανεξαρτησίας)
- April 1: Cyprus National Day (Κυπριακή Εθνική Επέτειος)
- April 30(floating date): Good Friday (Μεγάλη Παρασκευή)
- May 1: Labor Day (Πρωτομαγιά)
- May 2 (floating date): Holy Easter (Easter, Πάσχα)
- May 3 (floating date): Easter Monday (Δευτέρα της Διακαινησίμου)
- May 4 (floating date): Easter Tuesday (Μεγάλη Τρίτη)
- June 21 (floating date): Kataklysmos, or Holy Trinity Day (Αγίου Πνεύματος)
- August 15: Assumption Day (Η Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου)
- October 1: Cyprus Independence Day (Επέτειος Κυπριακής Ανεξαρτησίας)
- October 28: Ohi day (Το Όχι)
- December 25: Christmas (Christmas Day, Χριστούγεννα)
- December 26: Christmastide (Δεύτερη μέρα των Χριστουγέννων)
Let's see now what holidays and weekends Cypriots await in 2021:
March 15 (floating date): Green Monday, (Καθαρά Δευτέρα)
The holiday is celebrated 50 days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent. Cypriots spend this day with family and friends: they arrange picnics and feasts, fly kites into the sky and play outdoor games.
March 25: Greek Independence Day (Επέτειος της Ελληνικής Επανάστασης)
Cypriots honor their close connection with Greek culture and history, and therefore the holiday is celebrated in Cyprus as well as in Greece. Parades of students, scouts and other organizations are held on this day. Various competitions and events are held throughout Cyprus.
April 1: Cyprus National Day (Εθνική Ημέρα Κύπρου)
It's the day of the beginning of the national liberation struggle against the British colonialists in 1955. On November 10, 1954, retired Colonel Georgios Grivas brought weapons and ammunition from Greece to the EOKA Organization of Greek Nationalists in Cyprus. And less than six months later, the first explosions in the cities of Cyprus began a partisan war. On this day, memorial prayers and funeral events are held on the island in memory of the Cypriots who gave their lives for the freedom of the island.
April 30 (floating date): Good Friday (Μεγάλη Παρασκευή)
It is the Holy Week Friday, which is dedicated to the remembrance of Christ's sufferings, death, as well as the removal of his body from the cross and burial. A divine service is held on Good Friday morning. Girls bring flowers to the church and decorate the epitaphios. The epitaphios is taken out of the church by evening, a procession takes place along the nearby streets, then the epitaphios is returned back to the church.
May 1: Labor Day (Πρωτομαγιά)
May Day for Cypriots is an extra day off when you can relax or even go about your business. Although no workers' parades are held on the island. But festivities and concerts are an integral part of the celebration.
May 2 (floating date): Holy Easter (Πάσχα)
The most important Orthodox holiday in Cyprus, after the last day of Lent. Locals traditionally bake a flaouna cheese pie and paint eggs. On the eve of the holiday, believers go to churches for divine services.
May 3 (floating date): Easter Monday (Δευτέρα της Διακαινησίμου)
Monday after Easter
May 4 (floating date): Easter Tuesday (Τρίτη της Διακαινησίμου)
Tuesday after Easter
June 21 (floating date): Kataklysmos (Κατακλυσμός, Αγίου Πνεύματος)
The holiday is associated with the remembrance of the Flood and the salvation of Noah. The cataclysm takes place in all cities of Cyprus on a large scale. Folk performances, games, songs and dances take place one after another. Coastal cities have a large fair, sea sports competitions (traditional regattaies), festive swims with prizes for the winners. In the evening, there are lots of fireworks in the city. People go to exhibitions and concerts.
August 15: Assumption of Mary (Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου)
Divine services are held on this day in the monasteries of the island. This time is the period of holidays, many prefer to have their holidays in August, and they take part in the celebrations. A religious procession is arranged on the night of August 15, the epitaphios of the Most Holy Theotokos is brought out.
October 1: Cyprus Independence Day (Επέτειος Κυπριακής Ανεξαρτησίας)
The holiday is celebrated by the whole country on a large scale, a military parade is held at the Presidential Palace in the capital of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicosia. Mass festivities, concert programs continue until late at night.
October 28: Ohi day (Το Όχι)
Day of Remembrance of the resistance of the Greeks in 1940 to the ultimatum presented by Italy to the Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas. The Greek word "όχι" means "no": with this nationwide protest, Greece refused to surrender. The memory of that is honored both in Greece and in Cyprus.
December 25: Christmas (Χριστούγεννα)
As in other countries, in the Cypriot traditions, it is customary to carefully prepare for this day: towns and villages have a holiday atmosphere, locals buy gifts for family and friends. Cypriots cook meat dishes, Christmas cakes, sweets.
December 26: Boxing Day (Δεύτερη μέρα των Χριστουγέννων)
The next 12 days from Christmas until the Baptism of the Lord are the holy days, sanctified by the coming into the world of the Savior.
In addition to the biggest holidays, Cypriots celebrate about 40 more smaller holidays a year. The most popular among them are:
- Paphos Aphrodite Festival is an annual classical music festival dedicated to the goddess of love Aphrodite.
- Anthestiria is an annual flower festival that pays homage to the island's nature. This is the day of celebration of the arrival of spring with enchanting carnivals and processions.
- The Limassol Wine Festival is a celebration dedicated to the god of winemaking Dionysus. During the festival, many wine producers provide guests with their own drinks for free.
- Limassol Carnival takes place in early spring and lasts ten days. This vibrant and colorful event attracts guests from all over the world.
- The Larnaca Music Festival is an interesting event that takes place in the city's amphitheater. And also in the theater located in the medieval fort. This festival is a great opportunity to experience the music and dance of Cyprus. In addition, ancient Greek and modern plays are staged during the festival.
- Halloween is a legacy of the British and is celebrated on October 31st. Many Cypriots celebrate, others do not. Anglo-Saxon traditions: pumpkins, evil spirits, carols with the words "sweet or nasty".
It is worth noting that holidays that fall on Friday or Monday in 2021 form a three-day weekend:
- March 13-15 (03/15/2021 - Clean Monday)
- June 19-21 (06.21.2021 - Holy Spirit, Monday)
- December 25 - 27 (12/25/2021 - Christmas, Saturday).
Come to sunny Cyprus to be a part of bright and joyful events. And you can easily rent a house using the DOM real estate in Cyprus, where there are many options for long-term rent
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