Kato Platres: Church Calendar, Easter Customs and Grape Culture

Kato Platres brings together church events, Easter customs and local production traditions that take place at different times of the year. The Church of Agios Demetrios, flaounes, grape products and a walk on the hill offer different perspectives on the village. If you choose Kato Platres as your destination, the timing of your trip can help you plan around your interests: Easter and the period after the October grape harvest are associated with different customs, while the church also plays a role on 26 December.

The Church of Agios Demetrios and the annual calendar

The Church of Agios Demetrios is used every year on Easter Monday and 26 December. Another date on the calendar is the feast in honour of Saint Demetrios, the community’s patron saint: it takes place every year on 26 October in front of the church. This brings together two days when the church is used and a feast in autumn. One specific architectural detail is the wooden, carved iconostasis, made in 1898. An iconostasis is a screen decorated with icons that separates the sanctuary from the nave. This architectural detail adds a historical connection and a precise year to the recurring dates.

Easter: pastries and games

Several customs take place on different days around Easter. Flaounes, a traditional pastry made with cheese and raisins, are prepared on Wednesday and Thursday of Holy Week. On Easter Sunday, donkey races, sack races and egg races are among the traditional games held in the schoolyard of Kato Platres; the Church of Agios Demetrios is used on Easter Monday. Food, games and church visits thus form different parts of the Easter season. If you plan your trip around one of these customs, check the programme details for your dates in advance, especially if the games are the reason for your trip.

Grape products after the harvest

Local grape culture is associated with another part of the year. After the grape harvest in October, palouze and siousiouko continue to be made in Kato Platres. Palouze is grape must jelly; siousiouko is dried must jelly with nuts threaded onto a string. Zivania, a strong, clear alcoholic drink, is also produced. Other traditional grape products still made locally include dried raisins, epsima, palouzes, soutzoukos, kiofterka, spoon sweets, rust and wine. The variety ranges from dried fruit and sweets to drinks. October is a clear seasonal reference point for palouze and siousiouko; the wider range of products shows the breadth of local grape production.

A walk on the hill

A walk on the hill offers another focus alongside the seasonal traditions. Visitors can experience the nature of Cyprus there. If you plan to take this walk, check the current local conditions in advance. This lets you treat the nature experience as a separate part of your stay, while festivals and the production of specialities are more closely tied to particular seasons.

Discover more destinations: Moutayiaka, Agios Amvrosios, Trimiklini, Pelentri, Mesa Geitonia, Fasoula, Troodos, Potamiou

For the broader travel overview: Limassol.