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Anogeia

Light Showers
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Wind: 15 Southwest

Rethymno

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Wind: 27 West

Spili

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Wind: 06 West

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Kallikratis - Argiroupoli

Local fetes

TRADITIONAL CULTURAL AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES

Sheep blessing at Agies Pente Parthenes. Religious fete that takes place on the third day after Easter. Sheep are milked and the blessed milk is given to believers.

Agia Filothei, on 30 June

Torch-bearing on Holly Friday and "Orfanos" fete on Holly Saturday. Villagers walk around the village with the epitaph, carrying torches, and light up "Orfanos" (a big lump of wood) after celebrating the Resurrection on Holly Saturday.

Asi-Gonia has been associated with a unique custom in Crete, the one of blessing the flocks on the name day of Agios Georgios. The area's shepherds consider Ai-Giorgis as their patron saint and, on 23 April, they come to A-Giorgis Galatas church with their flocks. The church is very close to the village square and the picture of sheep and goats surrounding the statues of Venizelos and Giparis, waiting for their turn to go to the church, is very characteristic. The animals, wearing their most melodic bells, are kept in the pen outside the church and are milked one by one. Then, the priest blesses the flock.

The milk is given out to villagers in plastic bottles on the spot, while some of it is boiled and given out to in glasses to people attending the process, together with Cretan rusks, by young women dressed with traditional clothes. This is a very old custom and no one can definitely say when it began.

The residents of Asi Gonia characteristically say that it has been taking place from the time that this village started to exist. It is estimated that the area has 30.000 animals and it is inconceivable for an Asi Gonia villager not to bring their sheep for blessing on this day. Even shepherds, whose pens are very far from this region, milk their ships and bring the milk to the Saint. The fete lasts all day, from morning until evening, until every flock has been blessed and milked. Many people visit Asi Gonia on this day and coffee shops are full from very early. There is a festive atmosphere and the air is full of smells of roast meet. People treat each other and, at night, the fete is transferred to the houses of the many people with the name George that live in this village. If you decide to visit Asi Gonia on this day, you can do so any time before early in the evening. Traffic policemen at the village entrance will guide you to the point where you can park your car. This point is near the other church of Ai Giorgis that can be found in this village, which is called Ai Giorgis Methistis and celebrates on 3 November. From this point, you will walk to the village square and Agios Georgios Galatas.