Pompia: Churches and Festival Traditions
Accommodation in Pompia
Pompia brings together several distinct cultural and festival traditions. When planning your trip, it is helpful to distinguish between their different schedules and formats. In addition to the main churches, festivals, historic carnival customs and local foods shape the cultural character of the village. You can use these themes to guide you towards what is most interesting for your stay.
Churches and Architectural Styles
The old main Church of Saint George and the Transfiguration of the Saviour has two naves. It was built in ninety days during Ottoman rule. The new main church is dedicated to Saint George, Saint Minas and Saint Demetrios and has three naves.
This makes it possible to compare two different architectural styles in the village: the older church with two naves and the new one with three. The terms “two-naved” and “three-naved” describe the layout of the church interior. For those interested in architecture, these terms add a concrete feature to the churches’ different dedications, making them easier to describe.
Korakeia and the Celebration of Saint George
The three-day Korakeia takes place every four years in September in Pompia; the exact dates vary. The cultural event honours the memory of Kapetan Michalis Korakas, a leader from Pompia. The programme includes concerts, theatre and sports such as Cretan shooting, fencing and road races. The festival thus combines performances and sports, offering a variety of cultural events to consider when choosing when to travel.
The annual celebration in honour of Saint George takes a different form: the icon is carried in a procession through Pompia, accompanied by Georgalidika horses. In contrast to the multi-day Korakeia, the procession is the main focus here. The two festivals therefore differ both in their schedules and in the type of programme.
Carnival Traditions and Food
A procession with floats and groups on foot has been held continuously at the Pompia Carnival since 1979. The official start dates back to that same year: the newly founded youth association organised the first carnival then. Traditional customs also included people in costume going from house to house, a re-enactment of a Cretan wedding and dancing the GaĂŻtanaki. The GaĂŻtanaki tradition dates back more than a hundred years.
Clean Monday is the last day of the carnival events organised by the Pompia Cultural Association. On this day, the association serves traditional fasolada and other Lenten foods to villagers and visitors. If you would like to include this occasion in your travel plans, check the date in advance.
The local rusks from Pompia are also a regional speciality. If you would like to try them, you can look for them at a bakery in the area.
A Festival Day Nearby
The chapel of Panagia Kalioritissa lies south of Pompia. Its feast is celebrated on 15 August. This date is another specific point of reference if you are planning your trip around the festival traditions mentioned above.
Discover more destinations: Arkalochori, Dafnes, Kalochorafitis, Kato Kalesia, Galia, Elea, Kastelli, Agios Sillas
For the broader travel overview: Heraklion.
