Donoussa Events

The biggest one in all of Greece is arguably the Feast of the Virgin on August 15. In Donousssa, the celebration takes place at the small church of Virgin Mary on the hilltop of the village with locals and tourist mingling as one. All people enjoy traditional food and dance to the sounds of local instruments.

A great festival is the one held for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at the church of Timios Stavros in the village of Stavros. On the eve day of September 14, women and children decorate with flowers the church and men bring the bread from the bakery. A vesper takes place in the church, and soon after, bread and wine are served alongside the traditional “patatato” (cooked meat with potatoes) in the churchyard. The feast goes on at the port, where people dance to the rhythm of the violin and other traditional instruments. Locals mix with people from the surrounding islands who come by boats for the festival, as well as with lots of tourists who stumble on this celebration. The feast lasts until the early morning hours. It is a unique experience that you should not miss, if you find yourself in Donousa during that period.

A special festival takes place on September 19 at the quaint whitewashed church of Agia Sofia, in the village of Mersini. After the morning Divine Liturgy, faithful are served boiled meat in the church yard. Then, they all go to the nearby water spring which is located under a huge plane tree, and the feast begins. The sound of traditional music makes them dance for hours. At the same time plenty of wine and food is available for all people who participate in the feast.