{"id":8460,"date":"2019-07-11T10:02:38","date_gmt":"2019-07-11T07:02:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/georgiasapartments.gr\/?page_id=8460"},"modified":"2019-07-12T17:50:56","modified_gmt":"2019-07-12T14:50:56","slug":"traditional-feasts","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/georgiasapartments.gr\/crete\/traditional-feasts\/","title":{"rendered":"Traditional Feasts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The custom of Klidonas in Crete<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The custom of Klidonas is rooted from the ancient times and mentioned\n in various texts of the ancient historians. The word \u201cKlidonas\u201d came \nfrom the ancient word \u201cklidon\u201d that means a forecasting sound, a sound \nof a prophetic sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klidonas is a popular prophetic process during which the unmarried girls get to know to whom and when they will get married.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The custom starts in the eve of the celebration of Agios Ioannis, on \nthe 24th of June. The unmarried women gather in a village and say to one\n of them to bring the \u201camilito nero\u201d (i.e. the silent water) from the \nwell or the spring of the village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The water of the spring is put into a clay pot and every girl puts a \nrizikari (i.e. an object) in it. When all of them put something into the\n pot they cover it with a red piece of cloth and tie it with a cordon. \nThe pot remains open during the whole night outdoors in order to be \ninfluenced by the stars…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next day people are gathered in order to witness the prophetic \nprocess. The girl that carried \u201camilito nero\u201d puts out the objects from \nthe clay pot. A mantinada (i.e. a Cretan folk couplet) is said on every \nobject taken off and the owner of the object learns about her future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the process is over, the girl that brought the water throws the \nwater of the pot into the well and, then, covers it with a piece of \ncloth. After that they take it off and she reflects the rays of the sun \nor the moon in the well. At the same time the rest of the girls throw \nthe rizikaria one by one into the well while the young men and women see\n their future in the well based on the wave of the water. Representation\n of the custom in the park of Knossos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n