03:37In a tradition dating back centuries, residents of Agia Eleni in northern Greece celebrated the annual 'Anastenaria' ritual on Friday, where devoted villagers walked barefoot over burning embers to honour St. Constantine and St. Helen, saints of the Greek Orthodox Church.
The festivities take place over three days, with the culminating event involving fire-walkers, known as 'anastenarides,' dancing ecstatically before entering the fire and walking unscathed over the red embers. The ritual, held at the 'Konaki' building, is part of a tradition revived every year in Agia Eleni, Kerkini (Serres), and Langada, near Thessaloniki.
The practice, rooted in Dionysian rites, has its origins in Eastern Thrace, with communities participating in the ritual being descendants of refugees who arrived in Greece following the Balkan Wars and the population exchange between Greece and Turkey.
While the ceremony is dedicated to the Christian faith, it has not been accepted by the Greek Orthodox Church, which considers it pagan. The fire-walkers carry icons of Saints Constantine and Helen, and their trance-like dance is accompanied by traditional Thracian musical instruments.
Hotfoot it! Villagers walk across burning embers for ancient 'Anastenaria' ritual in Agia Eleni
In a tradition dating back centuries, residents of Agia Eleni in northern Greece celebrated the annual 'Anastenaria' ritual on Friday, where devoted villagers walked barefoot over burning embers to honour St. Constantine and St. Helen, saints of the Greek Orthodox Church.
The festivities take place over three days, with the culminating event involving fire-walkers, known as 'anastenarides,' dancing ecstatically before entering the fire and walking unscathed over the red embers. The ritual, held at the 'Konaki' building, is part of a tradition revived every year in Agia Eleni, Kerkini (Serres), and Langada, near Thessaloniki.
The practice, rooted in Dionysian rites, has its origins in Eastern Thrace, with communities participating in the ritual being descendants of refugees who arrived in Greece following the Balkan Wars and the population exchange between Greece and Turkey.
While the ceremony is dedicated to the Christian faith, it has not been accepted by the Greek Orthodox Church, which considers it pagan. The fire-walkers carry icons of Saints Constantine and Helen, and their trance-like dance is accompanied by traditional Thracian musical instruments.
In a tradition dating back centuries, residents of Agia Eleni in northern Greece celebrated the annual 'Anastenaria' ritual on Friday, where devoted villagers walked barefoot over burning embers to honour St. Constantine and St. Helen, saints of the Greek Orthodox Church.
The festivities take place over three days, with the culminating event involving fire-walkers, known as 'anastenarides,' dancing ecstatically before entering the fire and walking unscathed over the red embers. The ritual, held at the 'Konaki' building, is part of a tradition revived every year in Agia Eleni, Kerkini (Serres), and Langada, near Thessaloniki.
The practice, rooted in Dionysian rites, has its origins in Eastern Thrace, with communities participating in the ritual being descendants of refugees who arrived in Greece following the Balkan Wars and the population exchange between Greece and Turkey.
While the ceremony is dedicated to the Christian faith, it has not been accepted by the Greek Orthodox Church, which considers it pagan. The fire-walkers carry icons of Saints Constantine and Helen, and their trance-like dance is accompanied by traditional Thracian musical instruments.