Customs and festivals

Easter in Kasos follows the Orthodox tradition, enriched with local customs. On Lazarus Saturday, children dress a peer in white and decorate him with flower wreaths ("zolies"), going from house to house singing the song of Lazarus. On Holy Thursday, girls gather wildflowers and daisies to decorate the Epitaph.

At noon on Holy Saturday, farmers slaughter their animals to prepare the «oftos» lamb in the traditional oven and the «busties» (stuffed entrails), while housewives knead the traditional «tortes» with mizithra cheese in the neighborhood’s communal wood-fired ovens. Before Easter, young people roam the alleys ringing bells to wake up the village, and on the evening of Easter Monday, an effigy of Judas is symbolically burned in the square. On the morning of Good Friday, families visit the cemeteries for a memorial service and a funeral.

During the Carnival period, the «mouskaria» appear in Kasos: disguised figures, usually older men, wearing old clothes and masks made of cardboard or animal skin, who roam the island without revealing their identity, leaving the residents to guess who is hiding behind them. The table during the period is dominated by mizithropites —fried pies with mizithra cheese and honey— and xylokopites.

In spring, the custom of «cows» is revived in some neighborhoods: single girls decorate a swing with flowers under an olive tree, around which the young men of the village gather — an old occasion for acquaintance and courtship. The custom of «Klidona» is also preserved: single women silently collect water from a well, and interpret the first name they hear the next day as a sign of their future husband.

The traditional Kassio wedding lasts two days and mobilizes the entire village. The bride's family prepares the "kaniskia" — trays with hundreds of traditional sweets, such as kourabiedes and moschopougia — while the groom's family prepares the "dresses" with the bride's wedding dress and personal belongings. On the afternoon of the wedding, musicians visit the groom's house singing improvised mantinades, and after the ceremony, relatives hang gold on the bride.

The bride's family traditionally pays for the feast, while the groom's family pays for the church ceremony. The next morning, a smaller, more family-oriented meal follows. The custom retains strong matriarchal elements: traditionally, the man settled in his wife's house, a result of the island's maritime tradition, where men were often away at sea for months.

During celebrations and events, members of the Association and residents of the island wear traditional Kassioti costume, keeping alive a valuable aspect of the local cultural heritage. At the same time, traditional dances and Kassioti songs accompany the festivals and celebrations, transmitting the island's musical tradition from generation to generation.

During the summer months, Kasos comes alive as hundreds of Kassians from the diaspora return to the island for holidays and to participate in local celebrations. This period is the peak of the island's social and cultural life, with numerous events, festivals and family gatherings.