There are two ways to experience Clean Monday in Crete.
You can stay on your hotel balcony and watch kites from a distance.
Or you can walk into a village courtyard, accept a piece of lagana bread, and become part of it.
On Monday, February 23, the Municipality of Hersonissos spreads its Koulouma celebrations across coastal and inland communities, inviting both residents and visitors to mark the beginning of Lent in the most Cretan way possible: outdoors, together, and with plenty of food.
From Beaches to Village Squares
The celebrations stretch across the municipality:
- Stalida (11:00 a.m.) — A full-day live event along the seafront with music and DJ sets, where tradition meets modern rhythm.
- Analipsi (11:00 a.m.) — Handmade kite workshops and creative activities for children, organized with the Youth Council.
- Gouves (12:00 p.m.) — Gathering at the Cultural Association hall.
- Gonies Pediados (12:00 p.m.) — Community event at the Agia Triada building.
- Ano Vatheia (12:00 p.m.) — Courtyard celebration at the former primary school.
- Koxari (12:00 p.m.)
- Skotino (12:00 p.m.)
- Skopela (1:00 p.m.)
- Galifa (12:00 p.m.)
- Kokkini Hani (11:00 a.m.)
Each village adds its own tone, but the elements remain constant: shared tables, traditional Lenten dishes, music, and the unmistakable sight of kites rising against the February sky.
What Is Koulouma
Clean Monday marks the beginning of the forty-day Lent period in the Orthodox calendar. In Crete, it is celebrated outdoors. Families gather for simple fasting dishes: lagana bread, olives, taramasalata, seafood, beans, and halva. Children fly kites. Music drifts through open spaces.
It is less about spectacle and more about participation.
Mayor Zacharias Doxastakis described Koulouma as “a deeply rooted tradition that unites neighborhoods and the people of our region,” emphasizing cooperation between cultural associations and local authorities to create moments of shared joy.
If you are in Hersonissos this February, this is your invitation.
These events are not staged performances for tourists. They are community gatherings that welcome whoever shows up respectfully.
There is no ticket. There is no dress code. There is only the quiet understanding that you join in, rather than observe from the edge.
Come for the kite flying. Stay for the music. Accept a piece of bread if it is offered.
Crete does not celebrate Lent in private. It celebrates it in the open air.
And on Clean Monday, the villages of Hersonissos are ready.
