Traditions

Beyond the faith observation of enough Religious customs in all the Settlements of Municipality, those that distinguish particularly are:

Rocked war who is carried out the evening of Resurrection with thousands aytoshe'djes royke'tes that make the residents of parishes of Saint Mark and Virgin Mary Erethianis, and which they throw at hundreds with objectives the two "rival" churches. The Spectacle is fantastic, and despite that it is somehow dangerous, the watching each year thousands persons from the hypertexts of churches elevations.

For more information visit: rocketwar.gr

Santa Claus Ships is one of the most beautiful traditions of our island, a valuable heritage from our ancestors hammered out by our Orthodox religiousness and our relation of Chios with the sea. On New Year's Eve, groups of children are escort or hold, depending of size, small mock-ups of warships, going around from house to house singing carols and local wishes to the house inhabitants.

Most of the ship mock-ups are exact replicas of Hellenic war fleet ships. They are made with great care and willing spirit, enriched in appearance and innovation by the imagination of their escorts, who are visiting in turn all neighborhoods with all lights on, the engines driving the propellers, the chimneys smoking and the whistles sounding cheerfully, whilst the small cannons are shooting as soon as they can be reloaded.