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Anastenaria ritual, fire walk in Agia Eleni village, Northern Greece

Anastenaria ritual is taking place in Agia Eleni village, Greece, in the Balkan area on 18 January 2018. It is actually barefoot walking on burning fire, on coals. There is a dancing ritual with traditional music instruments like lyra and daouli. Participants are purifying themselves through dance and water and they are in ecstasies so they can walk on the fire. The bishop of the area of the Greek Orthodox church does not recognize it as Christian and declares that has pagan origins. Today they walked inside the Konaki, the building, nearby is a chapel/water spring after Saint Helen. Today is Saint Athanasios day, a very popular day that is accompanied with many traditions across the Christian world. It is actually barefoot walking on burning fire, on coals. There is a dancing ritual with traditional thracian music instruments like lyra and drum. Participants are purifying themselves through dance and water and they are in ecstasies so they can walk on the fire. The central figures of the tradition are Saint Constantine and Saint Helen. Today they walked and danced inside the Konaki that is a special shrine, the building, nearby is a chapel/water spring after Saint Helen. The custom originated in the Middle Ages when the church of Saint Constantine in their original home in Kosti, now in Bulgaria, caught fire. Many ethnographers have argued that the Anastenaria are vestiges of ancient practices of cults of god Dionysus in ancient Greece. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto)

Photo Details

Photo ID	#1652095
Date Taken	18 January 2017
Location	N/A
Photographer	Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto
Category	Religion and Belief
Copyright	© 2026 NurPhoto - Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto

Related Keywords

Greece Greek Bulgaria Balkan Balkans Balkanic Fire coal walk ritual traditional cutom customs dance music thrace thraciam instrument lyra lyre drum sing song inside konaki shrine orthodox christian Agia Aya Eleni Serres Serron ecstasies ecstacy bishop athanasios constantine helen eleni anastenarides athanasius indoors saint pagan paganic ancient middle ages kosti lagada Konstantinos Dionysus Dionysios man men woman women young old night evening icons saints Anastenaria ritual fire walk Agia Eleni village Northern Greece

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