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Custom of St.John Klidonas

The word "Klidonas" comes from the ancient Greek word "Klidon", which means a predicting sound and it is used to describe the combination of random and incoherent words during the rituals of prophesying.Essentially, "Klidonas" is related to the folk oracular process, which is said to reveal the identity of their future spouse to the unmarried girls.

This custom is celebrated by the Ionians of Polykastro on June 24th.According to custom, on the eve of St. John the young unmarried girls are trying to guess who they will marry. Then, they silently fill a copper or clay pot with water (the silent water) throwing into it various objects that have ‘studied’ in the name of the boy who they want to marry and then one of the girls -not an orphan- pulls out the items one by one while singing the song of St. Klidonas.

Erotic and satirical couplets, along with traditional music, songs and bonfires where the MayDay wreaths are burned, surround the ceremony.

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