At a glance
15 August
Dormition of the Virgin, national holiday. Vespers are held on the evening of the 14th.
24 minutes
On foot to Panagia Chrysospiliotissa on Aiolou Street, which celebrates its feast that day.
10:30
The procession of the icon on Tinos, the country's biggest pilgrimage (2025 programme).
Open
The Acropolis works as normal. Many neighbourhood shops close for holidays.
Where to celebrate the Virgin, starting from Ioulianou 50
The order is based on access from the apartment. Festivals announce their programme in early August; what we write here is as it happened in 2025 and 2026.
Panagia Chrysospiliotissa on Aiolou Street
Panagia Chrysospiliotissa is on the pedestrian part of Aiolou Street, a few metres from Agia Irini. It was built between 1863 and 1892 and is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin, so on 15 August it celebrates its feast. In August 2024 it was full of people from the centre. Vespers are held on the evening of the 14th and the liturgy on the morning of the 15th.
It is the closest feast of the Virgin to the apartment: a neighbourhood celebration in the heart of the city, which that week is almost empty. Entry to the church is free for everyone; dress simply, with covered shoulders.
The church with two bell towers on the pedestrian part of Aiolou. It celebrates on 15 August.
On the day itself the bells ring from early morning.
Photos: C messier and John Samuel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to get from Ioulianou 50 to the Chrysospiliotissa
- Ioulianou 50 → Patission: walk east to Patission and go down it to Omonia.
- Omonia → Aiolou: from the square go down Aiolou towards Ermou. The church is a few metres before Agia Irini.
- In total 1.8 km, about 24 minutes. By metro: Line 1 one stop to Omonia, then 7 minutes on Aiolou.
🌹 From Ioulianou 50 to the Chrysospiliotissa
About 1.8 km on foot, almost all straight. Tap the church to open the route in Google Maps.
Festivals and monasteries of Attica
15 August is festival season: a liturgy in the morning and, in the evening, a party in the square with live music, dancing and grills. Near Athens:
- Kleiston Monastery and Chasia (Fyli): the monastery of the Dormition of the Virgin, one of the oldest in Attica, at the foot of Mount Parnitha. It celebrates on 15 August and on the 16th, the memory of its founder, Saint Timothy. Chasia holds a three-day festival from 14 to 16 August, with popular and folk music. The party goes on until morning.
- Porto Rafti: a liturgy and a big fair on the beach, with stalls, souvlaki and loukoumades.
- Aegina: the Monastery of Panagia Chrysoleontissa, in the centre of the island, fills with pilgrims. It is not a festival with a band, but it has stalls and a festive atmosphere. The island is about an hour by ferry from Piraeus; see the guide to Aegina.
- Agistri: a party in Metochi, around the church of the Virgin, with music and dancing until morning.
Tip: festivals start late, after 21:00, and peak after midnight. For Chasia and Porto Rafti the night buses are difficult; book a taxi for the return in advance. Ferries to Aegina fill up in those days; buy your ticket online.
The monastery of the Dormition on Mount Parnitha. Below it, in Chasia, the three-day festival.
On 15 August the courtyard fills with pilgrims from all over the island.
Photos: Jola i Dimitris (public domain), C messier (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.
Tinos: the great pilgrimage
Tinos is the best-known pilgrimage in Greece. Tens of thousands of believers arrive by ferry, and many climb from the harbour to the church of Panagia Evangelistria on their knees, to fulfil a vow. The 2025 programme was:
| When (2025) | What happened |
|---|---|
| 14 Aug., 20:00 | Great Pontifical Vespers |
| 14 Aug., 23:00 | Holy Supplication |
| 15 Aug., 08:30 | Pontifical Divine Liturgy |
| 15 Aug., 09:30 | Wreath thrown at the spot where the cruiser «Elli» was sunk in 1940 |
| 15 Aug., 10:30 | Procession of the icon of the Megalochari |
| 14 and 15 Aug., evening | Lit-up houses, buildings and ships in the harbour |
Ferries to Tinos leave from Piraeus and Rafina. For 15 August tickets and rooms are booked weeks ahead; if you haven't arranged it by June, the procession is also broadcast live on television. For the port of Piraeus see the ferry guide.
The church at the top of the road from the harbour. Along the side of the road there is a lane for those who climb on their knees.
On the evenings of the 14th and 15th the church and the harbour are lit up.
White arches and shade from the cypresses. This is where the pilgrims wait.
Early August 2014. From here the climb to the Virgin begins.
Photos: Hans Peter Schaefer, Silvie June (CC BY-SA 4.0), rene boulay (CC BY-SA 3.0), grassrootsgroundswell (CC BY 2.0), Wikimedia Commons.
What we celebrate on 15 August
The Dormition of the Virgin commemorates the end of the Virgin Mary's earthly life. The first fifteen days of August are days of fasting, and every evening churches sing the Supplication to the Virgin. On many islands and in many villages, on the evening of the feast the Epitaphios of the Virgin, decorated with flowers, is carried in procession, like the Epitaphios of Good Friday.
On the same day everyone named Maria and Despina, and Panagiotis and Panagiota, celebrates their name day: in many homes it is also a name-day celebration, with a meal and visits.
A Cretan icon by Andreas Ritzos, 15th century. The apostles around the Virgin.
Dancing in the square of Machairado. Festivals have a very long history.
Festival in Arachova. The clarinet opens the dance.
Photos: Andreas Ritzos and Ludwig Salvator (public domain), Stafylis (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons.
15 August in the rest of Greece
- Tinos: the procession of the Megalochari and the vow from the harbour to the church.
- Paros: Panagia Ekatontapyliani, one of the oldest churches in Greece, celebrates with thousands of visitors.
- Kefalonia, Markopoulo: during the days of the feast small harmless snakes, «the little snakes of the Virgin», appear in the church, and thousands of pilgrims come to see them.
- Mount Vermio, Panagia Soumela: the pilgrimage of the Pontic Greeks, with the icon brought by refugees from Pontus.
- Aegean islands: on many islands the Epitaphios of the Virgin, decorated with flowers, is carried in procession.
In Parikia, a few metres from the harbour. On 15 August the courtyard can't hold the crowds.
Photo: Olaf Tausch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
Athens on 15 August: what is open
15 August is a national holiday. Banks, public services and most shops are closed. Many family-run neighbourhood shops, bakeries and tavernas close for one or two weeks around the feast; on the door you will see a note «Closed for holidays». In the tourist areas, Plaka, Monastiraki and Koukaki, restaurants work as normal.
The Acropolis and the archaeological sites work as normal, with summer hours and regular tickets. August heat is the biggest obstacle: go at opening time. On the August full moon, which falls on a different day each year, the Ministry of Culture opens many archaeological sites free in the evening.
The good side: Athens on 15 August is empty. No traffic on the roads, seats on public transport and quiet neighbourhoods. If you stay in the city, it is the best week to walk around it early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
What do we celebrate on 15 August?
The Dormition of the Virgin. It is a national holiday and the biggest religious feast of the summer.
What day does it fall on this year?
In 2027 15 August falls on a Sunday.
Where is the closest celebration to Ioulianou 50?
At Panagia Chrysospiliotissa on Aiolou Street. About 24 minutes on foot, or one metro stop to Omonia and 7 minutes.
Is the Acropolis open?
Yes, with normal hours and tickets. Go early because of the heat.
Is it worth going to Tinos?
If you want to see the biggest pilgrimage in Greece, yes, but it takes months of planning: ferries and rooms fill up. For a quiet visit, Tinos is lovelier in other weeks.
What is a panigyri?
A village or parish festival for the saint of the church: a liturgy in the morning and, in the evening, music, dancing and food in the square. It is open to everyone.
Are the shops open?
Most are not, and many small shops close for holidays. Kiosks, mini markets and restaurants in the tourist areas work.
— Kathy
