Procession of the sea Epitaph 2023

The procession of the Epitaph is an Orthodox Easter tradition taking place every Great Friday. The Epitaph is an embroidered and adorned cloth that depicts the dead body of Christ. During the procession, the cloth is placed upon a bier that is fully decorated with spring flowers and taken around the village or parish. It is held by young men starting from the local church, and the faithful follow the procession until it reaches the starting point again.

In the Kaminia neighborhood of Hydra, the locals participate in the custom but differentiate it by giving it a unique spin. After the normal procession, the Epitaph is taken into the sea, in the village’s quay, still held by the men and moved around. According to tradition, this procedure blesses the waters and sailors, guaranteeing that they have peaceful trips and return to the island safely. It first took place in 1923 and has been repeated every year since then, with a big number of locals and visitors gathering to observe the interesting custom.