15 August. The “Summer Easter” and the meals associated with it.

Visitors to Greece during the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, regardless of where they are, should not miss out on attending a ‘panigyri’, a traditional outdoor festival. No matter where you are in Greece, you are unlikely to be more than a stone’s throw from a Greek Orthodox church dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos. Major festivals are organised annually on this feast day.

One of Orthodoxy’s most important events, the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos is known as the ‘summer Easter’ and is similarly preceded by a period of fasting. Even if there are no ‘panigyria’ in the immediate vicinity, the feast is in the middle of summer and is one of Greece’s most prominent holidays. As such, the mood is always festive, the tables laden, and the guests numerous.

Regardless of region, the mainstay of festive meals is meat, especially lamb and goat, as is customary following periods of fasting. In Thessaly, the Peloponnese and Central Greece, lambs are usually spit-roasted over hot coals or oven-roasted, with a striking variety of traditional recipes handed down through the years.

‘Rosto’ – pot-roasted pork with tomato sauce served over thick-cut pasta – is another dish frequently served on Greece’s islands, in both the Aegean and the Ionian. Another dish native to Greece’s islands is ‘patatato’, lamb or goat with potatoes stewed in tomato sauce. Visitors to the Ionian islands should sample ‘pastitsada’, rooster in tomato sauce served with thick-cut pasta, and kreatopita, meat pie with ram’s meat and cinnamon.

Meat also figures prominently in Greece’s northern regions, where sausages and all manner of meat-based side dishes are served. Of course, if the feast is held in seaside places such as Kavala or Chalkidiki, grilled fish is also likely to be served.

According to a local tradition, on Limnos the dishes consumed on this feast are rooster with handmade ‘flomari’ pasta or oven-roasted lamb with potatoes. On Lesvos and Samos, they serve a dish known as ‘giorti’ both at home and at festivals. This festive recipe calls for meat boiled with only onions and cracked bulgur wheat.

When preparing lamb and goat on Crete, variety is the key word: “Antikristo”, oven-roasted, served with handmade pasta or cheese. The classic dish prepared for this feast is rooster with orzo, a recipe designed to cater to the many guests.

The feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos is a vital holiday for all Greeks, an opportunity for friends and loved ones to gather around the table, exchange wishes that everyone may remain healthy so they can gather again next year.