The International Jazz Festival of Kardamili has become a special "colorful" festival that fills Mani and its visitors with musical notes and smiles!
Over the last 6 years, each Spring take place more than 50 free concerts in 30 different locations, squares, beaches, cafes, bars and restaurants in the area.
The beautiful shops are preparing several events, special menus and surprises for the participants who open the jazz tourist season in an event that advertises the Messinian Mani in the best way, all over the world!
This is a multi-day musical feast with interesting jazz musicians and groups from Norway, Greece, USA, Austria, Scotland, England, Sweden and Argentina.
So, every spring they return to Mani, with more musicians from more countries, with a wide variety of concerts starting early in the morning and lasting until late at night.
Wherever you are and where you stand those days you will hear at least one saxophone!
Easter is the most important celebration of the Greek Orthodox Church and Holy Week festivities are observed with particular devoutness in Messinia. On Good Friday, candlelit processions follow a flower-bedecked bier, the Epitaphios, as it is carried through the main streets of villages and towns.
This year the Epitaphios procession will again be held at Kitries on Good Friday at 11.30 pm. The procession will begin at the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen and proceed along the old cobbled path (which will be lit with lanterns) to the tiny harbor, where the Epitaphios will be placed on a boat. On Holy Saturday, at nightfall, the priest distributes the sacred flame from candle to candle and at midnight church bells peel joyously, fireworks light the sky and everyone says “Christos Anesti” (Christ is Risen).
Sunday is devoted to singing, dancing – often in traditional costumes – and serious feasting on roasted lamb, magiritsa soup, eggs dyed red and special sweet bread (tsoureki), making it an extraordinary festival reminiscent of ancient Greek rituals, when people celebrated the coming of spring by sacrificing lambs.
May Day is an important holiday when Messinians celebrate the coming of spring by holding family picnics in the countryside and picking colorful wildflowers, which are woven into wreaths and garlands and hung over doorways. Many festive events are organized throughout the region. The same day the workers are peacefully demonstrating in the Aristomenous Str, celebrating the events in Chicago USA on 1886.
Messinia's prestigious floricultural and commercial exhibition features various events and festivities culminating in an impressive parade of floats decorated with fresh, colorful flowers and accompanied by children’s dance groups. Usually it is happening at late May in the area of the Railway Park of Kalamata
