GREECE: AN OLD TRADITION OF ROCKET WAR TO CELEBRATE ORTHODOX EASTER ON THE GREEK ISLAND OF CHIOS
Record ID:
208420
GREECE: AN OLD TRADITION OF ROCKET WAR TO CELEBRATE ORTHODOX EASTER ON THE GREEK ISLAND OF CHIOS
- Title: GREECE: AN OLD TRADITION OF ROCKET WAR TO CELEBRATE ORTHODOX EASTER ON THE GREEK ISLAND OF CHIOS
- Date: 30th April 2005
- Summary: (BN10) CHIOS, GREECE) (APRIL 30 2005) (REUTERS) DAY SHOTS 1. GV OF VRONDADOS TOWN ON CHIOS ISLAND 0.04 2. LV PANAGIA ERITHENIA CHURCH ONE OF THE RIVAL CHURCHES 0.08 3. LV SAINT MARKS CHURCH ONE OF THE RIVAL CHURCHES 0.12 4. PAN FROM ONE CHURCH TO THE OTHER 0.26 5. VIEW OF BARBED WIRE SHEETING PLACED OVER PANAGIA CHURCH 0.30 6. VIEW OF BARBED WIRE SHEETING PLACED AROUND PANAGIA ERITHENIA CHURCH, RIVAL SAINT MARKS CHURCH SEEN THROUGH BARBED WIRE 0.34 7. VIEW OF SAINT MARKS CHURCH COVERED IN BARBED WIRE SHEETING 0.38 8. VIEW OF PANAGIA WITH BARBED WIRE CLOSE TO BARBED WIRE 0.50 9. SLV FRONT OF HOUSE COVERED IN BARBED WIRE 0.54 10. SV/CU ROOF OF HOUSE COVERED IN BARBED WIRE (2 SHOTS) 1.04 11. LV HOMES CIRCLING SAINT MARKS CHURCH COMPLETELY COVERED IN BARBED WIRE 1.08 12. SV ROCKETS BEING PLACED ON WOODEN LAUNCHERS IN PREPARATION TO BE FIRED 1.14 13. CLOSE VIEW OF ROCKETS 1.21 14. SV ROCKETS IN LINE ON LAUNCHER WITH VIEW OF CHURCH IN BACKGROUND 1.26 15. SV ROCKETS BEING LIT IN LINE AND TAKING OFF 1.36 16. SV ROCKETS FLYING OFF LAUNCHER 1.44 NIGHT SHOTS 17. LV OF ROCKETS FLYING IN NIGHT SKY 1.50 18. LV ROCKETS HITTING SAINT MARKS CHURCH 2.00 19. LV ROCKETS FLYING TOWARDS RIVAL PANAGIA ERITHENIA CHURCH 2.13 20. LV ROCKETS HITTING PANAGIA CHURCH 2.19 21. LV OF BOTH SIDES FIRING IN NIGHT SKY, ROCKETS CROSSFIRE 2.34 22. LV OF ROCKETS LEAVING 2.39 23. LV OF PANAGIA ERITHENIA BEING STRUCK 2.45 24. CU OF ROCKETS LEAVING LAUNCHER IN DARKNESS 2.52 25. LV STREAKS OF LIGHT FROM ROCKETS 2.58 26. LV SAING MARKS BEING STRUCK 3.04 27. SV PEOPLE WATCHING FROM HILL (3 SHOTS) 3.20 28. MCU (English) 21-YEAR OLD ANGELIKI KINNOUSI SAYING: "No, it doesn't scare me, it's very old, it's something natural over here. We come every year, well a lot of people come here for this. It's nice." 3.30 29. LV OF ROCKETS IN NIGHT SKY HITTING PANAGIA CHURCH (2 SHOTS) 3.42 30. MCU (Greek) 83 YEAR OLD FOTINI KARAVAISADOU SAYING: "It's very frightening. I had (first) seen it on television and thought oh my goodness what is that! Why don't they prohibit them from doing that!" 3.54 31. LV OF CROSSFIRE OF ROCKETS BEING FIRED FROM EACH SIDE THROUGH NIGHT SKY 4.10 32. LV OF ROCKETS FLYING THROUGH AIR HITTING SAINT MARKS CHURCH AS BELLS RING AND PEOPLE GATHERED AT CHURCH 4.18 33. PAN OF ROCKETS LEAVING, FLYING AND STRIKING PANAGIA CHURCH 4.34 34. CLOSE VIEW OF WALLS OF CHURCH BEING STRUCK 4.40 35. SV OF PARISHIONERS STANDING IN LOBBY OF CHURCH BEHIND BARBED WIRE SHEETING AS ROCKETS RAIN DOWN IN FRONT OF THEM 4.52 36. SV PEOPLE INSIDE PANAGIA ERITHENIA CHURCH FOLLOWING EASTER MASS, THE PRIEST CHANTING HYMNS AS THE SOUNDS OF ROCKETS CAN BE HEARD HITTING THE OUTSIDE WALLS 5.00 37. CU OF CANDLES IN CHURCH 5.04 38. LV STREAMS OF ROCKETS FLYING IN AIR 5.09 39. PAN ROCKETS IN NIGHT SKY HITTING SAINT MARKS CHURCH 5.26 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 15th May 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CHIOS,GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Reuters ID: LVAD0BXMB2TU7CPETEVIAR7257FE
- Story Text: An old tradition to celebrate Orthodox Easter on the
Greek island of Chios sends people running for cover.
A special - and dangerous -- event takes place each
year on the Aegean island of Chios to celebrate Orthodox
Easter, drawing crowds from around the country and the
world.
The rocket war of the town of Vrondados on Chios has
become so famous that Greek and international tourists
flock to the island just to witness the event.
On the night believed to mark the resurrection of
Christ, parishioners of two Orthodox churches in this Greek
village engage in a war using handmade rockets in a
centuries- old tradition.
As Easter mass takes place, rival gangs loyal to the
churches of Saint Mark or Panagia Erithiani church in the
town fire thousands of handmade rockets across a valley,
trying to hit other's church steeples, transforming the
night sky into an explosion of whizzing noise and flaming
light.
The roots of the ritual have been lost through time,
but it is believed the tradition dates back to the early
19th century during the time of the Ottoman occupation.
According to legend, the sailors of Chios, who used to
battle pirates on the high seas with small cannons on their
ships, would bring these weapons back to the island when
they returned home and began a custom of firing them during
the Orthodox Easter holiday.
In 1889, the Ottoman occupiers banned the custom and
confiscated the cannons, fearing the cannons could be used
in revolt. It resulted in the locals replacing the cannons
with handmade rockets. The parishioners of these two
churches, who were always historically friendly rivals,
combined the custom into a competition of who could most
accurately strike the church's steeples.
Extensive measures are taken each year to stage the
event, as locals have been wounded in past years by the
fireworks display, suffering injuries such as the loss of
eyes and limbs.
The churches and the homes in the line of fire, are
covered in barbed wire sheeting erected on tall scaffolding
to keep the rockets from penetrating. Their force can
pierce windows and puncture holes in plaster and doors.
Streets around the region are closed off to traffic and
restricted viewing areas allowed at a distance, as set up
by police. Firefighters spend the evening patrolling the
area as stray rockets set fire to homes, gardens, lawns or
trees. Volunteer neighbourhood watch teams of locals are on
hand to assist firefighters and police.
During Saturday's battle a number of small fires
erupted on lawns and in the tree lined valley between the
two churches, which firefighters rushed to put out.
The custom is officially illegal, but police have been
forced to accept that the tradition cannot be stopped and
gains popularity each year.
Homeowners in the line of fire have resigned themselves
to the fact that their homes may suffer damage from the
rockets, and spend days wrapping their homes with sheeting.
But inside the churches Easter mass takes place
regularly despite the fireworks pounding against their
walls, making a deafening noise as the priests conduct the
mass. Parishioners duck and run to reach the safety of the
church inside, peeking only from behind the protective
barbed wire sheeting to view the spectacle.
The ringing church bells for the mass are accompanied
by the sound of air raid sirens that signal another barrage
of fire is about to take place.
Tourists and townspeople gather on balconies to watch
the display, many marvelling the sight but some finding it
frightening.
"No, it doesn't scare me, it's very old, it's
something natural over here. We come every year, well a lot
of people come here for this. It's nice." said 21 year old
Greek-American from Philadephia Angeliki Kinnousi, who is
originally from Chios.
"Its very frightening," said 83 year old Fotini
Karavaisaidou, who came with her family from the city of
Drama in northern Greece to watch the display. "I had
(first) seen it on television and thought oh my goodness
what is that! Why don't they prohibit them from doing that!"
City officials said as many as 65,000 rockets were
constructed this year, up from 25,000 last year, emphasizing
the popularity of the event among townspeople,
while thousands of visitors arrived on the island this year
to watch.
Making a rocket has become a refined craft and workers
begin months in advance. Mixing the right amount of
sulphur, charcoal and potassium nitrate to create a rocket
with a larger explosion and faster speed makes all the
difference, but the actual construction is one of the most
dangerous moments, and workers use bronze tools to minimize
the creation of heat caused by friction during the
hammering of the rocket which could cause it to explode.
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