Good Friday in Pyrgos, Santorini: A Unique Procession of the Epitaphios

Every year on Good Friday, the village of Pyrgos in Santorini is transformed into a scene of awe and reverence. The intricately carved wooden Epitaphios from the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary is carried through the narrow alleys of the village in a deeply moving procession – one that takes place in an atmosphere quite literally ablaze with light and emotion.

Keeping a unique local tradition alive, the youth of Pyrgos fill rooftops, staircases, and every accessible corner along the route with thousands of small metal cans (locally called tenekedakia), each filled with flammable material. At a carefully coordinated moment, they light them all at once, turning the entire village into a breathtaking spectacle of flames and dancing shadows cast on whitewashed walls.

While the result may seem excessive – even dramatic – it’s undeniably mesmerizing.

This fiery night has become Santorini’s most famous and most photographed Easter custom. Although it feels like a centuries-old tradition, it actually began in the late 1970s, sparked by a simple, heartfelt idea. The then-president of the local community, Vassilis Chrysos, along with children from the village, began placing cans along the northern side of Pyrgos to light the way for the Epitaphios procession.

What started humbly, with basic means and lots of love, has evolved into one of the most impressive sights of the Greek Easter – attracting visitors from all over Greece and beyond.