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CIVILIZATION
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Like most of the
Cycladic islands, in Folegandros, the greatest development
is noticed in the occupations such as builders, carpenters,
plasterers, electricians and other occupations that are
necessary for the survival and the development of the island.
The residents of Folegandros had and still have unfavorable
living conditions. Life is difficult , because the terrain
is mountainous and rocky, with very few drinking waters,
many winds and of course a negative thing is also isolation
as it is an island. Thus many of the residents decided to
follow the road to immigration, in order to have better
living conditions.
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On the
island they also cultivated very few fruits, vegetables,
olives, oil and wine. The residents were also
involved with stock farming more than fishing
and bee keeping.
During the last few years' tourism made its appearance
and took the island out of its solitude. Folegandros
stopped been an island of the unprofitable shipping
line and now it has a ship from Piraeus come through
here on a daily basis during the summer months.
Tourism played a major role for the people changing
occupations.
They are now basically involved with tourist occupations
and they stopped immigrating for a better tomorrow.
Of course during winter Folegandros again takes
the road of isolation, but nevertheless the residents
manage to survive better, because in the summer
tourism has provided them with a better income.
During Easter, the procession of the icon of Panagia
is celebrated. The icon comes down from the hill
on Sunday and taken all around Chora until sunset
time when it reaches Ano Chora followed by walkers
that put up the feast. The next day it goes back
to Chora at the Pantanasa of the Castle and on
the third day it does the round of the harbor
to again end up at Chora.
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Weddings
are also traditionally conducted in Folegandros
, where the bride and groom go to church accompanied
by violins and lutes. After the wedding they eat
"pasteli" which is the local specialty and a big
feast is set up.
The locals basically listen to island music and
dance the basic island dances, such as balos,
syrto and sousta. In the past the residents used
to wear local breeches but now days they do not
keep the local costume.
Folegandros has to display artists in hagiography,
as there are many hagiographies from local artists
and mainly of Agathoklis Othonaios. In our days
Markos Vennios is a distinguished hagiographer-painter
with an abundant artistic production and is thought
as one of the most important Greek artists of
the new generation.
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In the world of fashion it has to flaunt Louis Gerardos , awarded
maitre of Haute Couture . The construction of Folegandros is
dense and continuous. Possibly this dense construction gave
the people a feeling of security, because by nature the island
offered ample isolation and loneliness. The houses are built
with rock and the local green rock. They are simple and very
often in very few square meters, whole families are brought
up.
Other than rock, wood and seaweed were also used as building
elements. For healthier living conditions but also for beauty,
the locals used to white wash their houses very often. The houses
of Folegandros are white and what characterized them is their
small courtyards.
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