Rhodes is the largest island of the Dodocanese. This archipelago includes about 200 islands. Some islands are very small, 27 islands of the group are permanently inhabited. Rhodes has an area of 1398 square kilometers. This makes it the fifth largest island in Greece. The landscape of Rhodes is hilly.
The highest peak in the Attaviros Mountains reaches over 1200 meters. Rhodes has a length of 80 km and a maximum width of 35 km. The coast mostly consists of sand and pebble beaches.
Carnival in Greece
Greek Carnival officially begins on Saturday evening, ten weeks before Greek Orthodox Easter, with the last day, Ash Monday, being the most important day.
On Thursday it is Tsikno pempti or Barbeque Thursday (or Smokey Thursday). People are getting ready for an extensive BBQ with family or friends - at home or in tavernas. or people leave the city, into nature to set up the bbq there. It is then ten days before the start of the fasting period.
Three days after that is Tyrofagos Sunday; it is the day when people only eat dairy products. It is also the last day of pre-Lent.
The day after Tyrofagos is Ash Monday. It's the first day of Lent.
Greek Easter
Once every four years, the Greek Orthodox Easter coincides with our Easter. . This year, in 2016, however, Greek Easter falls on May 1! That is a month later than in the Netherlands, where Easter is celebrated on March 27. And that is actually great because in May it is already wonderful summer weather on Rhodes! A day at the beach or a lovely walk and also experiencing the special customs and religious ceremonies associated with the Greek Easter. . .. you couldn't wish for a better combination! This way you have the chance to get a taste of the real Greek life. Just as many people in the Netherlands see Christmas as one of the most important holidays, Easter is the most important religious holiday in the Greek Orthodox faith. The whole week leading up to the Greek Easter is called the 'Good Week' or the 'Big Week' and is all about the resurrection. There is a church service almost every evening during that week. The women are engaged in the preparations for Easter, which means that they clean the house (and often also whitewash the outside). They decorate the streets and bake the Easter bread and Easter cakes and of course the Easter eggs are painted (red) on the Thursday before Passes.
