Rouketopolemos
Encyclopedia
Rouketopolemos is the name of a local traditional event held annually at Easter
in the town of Vrontados
(Βροντάδος) on the Greek island of Chios
. As a variation of the Greek habit of throwing fireworks during the celebration of the service at midnight before Easter Sunday, two rival church congregations in the town perform a "Rocket War" by firing tens of thousands of home-made rockets across town, with the objective of hitting the bell tower of the church of the other side. The rockets are wooden sticks loaded with an explosive mixture containing gunpowder and launched from grooved platforms.
The two rival parishes are St. Marks and Panaghia Ereithiani, the respective churches built on two hilltops about 400 meters away from each other. Direct hits on each belfry are supposedly counted on the next day to determine the winner, but each parish invariably claims victory over the other. The result of this apparent disagreement is that both parishes agree to settle the score next year, and the rivalry is thus perpetuated. The church buildings themselves and the nearby buildings have to be extensively boarded up and protected with metal sheets and mesh for the occasion. Several Vrontadites regularly express their dismay at the explosive nature of the custom, but it is a source of significant tourist revenue for the area.
The origin of this event is unclear, but local tradition holds that it goes back to the Ottoman
era. According to local lore it was earlier performed with real cannons, until Ottoman authorities prohibited their use in 1889.
There are many videos online that can be found displaying this event. An example of this can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PijfPZx88I
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
in the town of Vrontados
Vrontados
Vrontados is a small coastal town located at the eastern part of the island of Chios in Greece. With a population of about 4,500 the town hosts the seat of the municipality of Omiroupolis.-Other:...
(Βροντάδος) on the Greek island of Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
. As a variation of the Greek habit of throwing fireworks during the celebration of the service at midnight before Easter Sunday, two rival church congregations in the town perform a "Rocket War" by firing tens of thousands of home-made rockets across town, with the objective of hitting the bell tower of the church of the other side. The rockets are wooden sticks loaded with an explosive mixture containing gunpowder and launched from grooved platforms.
The two rival parishes are St. Marks and Panaghia Ereithiani, the respective churches built on two hilltops about 400 meters away from each other. Direct hits on each belfry are supposedly counted on the next day to determine the winner, but each parish invariably claims victory over the other. The result of this apparent disagreement is that both parishes agree to settle the score next year, and the rivalry is thus perpetuated. The church buildings themselves and the nearby buildings have to be extensively boarded up and protected with metal sheets and mesh for the occasion. Several Vrontadites regularly express their dismay at the explosive nature of the custom, but it is a source of significant tourist revenue for the area.
The origin of this event is unclear, but local tradition holds that it goes back to the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
era. According to local lore it was earlier performed with real cannons, until Ottoman authorities prohibited their use in 1889.
There are many videos online that can be found displaying this event. An example of this can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PijfPZx88I