The Feast of Tales is waiting to reveal to you the secrets of legends through storytelling in charming locations under the moonlight.
"Once upon a time there was an island so small that it was called Kea. From a distance, it looked like an island like everything else. But he was hiding a secret! The secret was known only to the nymphs, good ladies and fairies who lived in the springs. They have heard it said that whoever quenches his thirst at the springs inhabited by the nymphs is never touched by sorrow again”…
The Festival of Fairy Tales is organized by the "Center for the Study and Dissemination of Myths and Fairy Tales", with the help of the Municipality of Kea and the cooperation of various agencies of the island. Its aim is to spread and save folk myths, beliefs and tradition through the telling of fairy tales. In July, during the days of the full moon, visitors, young and old, live a special experience, because according to Hamadi: "Fairytales are not to put children to sleep, but to wake up adults and accompany them on a journey of self-awareness"...
Also the "Center of Contemporary Art" based in Ioulida, develops cultural activities, mainly in the summer months.
FOLK MUSIC - TRADITIONAL DANCES
A characteristic musical instrument of the island's traditional music is the "tsabouna", which belongs to the category of wind instruments and has its origins in the ancient askalo. The tsabuna consists of three parts: the asci, the mouthpiece and a system of reeds. The sound is produced by blowing the mouthpiece and placing the fingers on the grooves. The aski is made from animal skin, mainly goat, and for this reason the chabouna is associated with rural areas. The "tubi" is a membranous instrument, a small tambourine, that rhythmically accompanies the tsabuna.
The traditional dances of Kea are the syrtos, the balos, the aggiatikos and the zambachaniotikos. The ball is different in Kea from the rest of the Cyclades, as it is danced with the couple embracing - not facing each other - and the figures are done with hands tied. Agogiatikos is a variant of hasaposervikos and has its roots in the Agogiatikos tradition of transporting oak that was done on the island in the past years and finally, Zambachaniotikos is based on Asia Minor elements from the 19th century.

Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou