Vrontados, Chios Island, Greece 20 April, 2014.
The annual Rocketwar event known as Rouketopolemos, took place in the village of Vrontados, between the two Orthodox churches Agios Markos and Panagia Erithiani, started during the celebration of the service at midnight before Easter Sunday.
The respective churches of the two rival parishes are built on two hilltops about 400 meters away from each other.
Tens of thousands of home-made rockets are fired 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.
They are handmade and all materials used can be found on the island. Rocket making for "Rouketopolemos" is a tradition which counts more that 120 years in Chios. The rocket-makers work as groups of 10 to 15 people, and pass the tradition and their secret recipes from one generation to the other. They describe that they spend countless hours through the year preparing the rockets, and that the whole procedure of making and finally firing the rockets is a unique and insuperable experience.
The annual Rocketwar event known as Rouketopolemos, took place in the village of Vrontados, between the two Orthodox churches Agios Markos and Panagia Erithiani, started during the celebration of the service at midnight before Easter Sunday.
The respective churches of the two rival parishes are built on two hilltops about 400 meters away from each other.
Tens of thousands of home-made rockets are fired 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.
They are handmade and all materials used can be found on the island. Rocket making for "Rouketopolemos" is a tradition which counts more that 120 years in Chios. The rocket-makers work as groups of 10 to 15 people, and pass the tradition and their secret recipes from one generation to the other. They describe that they spend countless hours through the year preparing the rockets, and that the whole procedure of making and finally firing the rockets is a unique and insuperable experience.
Βροντάδος, Χίος, 20 Απριλίου 2014.
Πάσχα με φαντασμαγορικό ρουκετοπόλεμο στη Χίο.
Το κορυφαίο έθιμο του Πάσχα γνωστό ως Ρουκετοπόλεμος ξεκίνησε και φέτος το βράδυ του Μεγάλου Σαββάτου και ολοκληρώθηκε τις πρώτες πρωινές ώρες του Πάσχα με εξαιρετική επιτυχία. Χιλιάδες ρουκέτες ρίχτηκαν από την μία ενορία στην άλλη με στόχο τον τρούλο του Αγίου Μάρκου από την μια, και το ρολόι στο καμπαναριό της Παναγιάς Ερειθιανής από την άλλη, προσφέροντας ένα μοναδικό θέαμα.
Οι ρουκέτες είναι φτιαγμένες από χαρτί, νίτρο, κάρβουνο και θειάφι, και το ξύλο που χρησιμεύει ως "τιμόνι", υλικά που υπάρχουν στο νησί και οι παρέες των ρουκετατζήδων που τις φτιάχνουν διατηρούν μια παράδοση για περισσότερο από 120 χρόνια, με μυστικά που περνά η μια γενιά στην άλλη. Όπως περιγράφουν, οι ρουκέτες είναι δικές τους, όλα τα έξοδα για την κατασκευή τους είναι δικά τους. Αμέτρητες ώρες περνούν οι παρέες ("συνεργεία" όπως λέγονται χαρακτηριστικά) μέσα στη χρονιά "στοκώνοντας" ρουκέτες για την επομένη ενώ περιγράφουν την εμπειρία και την όλη διαδικασία ως μοναδική και ανυπέρβλητη.
- For licensing footage of this story, contact me by clicking here.
- More video-journalism on the playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEU72zHm2UNsPN6LAal7W5SaMKMjZUo7l
Related story: Everything You Need To Know About The Chios Rocket War
- Search this website, by clicking here.
- Αναζήτηση στα περιεχόμενα, κλικ εδώ.
