Easter on Patmos Island

The Feet Washing Ceremony takes place on the morning of Holy Thursday, 17 April 2025, in the Chora of Patmos (Emmanuel Xanthos Square).



As part of the Easter celebrations, which this year fall on 20 April, events are held in various parts of Greece to pay tribute to the country's traditions and customs.

The Feet Washing Ceremony belongs to the category of authentic Byzantine re-enactments of the Passion, which date back to the beginning of the 4th century. At the time of the Byzantine Empire, the ceremony was mainly held in monasteries, but was also performed by the emperor himself, who, in an act of humiliation, washed the feet of 12 poor citizens.

The ceremony takes place on the morning of Maundy Thursday in the Chora of Patmos (Emmanuel Xanthos Square) on a wooden platform decorated with flowers and palm branches. On the platform are chairs for the 12 priests, representing the disciples of Jesus, a throne for the Abbot of the Monastery of St John the Theologian, representing Jesus, and a table with a silver basin full of water. The Gospel of John is read, describing the events of the Last Supper. When the reading reaches the point where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples, the Abbot stands up and symbolically washes the feet of the priests. The ceremony attracts a large crowd.