The area of Sitia has a long tradition in music, poetry, and feasts. Important musicians and mantinada poets, mainly from the region of the plateau of Ziros, have left a great legacy in the arts and culture of the island.
The typical musical instrument is the lyra (a pear-shaped string instrument), accompanied by a daouli (a large double-headed drum) and the violin, which dominated from the middle of the 20th century onwards. This tradition continues today in the villages, with feasts, religious and other festivals. Both the music and the dance of eastern Crete have special characteristics. Lassithiotikos and Stiakos pidichtos are two of the most important local dances that survive to this day. People dance it in a circle, where the first dancers make moves in pairs. Local celebrations are an excellent opportunity to experience and directly understand the culture of the area, through dance and music.
The celebrations associated with the religious cycle of life are an occasion for entertainment, both for locals and visitors. They are the following:
• Agios Georgios Methystis on November 3, when the raki distillation process that started in September is at its peak
• Agios Georgios on April 23, in the abandoned village of Skalia, near the village of Sitanos
• Agia Marina on July 17, in Exo Mouliana, Myrsini and Pressos
• Profitis Ilias on July 20, in Mesa Mouliana
• Agia Paraskevi on July 26, in Ziros, Tourtoulous and Agia Triada
• Agios Panteleimon on July 27, in Roussa Eklisia, Hamezi and Schinokapsala
• Metamorphosi tou Sotiros (Transfiguration of Christ) on August 6, in Exo Mouliana, Agios Stefanos and Zakros
• Maronia on August 14, celebrating the dormition of the Virgin Mary
• Palekastro, Lastros, Piskokefalo, Tourloti, Lithines and Sitano on August 15, celebrating the dormition of the Virgin Mary
• Agios Ioannis o Prodromos (John the Baptist) on August 29, in Dafni and Ziros
• Timios Stavros on September 14, in Sfaka
• Agia Sofia on September 17, in Armeni
• Agia Anna on December 9, in Piskokefalo
• Agia Ekaterini on November 25, in Sitia with an organised run around the city
Events and traditions linked to the seasons are:
• The carnival of Sitia, that takes place the last Sunday of Carnival with the participation of different associations of the municipality of Sitia
• The Kornaria festival, from June to August, that include musical, theatrical, and dance events, lectures, painting, and photography exhibitions, as well as sports events
• The European Geoparks week, in early June, with educational programs, visits to important geotopes, actions in the countryside and musical evenings, that aim to familiarise the local community and the visitors with the Geopark of Sitia
