Magical scenes in Vrontados, Chios, as the rocket war amazed locals and tourists (video-photos)

The entity implicit Vrontados in Chios was erstwhile again filled with thousands of rockets connected the nighttime of Holy Saturday, conscionable earlier the Resurrection, arsenic the historical Easter tradition yet took spot arsenic planned, contempt the tension, uncertainty, and unit that had built up successful caller days.

The 2 parishes, Panagia Erithiani and Agios Markos, erstwhile again became the focal constituent of a spectacle that, for Chios, is overmuch much than a tourer attraction: it is simply a contented profoundly rooted successful section memory, filled with history, emotion, and beardown symbolism.

The archetypal movements of the “rocket throwers” began aboriginal successful the evening, with preparations gradually intensifying and trial launches starting soon aft 9:00 p.m. As midnight approached, the anticipation among residents and visitors grew stronger, until conscionable earlier midnight, erstwhile thousands of rockets began streaking crossed the sky, illuminating the colony and transforming the nighttime into a dazzling display.

This year’s Resurrection night, however, stood retired not lone for the spectacle. Its value was heightened by the tense ambiance that had formed earlier, erstwhile the anticipation of canceling the rocket warfare remained unfastened until the precise past moment. Continuous meetings, concerns, inspections, and wide unit had created uncertainty, with galore believing the last determination would beryllium made astatine the past minute.

The uncertainty ended connected the day of Holy Saturday, erstwhile it was confirmed that the contented would instrumentality place. At 6:00 p.m., the associated parade of the teams from Agios Markos and Panagia Erithiani began from Petrokaravo, sending a wide connection that Vrontados would erstwhile again acquisition the nighttime of the rocket war. The teams past took their positions, portion scheduled pauses successful the launches were besides arranged to let harmless question and entree for the nationalist betwixt the 2 parishes.

A notable beingness was that of internationally renowned Vrontados-born astrophysicist Stamatios Krimigis, who took portion astatine the beforehand of the parade. In the aforesaid tone were nationalist statements by the president of the Chios Tourism Organization, Kostas Moundros, and the politician of Chios, Giannis Malafis, who emphasized the value of preserving the contented nether safer conditions and with reduced risk.

The tense backdrop of caller days had been shaped by an earlier incidental successful a rocket-making area, which caused burns and led to arrests and transgression charges. In total, 7 radical were arrested for violations related to flares and fireworks, arsenic good arsenic for negligent arson committed jointly. Three of them were brought earlier the prosecutor, portion the others remained successful Chios Hospital. This incidental abruptly changed the ambiance connected the island, sparking concern, reactions, and an unfastened statement astir the limits, management, and aboriginal of the tradition.

Residents and concern owners successful Vrontados had gathered successful erstwhile days extracurricular some the constabulary office and the Chios prosecutor’s bureau to explicit their enactment for the prosecuted “rocket throwers,” successful a highly charged atmosphere.

Interest successful the contented remained highly precocious this year. Visitors from Greece and overseas — including hundreds from Turkey — traveled to Vrontados to witnesser the spectacular event, erstwhile again confirming that the rocket warfare is 1 of Chios’s strongest Easter attractions.

Journalistic teams and quality agencies from galore countries were besides contiguous betwixt the 2 parishes, capturing images of 1 of Greece’s astir unsocial and wide discussed Easter traditions.