Chirosfagia

Chirosfagia (slaughter of the pig) revived unabated to the present day in November and December, in the villages. Note that families usually breed at least one pig, which provides meat for the whole year, as well as “louza” (kind of sausage stuffed with meat), “glina” (fat), “pichti” (pieces of meat in a thick jelly) etc. Men and women, relatives and friends are involved, which make chirosfagia a feast. Each one has a specific duty. Women collect herbs, which are dried under the sun and then mixed with salt. They also tidy and whitewash the house, the yard and the street. Men bring wood from olive trees. The day of slaughter requires the presence of many people. The process, that begins well before dawn, demands special attention and technical training, as the animal weighs 150 to 200 kilos. When all necessary work is done, the pig is transported home and hung upside down from a meat hook.

The home house is converted into a small workshop, as many tables and many hands are needed for the effective processing of the different parts of the animal. It is mentioned that in the past nothing was thrown away: the cobblers sewed shoes with the hair of its neck and made them waterproof with the fat of its tail. Even the children could find something to play with.

The soup prepared from boiled bones and meat is the main dish of the dinner that follows and all those who helped are invited. Invited are also the priest, the teacher and the doctor, as well as the strangers who are in the village on that day. This very difficult and tiring day always ends with a genuine folk feast. Rows of tables are set and covered with white tablecloths. The dinner is rich and, besides the soup, it includes salads, cheese, olives, sardines, meat cooked with potatoes, “dolmadakia” (leaves stuffed with minced meat), liver and other delicacies. The host offers his new home-made wine and the feast begins after the prayer. Sometimes there is a violin and a lute playing traditional music. But even without them, there is a lot of fun.