April 13, 2025, 8:41 am | Read time: 3 minutes
In the small village of Markopoulo on the Greek island of Kefalonia, a very unusual festival has been taking place in August for centuries. Hundreds of snakes repeatedly visit a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The spectacle of the reptiles attracts thousands of believers and tourists alike every year. The origin of the custom is unclear. There is a curse associated with the snake festival, which the local people fear.
In the small village of Markopoulo on the Greek island of Kefalonia, a ceremony has been taking place every August for centuries, and it can rightly be described as unusual, to say the least. A small church then becomes the setting for a bizarre tradition called the Snake Festival, in which hundreds of reptiles play a leading role. They are an integral part of the procession, which is perhaps unique in the world, in a church known as Panagia Lagouvarda or Panagia Fidousa, which translates as “The Virgin Mary of the Snakes.”
According to the Sun newspaper, the snake festival is repeated every year around August 15. On this day, an Orthodox festival is held in Markopoulo, as in the rest of Greece, in honor of the Virgin Mary. But this is where things get rather mysterious. It is said that the snakes have been reliably appearing in the church for ages. Only to disappear until the following year, as soon as the festivities are over.
Legend About the Origin
There are several legends surrounding the origin of the snake festival. One tells of a convent of nuns that is said to have once stood where the church in Markopoulo is today. According to this legend, pirates attacked the island, and — as if by a miracle — huge numbers of snakes suddenly appeared to protect the women. Understandably, the villains fled in panic. Since then, numerous miracles involving the animals are said to have occurred on the island.
The snake festival has, therefore, been celebrated in their honor in Markopoulo for centuries. While the reptiles are synonymous with temptation and sin in the Christian faith, they were already considered a sign of recovery and healing in ancient Greece. It is no coincidence that two snakes can be seen on the so-called staff of Asclepius, the symbol of physicians and doctors. This is why quite a few believers allow themselves to be touched by the animals, which are completely non-toxic and harmless, during the unusual festivities.
Fear of a Curse
There is also a more mundane assumption as to why the animals always reliably appear in Markopoulo in August. According to this, the village could simply lie on a route along which the reptiles move around the island. But the local people prefer to believe in a miracle, especially as the snake festival attracts not only believers but also tourists in droves every year. According to The Greek Reporter, pilgrims now also bring their own snakes to the church to place them in front of the icon of the Virgin Mary.
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People Fear the Absence of Snakes
And indeed, many people in Markopoulo fear nothing more than the absence of snakes. Because, according to superstition, if the animals don’t come, it means bad luck. According to this belief, the snakes did indeed fail to appear in two years, bringing death and misfortune to the island. In 1941, German and Italian troops occupied the island. In 1953, a devastating earthquake struck Kefalonia, in which several hundred people lost their lives. So let’s hope that the animals will once again arrive in Markopoulo in time for the snake festival this year.