New Year’s Eve in Mykonos – The most authentic Greek island experience!

Bet you are used to relating Mykonos with ultimate luxury, a cosmopolitan lifestyle, celebs, and, of course, an immensely vibrant nightlife and non-stop parties featuring international DJs. Sure, Mykonos is all that. But, it’s also …

screenshot-2021-12-24-at-14-23-15

Bet you are used to relating Mykonos with ultimate luxury, a cosmopolitan lifestyle, celebs, and, of course, an immensely vibrant nightlife and non-stop parties featuring international DJs. Sure, Mykonos is all that. But, it’s also one of the most iconic and idyllic Greek islands to spend the holidays, especially the New Year. So, if you are looking for unique adventures and authentic Greek experiences, the way Mykonos celebrates the coming of the new year will suit you like a glove. Here are some exciting details!

Welcoming the New Year with a “Flouri”!

One of the most common and highly anticipated New Year customs is the Flouri! The flouri is actually a coin placed secretly inside a special New Year’s cake called Vasilopita. Each household makes one (or purchases a freshly-baked one from the bakery) and takes center stage on the New Year’s Eve table. At midnight, the head of the family blesses the cake by making the sign of the cross on it three times. Then, he cuts one piece for every family member, after he dedicates the first three pieces to Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the house. Whoever gets the flouri is expected to have a lucky year ahead!

This is something you will probably see taking place in most restaurants and hotels offering dining options on New Year’s Eve. So, now you know why people will cheer and clap when you or someone else finds a coin in their New Year’s cake!

The New Year Festivities

Before the grand finale of this year, Mykonos will be all dressed up, with decorations, lights, and a lively and jubilant atmosphere rushing through the streets of the island! So, expect light shows, festivals, firework displays, many groups of adults and children singing the New Year carols, and musicians playing their tubas, violins, and bagpipes at the Old Harbour or the town square for everybody to dance in the rhythms of Cycladic songs.

That aside, plenty of indoor venues organise special celebrations to welcome the new year, and offer from live music to private soirees you could definitely join. But, of course, you may skip the crowds and opt for the New Year events scheduled at your 5* hotel. Luxury accommodations like Kivotos Mykonos pamper guests with private dining options that even include a sailing cruise onboard the hotel-owned yacht! Also, events taking place at designated areas in the hotel premises, such as a wind-protected pool bar or Aegean Sea-overlooking dining facility!

Stretching the New Year Celebrations!

In any case, you’ll surely be taken away by the contagious joy and cheerfulness of this period as the locals reveal their most friendly and lighthearted version! All this celebratory mood will not go away before January 6th, when the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates the blessing of the waters (aka the Epiphany). It’s a custom that symbolises the baptism of Jesus Chris by John the Baptist, which is why you’ll see several young people diving into the chilly waters of the Aegean to grab the cross the local priest has thrown into the sea to bless the waters. It is believed that whoever gets the cross also receives great blessings in their life.

Hopefully, you got a small taste of the other side of Mykonos – the one that brings people together sharing a delicious meal, exchanging wishes with one another for health and a prosperous new year, and drinking with grateful hearts for the Grace they have been gifted in the year that’s about to expire soon.

Have a Happy New Year! And, don’t forget to step into your home when you return to your base with your right foot! According to legend, you’ll have a fab new year full of prosperity, abundance, wealth, and health if you do!