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Crete is one of the lively places in Greece and people here very joyfully celebrate a lot of festivals throughout the year. They are a lot into celebrating festivals concerned with the harvest of crops and fruits, hence the names of many of its festivals as the orange harvest, sultana and raisin season and the chestnut picking. Festivals here will provide even the visitors from other countries an opportunity to have the taste of this years harvest. Traveling to Crete at this time of the year is even better as Christmas is here. There are regular flights to Crete as well. But if you are not able to reach Crete in December or January, be sure to be in Crete in February for the Shrove Monday.

One of their cultural activities that will amuse you thoroughly is shrove Monday. The meaning of this phrase is the beginning the process of fasting without consumption of eggs, meat, cheese, fish and so on till Easter. That very day is the first out of 40 days till arrival of Easter. Apart from this the Cretan people have an age old custom when they indulge in flying of the kite.

For several years this festivity has been established and a whole lot of crowd gets assembled in Analipsis beach where food is given free of cost. The cultural association at Analipsi along with the Church promises the residents and visitors an amazing Shrove Monday thats full of amusement and joy with the help of some entertaining Cretan music.

Shrove Monday is also referred to as the Collop Monday, Hall Monday, Rose Monday, or Merry Monday. It is considered to be the Monday that falls before the Ash Wednesday i.e. February 15th. The word shrove is used as the past tense of the verb shrive. It means to achieve absolution for your own sins by Confession and paying penance. Therefore, Shrovetide derives its name from the word shrive in English.

Christians, in any case, are expected to do before getting absolution just before the beginning of Lent. Shrove Tuesday is considered to be the last day of shrovetide. This is similar to the Carnival custom which developed in a number of Latin European countries. Crete in February till March is a great place for tourists and visitors. If you are with children you will definitely enjoy the festival of Shrove Monday thats initiated usually with the help of the church.