Every year on the first Sunday of July (after the first July) the island of Skiathos celebrates the finding of the holy icon of Virgin Mary called Eikonistria or Kounistra.
The discovery of the holy icon sets back in 1650 AC when according to tradition it was found hanging and moving back and forth on a pine tree by a monk called Symeon.
Symeon at first noticed a very bright light coming out of the woods, but when he tried to approach its source it was just vanishing away. It was then he first realised it had to be some kind of miracle.
After praying and fasting he managed to see the holy icon hanging on the pine tree. Unable to get it down, he spend the night there praying and the next morning he rushed to Kastro, the old Skiathos town to tell everyone about what he had found.
People followed Symeon back to the woods to witness the miracle themselves. It was a young priest called Ioannis who managed to get it down in front of the eyes of the amazed locals.
It was soon placed into the monastery of Panagia Eikonistria or Kounistra which was build to house the holy icon up until 1846.
Today the icon is kept in the Cathedral Church of Tris Ierarches in Skiathos town.
There are a lot of folk tradition stories about the name that was given to the holy icon of Virgin Mary. Local people call it Eikonistria or Kounistra. Eikonistria may come from the greek word Eikona (= icon) and Astria (=probably from the word “asteri”= star because of the bright light). Kounistra on the other hand comes from the word “kounao” that means move because it was constantly moving on the pine tree.
Panagia Eikonistria or Kounistra is the Patron Saint of Skiathos island and it is honored every year on the 21 of November in a very special and sacred way.
So if you find yourself on Skiathos island the first Sunday of July and you feel like blending into the local tradition head over to the Cathedral Church of Tris Ierarches in Skiathos town. After the Sunday service usually at around 10 in the morning locals and visitors follow the litany of Panagia Eikonistria or Kounistra while praying in the small alleys of town.
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