Immigrate to Cyprus to learn about life in Cyprus: Cyprus has many holidays, some of which are national, while others are specific to the Greek or Turkish communities.
For instance, New Year's Day is a holiday shared by the entire population.
The Epiphany on January 6th is a holiday for the Greek community. On this day, farmers place bowls of water and plates filled with seeds on the table, ask a priest to chant scriptures, and then wrap the seeds to be stored until planting season, believing this will ensure a bountiful harvest.
The Jump-over-Fire Festival on June 23rd is also a holiday for the Greek community. In the evening, people light bonfires in their courtyards and dance barefoot, singing as they jump over the flames: "Fleas begone, bedbugs perish, may Saint John kill and disperse all pests."
It is said that Saint John is the messenger of fire and light, and it is believed that the Jump-over-Fire Festival can ward off evil and bring peace for the year. The Turkish community follows Islam, so they observe holidays such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha according to the Hijri calendar.
In addition, there are various local festivals, such as the Orange Festival in Famagusta, the Carnival and Wine Festival in Limassol, and the Flower Festival in Paphos.
Due to the strict regulations of their respective religions, the Greek and Turkish communities have maintained their own ethnic characteristics and do not intermarry or assimilate.
The Greek community speaks Greek and follows the lifestyle norms of the Greek Orthodox Church; the Turkish community speaks Turkish and maintains Muslim customs.
Nevertheless, for hundreds of years, the two communities have lived intermingled and in harmony, with Christian churches and Islamic mosques standing side by side, never having experienced serious religious conflict.
Until the 1950s, they even fought side by side against colonialism.
However, since the late 1950s, instigated and provoked by imperialist colonial policies, the two communities have clashed and turned against each other for their respective ethnic interests, eventually leading to the current de facto division between the north and south and the Cyprus problem in international politics.