Traditional games in Cyprus

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Sakkoulodromies (Sack race)

Rules: More than two children take part in bag races.&nbsp;Each player takes a bag and puts her/his feet inside. She/he holds the bag at the top and stands in front of the starting line. The goal is to reach the finish line first by jumping into the bag. It is very easy to lose your balance but it offers a lot of fun to the contestants and the audience. When the signal is given, usually with a whistle, all the players start jumping towards the finish line. If a player falls down, he-she can stand up and continue until the end. The winner is the player who reaches the finish line first.

Many thanks to all the children for their participation in the games and the teachers who organized them

Sakkoulodromies Students of grade 5, class E´1, teacher Chrysanthi Andreou

Skatoulika Students of grade 5, class E´1, teacher Chrysanthi Andreou

Patatodromies Students of grade 3, class G´1, teacher Anna Efthymiou

Dielkinstinda or travigma sxoiniou Students of grade 6, class ST´1, teachers Soteroula Marathefti and Panagiotis Artemiou

Afka tou Koloka Students of grade 1, class A´1, teacher Roula Aristopoulou

Organisation and editing: Soteroula Marathefti

Rules: 5-6 flat stones are placed on top of each other (skatoulika).&nbsp; A player is the keeper (skatouliaris). The other players (each has his stone) stand behind a line, 5-6 meters away from the pile of stones (skatoulika). They throw their stone, in turn, to spoil the pile. If a player spoils the pile, they run to get their stone back, before the keeper makes the pile, because then he/she will have the right to chase them. Any child caught by the keeper, before crossing the line, becomes the keeper (skatouliaris).

Afga tou Koloka or mantili (Eggs of koloka or handkerchief)

Rules: A group of players can play this game.&nbsp;The players are sitting on the floor shaping a circle. &nbsp;One of the players stays out of the circle holding a handkerchief.&nbsp; The players sitting start to sing a particular song ‘’Afga afga poulo ta, tou thkiou mou tou Koloka, pou kamnei kolokouthkia tziai tron ta kopellouthkia, outhkia, outhkia, kopellouthkia’’. While hearing the song, the player holding the handkerchief walks around the circle and at the end of the song leaves the handkerchief behind one of the players sitting on the floor and runs around the circle. As soon as the player sitting realizes that the handkerchief is behind him/her, takes the handkerchief, stands up and starts chasing the running player. &nbsp;If the second player manages to catch the first player, he/she sits in the circle and the first player starts walking around the circle.&nbsp;If the first player manages to reach the empty space of the second player without being caught, then the second player starts walking around the circle, the children sitting start to sing and the game starts from the beginning.&nbsp;

Dielkistinda or travigma sxoiniou (Rope pull)

Rules: Two equal teams with same number of participants are needed for this game. A long thick rope marked in the middle is necessary. A mark or a line is also needed on the floor.&nbsp;The middle of the rope is placed above the mark on the floor.&nbsp; Each group of players holds the rope in the right and left side of the marked sign in the middle. Players have to pull with all their strength on their side so that the opponent group passes the marked line on the floor.&nbsp; The group that manages to pull the opponent group to its side and make it cross the marked sign on the floor is the winner.

Rules: More than two players participate in this game. The players stand on o horizontal line and they bite the end of a spoon with a small potato on it. &nbsp;A finish line is set and the players have to finish the walking race without the potato falling down.&nbsp; If the potato falls, the player has to return to the start.&nbsp; The winner is the person who manages to get to the finish line first. The same game can be played with boiled eggs or plastic eggs to avoid mess.&nbsp;Then the race is called avgodromies (egg race).

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TRADITIONAL GAMES IN CYPRUS

Traditional games are played all over Cyprus at important feasts and events. Especially on Tsiknopempti (Smelly Thursday of the Greek Carnival Season), Easter Sunday, Monday and Thursday after a feast lunch, villagers and visitors of all ages use to gather in a village square or the church yard and take part in individual and team games which are mainly entertaining and do not lead to any material gain for the winners. Many of the traditional games of Cyprus have ancient Greek and byzantine roots, thus proving the historical continuity of tradition and the significance of socialisation and collective entertainment at important feast periods. It is commonly the elders who explain to the younger ones the rules of the games.&nbsp;These games constitute one way of exercising both the body and the mind.&nbsp;Moreover, by continuing to play the games, the older generations are passing on to the younger generations certain values and attitudes like discipline, respect, the spirit of cooperation and team work.

Nowadays traditional games still survive mainly in many villages in the town of Paphos district as well as in some other areas of Cyprus. They are considered to be an important element of the intangible cultural heritage of our country and continue to fascinate young and old in the places they are preserved.&nbsp;Folklore associations, community leaders and schools try to play, record and revive traditional games thus preserving and carrying on this tradition.

Part of the quoted information was adopted from http://www.unesco.org.cy/Programmes-Traditional_Easter_Games_in_Cyprus, EN-PROGRAMMES-04-02-03-20,EN

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