Six thousand people visited the village, Stato-Agios Fotios, last Sunday for its annual festival. Both Cypriots and tourists found their way to the tiny village, which is located twenty-five minutes from Paphos and is well-known for its manufacture of traditional products. Examples include fruits like apples, pears, grapes, peaches and cherries, loukanika (sausage), halloumi cheese, almonds and walnuts. The village also has four places that produce wine, with a production process that goes far back in time. People tasted good food and wine and could also see how local products are made. Visitors also got to experience traditional dancing and singing.
Statos- Agios Fotios now has only two hundred inhabitants, the number has fallen in recent years as young people have moved to towns close to work. The hope is that more people will want to come and work in the village factories. The goal of the festival is to show the culture to young people and bring them closer to the traditions, as a way to keep it alive in the future. This year is the festival’s sixth year and organizers are hopeful that it will be even bigger next year.
