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Zivania festival coming up in Alona village

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As the grape harvest comes to an end, one traditional village is preparing for a festival to celebrate local zivania production. Alona’s Zivania Festival takes place for the 11th time on November 6 and it will fill the village’s central square with free zivania tastings and local delicacies for visitors to try.

From 10.30am until 3.30pm, stalls and producers will showcase the distillation process of this Cypriot spirit while other kiosks prepare palouze. Traditional products, food and drinks will be available to purchase while folklore music and dance groups will entertain festival-goers. Besides tasting, smelling and taking in the sights, visitors will also have the chance to explore some of Alona’s landmarks. Visiting Alona’s church and walking through the picturesque alleys is a must when spending time in the village. Equally, a stop by the traditional village home and the old village mill to take a step back in time. But the star of the day will, of course, be zivania which back in the day had more than one use.

“Besides enjoying zivania as an alcoholic drink,” say organisers, “Cypriots have been traditionally using it for several other purposes. It is used to treat wounds, for massaging sore body parts, as a remedy for colds, toothache or a warming shot during the cold winter months, especially in the villages on the Troodos mountains. In the old days, the main alcoholic drinks Cypriots used to consume were wine and zivania. In some villages of Cyprus, cinnamon was added to zivania giving it a nice red colour and fine aroma and flavour.”

In all of its uses, zivania is a drink that characterises Cyprus and its history as it has been produced on the island since the time it was ruled by Venice, around the end of the 14th century. Historical references may focus more on Cypriot wines as travellers and writers admired them yet the festival continues to honour the legacy of zivania as the spirit of Cyprus.

 

Zivania Festival

11th edition of day festival. November 6. Alona village central square, Pitsilia district. 10.30am-3.30pm. Free

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