Following the tradition of Crete, the people of Yeri on Saturday smashed 51 clay jugs, representing 51 years of occupation in Cyprus.

Organised by the Folkloric Association of Yeri, the jugs smashed included some bigger than a person.

“Fifty one years is a long time and we are trying for the freedom of our country, peacefully, to give messages in all directions,” its head Argyris Argyrou told AlphaNewsLive.

The first of the jugs was thrown off the first floor of the association’s building by House president Annita Demetriou.

Other jugs had been made and decorated especially for the occasion by a total of 31 organisations, including residents of the community including the primary school.

In Corfu, the smashing of Botides, large clay jugs, Good Saturday represents the first resurrection of Christ.

People throw the pots filled with water from their balconies while an orchestra plays below.

The custom is thought to have been first introduced by the Venetians, and is also seen as a way of welcoming Spring.