As soon as she got off the ferry, a middle aged woman with a cane, dressed in black, did the sign of the Cross and fell on her knees to complete her pilgrimage.
Every year on the 15th of August, the day of Virgin Mary Assumption Day, thousands of pilgrims from all over Greece and abroad, arrive on the Cycladic island of Tinos to fulfill their “Tama to Panagia”, (promise to Virgin Mary) by crawling all the way up to the temple of Our Lady of Tinos to touch the miraculous holy icon of Virgin Mary. They go on the pilgrimage to ask for help, forgiveness, or to thank Virgin Mary for “helping” them with an issue of medical nature in most cases.
Pilgrims crawl on their knees for about 500 meters (1,640 feet) uphill, to reach the temple or 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) if they decide to start from the port. Men, women, children of all ages form a hundreds of meters queue, and crawl all the up to the temple.
A pilgrim checks her phone on the ferry to the Greek island of Tinos during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
A pilgrim crawls to the Greek Orthodox Church of Panagia Evaggelistria during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
Local shop owners sell candles during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
A pilgrim crawls to the Greek Orthodox Church of Panagia Evaggelistria during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
People watch a pilgrim as she crawls to the Greek Orthodox Church of Panagia Evaggelistria during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
Ethiopian pilgrims wait during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
A pilgrim pauses while he crawls to the Greek Orthodox Church of Panagia Evaggelistria during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
Pilgrims gather outside the Greek Orthodox Church of Panagia Evaggelistria during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
A Hellenic Navy officer watches a child as he crawls to the Greek Orthodox Church of Panagia Evaggelistria during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
Alter boys carry church’s candleholders during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
Pilgrims gather in the town of the Greek island of Tinos, during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
Pilgrims touch the Holy Icon of the Virgin Mary outside the Greek Orthodox Church of Panagia Evaggelistria during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
Hellenic Navy officers carry the Holy Icon of Virgin Mary during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
A Greek Orthodox priest holds the Gospel during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
A Hellenic Navy warship outside of the Greek island of Tinos during the Ascension of Virgin Mary holiday, in Tinos, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018.
Text and photos by Michael Varaklas
