As I was walking along the shoreline of an old fishing
village in Chania, Crete, I happened to notice a small dollhouse-like
church sitting on a post at the end of one of the wooden docks. I then
walked out to take a closer look at this intriguing
little white structure with a red-tiled roof and narrow-arched
windows.
I soon began to notice these little models of Greek
Orthodox churches all around Chania and decided to find out more
about them.
It turns out that the tiny intricately designed models
of Greek Orthodox churches are called kandylakia which means little
candle in Greek. The history of making kandylakia dates back to the
Byzantine era when portable religious icons were used for private
worship. Over time, they evolved into miniature churches, crafted by
skilled artisans, and used as offerings or gifts.
Today they are considered a symbol of faith and devotion
in the Greek Orthodox religion and are often used to commemorate special
occasions like weddings and baptisms and are believed to bring
blessings and protection to the house where they are displayed. The
Greek Orthodox Church is the “prevailing religion” in Greece's
constitution. Its members comprise about 95% of the population.
Chania (pop. 60,000) is the second largest city in
Crete. We found November to be a great time to be here – the
weather was mild with lots of sunshine and there were very few
tourists around. I'm still missing the lovely walks along the sea and
my favorite restaurant, Pallas, where I enjoyed Greek Yogurt bowls
and morning coffee.
