The island Sifnos is an island in which Apollo gave with generosity the divine light and maybe this contributed to its mental development. Sifnos respect of traditions, the manners and the customs. The most basic occupations of the inhabitants is the fishery. In other is pottery because of the many deposits of argil and it became a real source of survival and wealth for the inhabitants. Concerning, the letters Sifnos made known excellent writers folklore scientists, journalists, pedagogists and jurists as also and architects.
The buildings in the island shows the precaution of the inhabitants. The today's inhabitants keep with loyalty the manners and the customs that they inherited. In Sifnos as also in the most islands the local manifestations are connected with the religious worhip of the place. The festivities take place in the eve or on the day of the feast of some saint.
During the year, a specific family known as panigirades keep the saint's icon in their house and during the festivity undertake the expenses of the feast and the festivity. The litany takes place to the central roads of the island and after the litany some of the panigirades give a meal for the people who attended the litany. The traditional food that is served in this feast is revithada (with chickpeas) together with meat and wine. The food follows entertainment with local traditional music.
The most important festivities this of Panagia Vounou in the 24 of March, Prophetes Elias in Psilos and Prophetes Elias Troulakion in the 19 of July, Agios Panteleimonos Herronissou in the 26 of July, Agios Ioannis in the 28 of August, Agios Ioannis Styletis in the 31 of August, Taxiarhis in the 5 of September, Agios Sozon in the 6 of September, Panagia in the 7 of September, Agios Nikitas in the 15 of September, Agios Galatis in the 5 of November, Panagias Vounou in the Ascention where participate the entire island.
It is in religious frames and concern the age where the people wanted to appease the gods and the nature. This dance appeases the wind. It takes place the last Sunday of the carnival in the forecast of the church and the priest is the first that begin to dance and after follow the rest in a mask. The inhabitants of Sifnos one cheerful and kind and keep the traditions and the traditional cuisine. Sifnos people are revellers and gourmands and good cooks as well.
It's not by chance that the head cook Nikolaos Tselementes came from Sifnos and specifically from the village Exampela. Famous dishes and pastries are patties, macaroons, Turkish delights and nougat. Of course the island is not lacked the agricultural production. The basic products of Sifnos are oil, olives, wine, almonds, honey, citrus trees and others.
A small number of the people occupy with the cattle and mainly with sheep and goats. Because of them they have a big production in tasty cheeses as manouri and mizithra. Certainly, it was expected that Sifnos would have a developed fishery. An other occupation of the Sifnos' inhabitants is the basket knitting and mainly the straw hats.
Powerful economic factor is the tourism that increases continually. Sifnos especially in the summer is filled by thousands of people that want to see its beauties. Here you can find, hotels, rooms to let, apartments, travel agencies, restaurant, cafe bar, and Rent a car.
In Sifnos Most of the inhabitants occupy with tourist business and invest more and more to the improvement of their services. There are many hotels units and apartments and they make an effort to improve also the roads of the island. In this point we must mention that the pottery has an important position to the economy of Sifnos island.
There were the materials and in the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th had a great flourishing this art.
Years later and with the market's changes there was the need of pottery and in other places. So, Sifnos' people moved in many other islands and some of them in Attica. Details about these potters you can find in the book of Eleni Spathari - Begliti, editions Arsenidis. Sifnos in the arts and letters has contributed enough in Greece. Some of the most remarkable men are mentioned below.
Nikolaos Chrysogelos taught the art in a hundreds of young people. He developed a many-sided activity about the revolution of the island and the throwing of the Turkish bondage with the beginning of the battle in 1821 he raised first the banner of the revolution in Sifnos. He was a honorary representative in Sifnos in the national assemblies. Kapodistrias appointed him, minister of Education. After he is elected three times mayor in Sifnos. Next he became senator and later minister of Education and Ecclesiastics.
The characteristic of the houses in Sifnos is the simplicity. In the whole Sifnos there are many churches and country churches. It is said that there are 365 as the days of the year as well. In Sifnos island most of churches are privately owned. Most of the temples are dedicated to Virgin Mary, Christ, John the Baptist and Prophet Elias. Most of them date in the 16th century. All of them are white and simple. The domes are not made by tiles but they are only coated with lime and some they have a deep blue color, characteristic of Cyclades. At Sifnos they worked many excellent hagiographers of the 16th, 17th and 18th century as Emmanuel Skordilis, Konstantinos Palaiokapas e.t.c.