The Church of Virgin Mary’s Annunciation and the little lanterns

It is a custom that takes place every year on the 30th of January in Tinos town, celebrating the anniversary of the Icon finding. The celebration with people gathering from every corner of the island, relives the day the Holy Icon was discovered and the news about its finding were spread. The people started coming, bearing lit lanterns in order to worship the Icon of Virgin Mary. Since then, in the evening of January 30th the city brass band, the students of every school level, but also small children and adults of every age, each holding a lantern, gather around the church. These little lanterns are especially hand-crafted usually by the children themselves, using wooden sticks and colorful transparent membrane. Everybody starts from the church of Virgin Mary and, while marching through the narrow alleys, chant joyous songs referring to this big celebration of Tinos, such as:
“Come and gather here, Tinian people
To celebrate the finding of our
Virgin Mary Icon and
Let us all praise Her Grace”