The Thing That’s Missing

This is the third summer since we left rural Crete and the slow, particular rhythm of village life. The shift to a town, even a small one, brought a whole new pace, a different kind of routine. A lot of things have become simpler. Access to services, deliveries, the beach or even just the ability to walk down the street and find a snack or a shop open. Other things are simply different, and some... well, some are missing entirely.

Today, on a nostalgic note, I want to pause and talk about one of those missing things. A small but meaningful part of village life that towns, for all their advantages, just can't offer. And that missing thing is no other than the village fair.

An annual celebration, yes, but more than that. A ritual of reunion, a heartbeat of the community, a moment when the entire village takes a collective breath together.

The structure of the fair isn’t anything extraordinary. There’s live music, traditional food, and a dance floor. Elements you might find at any summer celebration, in any corner of the country. But what makes it different is not the what, but the where and the how.

The village square, usually quiet and almost empty during the day, becomes the center of everything. It transforms into an open-air dance floor, with long rows of plastic tables and chairs lining every available edge. The smell of food cooking drifts in from a side street, where grills and gas burners set up in the middle of the road, are managed by skilled improvisers who’ve done this for years.

Everything is run by volunteers. People who live there year-round and those who return just for the summer vacation. There are no hired chefs, no waiters. Everyone contributes something, even if it’s just carrying crates or wiping down tables. Or in my case, taking pictures :)

It may not sound like much, but it’s a significant event for a place that (like so many villages across Greece) is slowly emptying out. In winter, the population might not even reach one hundred people. But on the night of the fair, you might see 400 or more. Elders who live alone most of the year are suddenly surrounded by children, grandchildren, old neighbors. Teenagers who usually feel disconnected from village life find themselves part of something bigger.

And when the sun goes down, the music begins. The familiar rhythms of traditional songs fill the air. Cretan melodies, local dances, the kind that everyone seems to know without being taught. It’s a release. A celebration. A way of remembering who you are, and where you come from.

Not that I dance myself. I never really felt comfortable in that space, the music, the crowds, the kind of joy that feels so specific and collective. I’ve tried, now and then, but it never quite fit. Still, I watch.

And I understand why it matters. Why so many people look forward to it all year. It’s not just about fun. It’s about continuity. Presence. Connection. Even for those of us on the edges, it still means something.