Every year, as winter gives way to the first warm breezes of late February and early March, something wonderful happens across Greece. People head outdoors, colorful kites climb into the blue Mediterranean sky, and children laugh as their creations catch the wind. It is one of the most cheerful, most distinctly Greek traditions of the year, and at Plato Academy Trinity, students are carrying it on with enthusiasm, and in some cases, with kites they built themselves.
This year, students along with their teachers and the administration team, took to open ground, strings in hand, faces turned skyward. Some brought store-bought kites. Others came with something more personal, kites assembled from scratch using paper, wooden dowels, and a good amount of patience. The results were as unique as the students themselves, bright geometric patterns, wild splashes of color, the occasional lopsided wing that flew perfectly well anyway.
A Tradition Rooted Deep in Greek Culture
In Greece, kite flying is tied directly to Clean Monday, known in Greek as Καθαρά Δευτέρα. Α public holiday celebrated with outdoor gatherings, simple meatless foods, and yes, kites filling the sky from Athens to the most remote island villages.
The tradition dates back centuries. Originally connected to the symbolic idea of letting go, shedding the heaviness of winter and Carnival season, and rising above, kite flying became a beloved national custom. Families prepare lagana flatbread, taramosalata, olives, and other traditional Lenten foods, then spread blankets in parks and hillsides to eat, sing, and watch the sky fill with color. The Acropolis hill in Athens is one of the most iconic gathering spots, where hundreds of kites can be seen climbing above the ancient marble on a clear Clean Monday afternoon.
Participating in a tradition that millions of Greeks celebrate connects students to something larger than the classroom. It is a living, breathing piece of the culture that runs through the school’s identity, felt through their hands and witnessed in the open sky above them.
Photos by Robin Day.