In Mavrolefki, Greece, some Greek Orthodox Christians have a unique way of showing their faith.
Each year in late May, they participate in Anastenaria, a commemoration of an event during which their Christian ancestors reportedly rescued sacred images from a burning church.
In memory of the villagers’ bravery, modern men and women put themselves to the test: walking barefoot through fire, according to Reuters.
Religious ceremony with fire walking
Not everyone has to participate in the fire walk. Some never do it. Those who do participate believe that they must have unwavering faith if they are to emerge unharmed. The process represents purification and healing, per The Daily Standard.
In a three-day ceremony, costumed dancers and other celebrants play music and hoist and kiss religious icons, including pictures of Jesus Christ and other saints. At the peak of the celebration they carry the icons in a procession up to a bed of smoldering coals. Fire-walkers, known as anastenaria, line up to take their turn crossing the coals, per The Daily Standard.
Participants describe the experience by highlighting the strength and faith they must summon as they walk. They believe that their faith preserves them from being burned.
“You definitely sense something at the core of your existence that makes you feel more redeemed, more freed,” said Haris Porfyridis about the fire walk, per Reuters. “Sometimes, we feel a cold wave coming down to our feet and putting out the coals. ... If you challenge what’s happening even momentarily, you could get burnt.”
“It’s a charisma to walk on fire. It cannot be interpreted or taught,” said Sotirios Gkaintatzis, per The Daily Standard. “You feel an inner strength.”
How does fire walking work?
The Greek Orthodox festival is not the world’s only fire-walking ceremony. Multiple cultures take part in the intense activity in some way.
Science offers several explanations as to why fire walking is possible.
- Poor conductors: Neither wood nor human feet conduct heat very well, per National Geographic. This factor, coupled with the very brief amount of time an anestenari spends standing on a coal, minimizes the risk of being burned.
- State of mind: Tolly Burkan, who founded the Firewalking Institute of Research and Education in Twain Harte, California, believes that relaxation is key to escaping harm during a fire walk, per National Geographic. He argues that healthily circulating blood prevents skin from reaching its burning point.