Every Easter in the Greek island of Chios, two churches in the village of Vrontados go into a full rouketopolemos, rocket war. It is the local alternative to the Greek custom to celebrate Jesus Resurrection with fireworks.
Thousands of home-made rockets are being fired against the target which is the bell tower of the church on other side.
The two rival parishes are the one of Agios Markos and Panagia Ereithiani. The churches are build on two hilltops 400 meters away from each other. churches building and surrounded houses are protected from the rockets with metal sheets.
The rockets are wooden sticks filled with gunpowder and are launched from grooved platforms.
The origin of this event is unclear, but local tradition holds that it goes back to the Ottoman era. According to local lore it was earlier performed with real cannons, until Ottoman authorities prohibited their use in 1889.
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