LAMBRATZIES - THE WHOLE OF CYPRUS IS BREAKING THE LAW AND THE POLICE ARE TURNING A BLIND EYE - THE CHURCH SPEAKS OF BARB ARISM AND THE STATE CONTINUES TO INVOKE THE 'CUSTOM' - Filenews 11/4 by Ernest Moussas
Every year in the run-up to Easter, the issue of lambratzias comes back to the center of discussions. A custom deeply rooted in folk tradition, it has now turned into an additional opportunity for an exacerbation of lawlessness and juvenile delinquency. The State has made many attempts to regulate this phenomenon that has developed into a serious problem, but the issue remains unresolved for the time being.
Today, the reality is known, contradictory and problematic. Lighting a fire without a permit is prohibited, however the lamps continue to be set up almost uncontrollably throughout Cyprus, with the authorities often turning a blind eye, opening the way to illegality. At a time when the position of the Church clearly leaves open the possibility of a complete abolition of this dangerous situation, the state does not seem willing to do so.
This year's preparation
As part of the efforts for better coordination ahead of Easter, the issue of lamps was the subject of a broad meeting held on February 19, 2026 at the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, chaired by Minister Kostas Fytiris.
During the discussion, it was jointly found that in recent years the custom has been altered in several cases, with phenomena such as the premature collection of materials, the damage caused to public and private property, but also incidents of delinquency that increase the risks to public safety.
The Minister of Justice underlined that, although the preservation of traditions is an important element of cultural identity, the performance of the custom should take place in an organized and safe way. As he mentioned, the management of the lamps must be within the framework of the responsibilities of the local authorities and the Police, with the main goal of protecting human life, property and public order.
In the same context, it was agreed that the Police will proceed in a timely manner with the planning of the measures that will be implemented in the period before and during Holy Week, with the aim of preventing and effectively managing incidents.
At the same time, it was decided to strengthen coordination at the local level, through direct communication with all Police Directorates, so that in cooperation with Municipalities and Communities the areas where long-term problems occur can be recorded. Based on these data, targeted preparation will be made and the presence of the competent services where necessary.
In addition, Municipalities and Communities were asked to appoint specific contact persons, with the aim of continuous communication and better coordination with the Police and the Fire Service.
In a new meeting held on March 31, the Police assured of the preparation of specific operational plans for the period before and during Easter with an increased presence in critical areas and intensification of controls. At the same time, it was pointed out that prevention and information actions are being developed with an emphasis on young people and families, as well as controls to prevent the use of firecrackers and other hazardous materials.
In a statement on the same day, the Ministry underlined that the State does not seek to abolish the custom, but to ensure that it will be performed in an orderly and safe manner, without endangering human life and without damage to property.
The climax of Holy Week
The problem with lambratzias is not limited to the traditional celebration of the custom, but concerns a wider situation that begins months before and culminates on Holy Saturday. Unfortunately, in many cases the situation goes beyond the line of a pure custom within the framework of the "neighbourhood company" and ends up taking worrying and dangerous proportions.
In the previous days, the intensive controls of the Police led to the removal of a huge amount of wood from various areas. It is noteworthy that on Holy Tuesday alone in Limassol, the authorities located and removed over 12 trucks full of wood and other objects that had been collected by young people in various areas of the city.
Indicative of the uncontrollable situation that prevails, among many others, is the fact that on the night of Holy Tuesday, the Police located a number of young people who tried to flee at a point with a fire in Paphos. A knife was found in the possession of a 13-year-old boy.
Responsibilities of parents
After the last meeting with the Union of Municipalities, the Union of Communities, the Police and the Fire Brigade, the Minister of Justice and Public Order Kostas Fytiris also put the parents themselves in front of their responsibilities. In particular, Kostas Fytiris underlined that parents "must know that they also have responsibilities". As he said, "we cannot see ten- and thirteen-year-old children being in open spaces at two in the morning and collecting wood, setting fire to tyres and various other materials."
It is worth noting that now the Police also open cases against parents, if it is found that they do not exercise sufficient control over their children, provided that they are under 16 years old.
How the bill was wrecked in Parliament
On November 20, a bill was brought to the Plenary Session of the Parliament to regulate the traditional custom of lambratzia, through an institutionalized licensing process for its preparation and lighting. The bill was overwhelmingly rejected, with 28 votes against, two abstentions and 10 votes in favour.
According to the bill that was brought to the Plenary, the approval of a request for the lighting of a lamp would be done after an inspection of the area by the Fire Service and after all measures for the protection of lives and property were observed. The local authorities that would grant the permit would supervise, however, the control would be carried out by the Police whether everything provided for in the permit was complied with.
The initiative essentially attempted to allow the custom to be carried out under strict conditions, with permits from local authorities, safety provisions and penalties in cases of violation. However, it was strongly criticized as unenforceable, with MPs pointing out that there can be no substantial control in practice, while the prescribed penalties, which were deemed excessive, also caused reactions. At the same time, wider reservations were expressed as to whether a folk custom can or should be regulated by law. The result was the rejection of the proposal, with the state remaining without a clear direction, maintaining the existing regime where lampreys are formally illegal, but in practice tolerated.
In a communication between "F" and the spokesman of the Cyprus Police, Byron Byron, it was pointed out to us that the Force does not support the complete abolition of the custom of the lampratzia. But a way should be found to do it within a framework and with control. Mr. Byron essentially threw the ball to the Parliament to make substantial changes and define a framework that will ensure the observance of the custom as such and not as anything else. In other words, it will bring the necessary balance between legality and tradition. The official position of the Ministry, as mentioned above, is not in the direction of its complete abolition, but its observance in an orderly and safe manner.
The Archdiocese, for its part, seems to have hardened its stance quite a bit after the serious incidents of recent years, judging that the lampratzias have escaped the boundaries of ecclesiastical tradition and now refer to times of primitivism, while desecrating and suppressing the mystical character of the top event of the Orthodox Church, which is the Resurrection.
Christakis Efstathiou: They are turning sacred spaces into arenas
We observe that the issue of "lampratzia" has been slipping in recent years from a traditional custom – which once retained its own meaning and content when it was a process in the neighbourhood – to another kind of "barbarism", to the point where moderation and respect are lost. In other words, we have witnessed in recent years a deviation of a traditional custom into a merciless "war" between rival groups or parishes, with the result that even sacred places at the time of the Resurrection Liturgy are transformed into arenas and fields of destruction and arson. We have reached the point of mourning even human lives, under the pretext of maintaining a so-called custom, which, otherwise, does not function as such. Nothing to do with what we call custom in osmosis of culture and education. The "lampratzies" are ultimately another mirror of ours. And what is reflected today urgently calls us to redefine what culture means in practice.
When, in the name of a custom, there are phenomena of cutting down trees and stealing private property, using firecrackers in a way that even causes amputations, causing damage and destruction in public spaces, schools, churches, etc., then we are talking about another great symptom of delinquent behaviour. The custom ceases to serve its deeper meaning, which consists of a celebration of life and is transformed into another form of vandalism.
The Church expresses its reservation even about the safety around holy places, especially at the holiest moment of the Resurrection Divine Liturgy. That is why he clarified that the maintenance of the habit could only be done under serious conditions. The phenomenon should be completely controlled and at a safe distance from the churches, it should be adequately supervised by the Authorities and especially the faithful should be able to focus on the unfading light of the Resurrection and not on external deafening noises of impression. Once upon a time, yes, this custom also expressed the solemn, joyful joy of the Resurrection, but today it has deviated and fallen into another element of barbarism...
Spokesperson of the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus
Andreas Vyras: The custom has nothing to do with nuisance
To be honest, the Police this year shows more determination in some phenomena. However, I repeat that this phenomenon observed from Christmas until today has nothing to do with custom. It is an issue from which lives are at risk, it is within the wider framework of delinquency and we must find a way to limit it and for citizens to be able to live in peace during this time. And not entire neighbourhoods not being able to turn a blind eye, and most importantly not to endanger the lives of young people, such as last year's incident in Strovolos and the accidents with firecrackers and everything that has been observed in recent years.
As a local government, we collected hundreds of tons of wood, which also burdens us with a significant cost. But we are on the front line 24 hours a day, precisely to remove dangers from which large fires can arise due to the lamps.
I believe that the legislation already exists and lighting a fire is prohibited. Therefore, it is not a matter of completely abolishing the custom of lampratzia, but of applying the law. There is nothing that allows this thing. The custom is on Holy Saturday in the churches and where there is a lampratzia for a custom no one says anything, on the contrary we help this situation. However, if a fire is lit in every neighbourhood a month before Easter, I fail to understand what it has to do with the custom. We are not talking about the custom of Holy Saturday next to churches, such as in Agios Giannis in Larnaca. This is a classic example of lambratzia in the context of custom, with which no one has a problem. But all these phenomena observed with clashes, stones and nuisances cannot be linked to the custom.
