NIGHT
LIFE IN CYPRUS AND THE PLATE SMASHING RITUAL
Cyprus is
one island that promises a lot and delivers! And that includes night life. The
huge range includes stylish cafes and bars, pubs, jet set beach clubs, chic
lounges, music bars and pulsating dance clubs. Relax, chill out or dance the
night away, and get ready to have the best time! Nightspots are always included
in tours around Cyprus.
The cities that figure prominently are Limassol, Ayia
Napa and Larnaca. Nicosia, Protaras, Pernera, Paphos and other cities do have
their night spots but at a subdued scale when compared to the other cities
mentioned. Nightlife in Protaras not quite as lively as Ayia Napa but regular
buses from Pernera and Protaras will get you to swinging Ayia Napa in half an
hour. Dress is fairly casual – this is not an environment where you’ll be
restricted from wearing your flip flops in hot weather – but since most also
cater to the young, hip crowd, stylish, hip clothes are welcome too. When you
go clubbing, be aware that most locals don’t even hit the clubs until around 2
a.m., if you’re seeking the company of locals. These cities are major tourist
attractions in Cyprus during the day, but equally prominent when your trip for sightseeing
in Cyprus includes night life.
Limassol
nightlife has gone down slightly with the close of Galatex (a strip of bars
near the beach), however, there is still a vibrant bar scene. Some of the
better known places for a great late evening in Limassol in the Tourist Area are
the Step Inn; the iconic Basement Club; the Rumours Bar; the Breeze - Club,
Restaurant & Café; the Gioia Bar; the Guaba Beach Bar, open only in the
summers and the Cote D'Azure. The more lavish nightspots are a bit more
expensive and dress conscious, like Caprice Restaurant & Lounge Bar at
Londa Hotel; the Dizzy Bizzy Café Bar on the coastal road in Limassol at Ayios
Athanasios, with its iconic electric green logo; the Dolce Club, just off
Amathounta beach, a fantastic, one of a kind, cosmopolitan night club and the
epitome of luxury and style. On the beach, the Waves Beach Bar, the Four
Seasons Hotel and the Elias Beach Hotel with free parking recommend themselves.
As is well known, Limassol is one of the most modern tourist attractions in
Cyprus.
Ayia Napa
has some of the best night life in Europe. With a wide choice of clubs and over
80 bars, there truly is something for everyone in Ayia Napa. Most of the bars
around the main square and strip in Ayia Napa open at around 8 pm. They don't
get busy though until around 11 pm. The clubs open at around 1 am. The bars on
and around the main square in Ayia Napa start to fill up around 11 pm and this
is where the music is loud, sitting down is a no-no and the atmosphere is
electric. There is no dress code in Ayia Napa, so you will see a massive range
of styles and clothing choices including fancy dress.
Everything
from Dubstep, Trance, Party, Rock, and anything in between can be heard as the
streets throng with the pre-club crowd. Expect dancing on the bars, lots of
exposed flesh and plenty of flirting. Ayia Napa is a sexy place in the summer
and the hours of midnight until 4 am is when things get hot. People spill out
of bars all over the centre of Ayia Napa turning the streets into one big
party. Ayia Napa hosts Destino. Although Destino is described as a cafe-bar,
that is some understatement! Destino is simply the place to be!! Liquid Cafe
Bar, Cafe Central, Jello and Fresh provide a lot of noise and fun. The White
Rock VIP Bar & Club is an awesome
place to chill out with friends. The ultra-trendy Pepper Bar - Lounge at the
Napa Plaza Hotel is a fancy Café Bar in the afternoon and a smashing outdoor
venue at night. In fact, Ayia Napa is one the prime places to see in Cyprus,
extending well into the next day!
Club Aqua,
in the basement of the Pambos Magic Hotel in the centre of Ayia Napa is one of
the most popular late night clubs and after party venues in Ayia Napa. With
capacity of 700, Aqua Club is open until breakfast time. Black N White is an
urban music club, situated in the heart of Ayia Napa, just off the square;
Carwash Disco’s party atmosphere has been drawing crowds ever since it opened
in 1996; the Castle Club is the largest club in Ayia Napa as well as in the
whole of Cyprus and Club Ice is one of Ayia Napa's larger clubs.
As for Larnaca,
The Preserve Lounge Bar on the historic Ermou Street has been a cornerstone of
Larnaka's night scene for many years with throbbing energy and vibes. Blue
Martini Club on Makenzy Beach, offers the perfect summer nightlife; don't miss
Blue Martini's Greek Nights every Sunday. The Burlesque comes to life at night,
combining good music along with original, colorful cocktails from every corner
of the earth. The Geometry Club is one the hottest clubs in town, artistically
designed with retro lighting. Club Deep features mainstream, Greek hits, RnB,
house and old school. The Meeting Pub & Cafeteria, the Vogue Exclusive Club,
the Caramel Disco and the Plateia Club are also popular. These cities are part
of Cyprus tours, including those that Aphrodite’s Tours conducts.
Plate Smashing at Celebrations:
Pulsating
night life aside, what everyone wants to know about is the tradition of
smashing plates or glasses during celebratory occasions. Such an occasion
would, of course, not arise in the nightlife discussed above, but is often seen
in celebratory functions in smaller Bars and Nightclubs. The origin is not
exactly known; in its earliest form, plate smashing may be a survival of the
ancient custom of ritually ‘killing’ the ceramic vessels used for feasts
commemorating the dead. The voluntary breaking of plates, a type of controlled
loss, may also have helped participants in dealing with the deaths of their
loved ones, a loss which they could not control. Breaking plates may also be
related to the ancient practice of conspicuous consumption, a display of one's
wealth, as plates or glasses are thrown into a fireplace following a banquet
instead of being washed and reused.
Since plate
breaking often occurs at happy occasions, it may have begun as a way of fooling
malicious spirits into thinking that the event was a violent one instead of a
celebration. Worldwide, noise is believed to drive away evil, and the sound of
the plates smashing against the stone or marble floors of the houses would be
loud enough to scare off almost anything. Another school of thought says that a
plate might also be broken when two lovers parted, so that they would be able
to recognise each other by matching the two halves even if many years passed
before they met again. Small split versions of the mysterious Phaistos disk are
used by modern Greek jewellers this way, with one half kept and worn by each of
the couple.
New twists to an old tradition: In recent times, smashing plates
has been used to attract attention to Greek restaurants in Cyprus, with ‘plate
smashers’ stationed at the doors to periodically toss down another plate and
attract the attention of passersby. Some Greek restaurants even cater to the
need of clients to break plates by designating a special ‘smashing area’. Many
countries, including Britain and Greece, are regulating the ritualised breaking
of plates, with mandated safety measures.
What is
known is that it is an import from Greece, where knives used to be thrown at
the feet of performing artistes, with a warning shout of ‘Opa’ in deference to
the performer. As may be expected, there were many casualties and knives were
replaced by plates and glasses. This practice continues to be seen on joyous
occasions, such as weddings and birthdays, etc. The crockery is thrown onto the
ground and stamped with gusto during the celebration. This form of fun was
banned in Greece in 1969 by the military dictatorship of G. Papadopoulos that
had suspended democracy and ruled Greece autocratically from 1967-1974.
While the
ban on plate smashing came to the great disappointment of locals and foreign
tourists alike in Greece, it was not applicable to Cypriots. With time, as more
and more Greeks came to Cyprus, the practice also died down. Today, it is no
longer officially allowed at nightclubs, but still takes place occasionally for
private celebrations. The host purchases specially-produced plaster plates,
which are less expensive or dangerous, and easier to break. Another modern
variation on the custom is for diners at small restaurants or tavernas to buy
trays of flowers that they can throw at singers and each other, with basket/tray
carrying flower girls selling their wares. Now you know what to do in Cyprus at
night.
