The "petrified" oil of Malevizi

The feast of Prophet Elias, on July 20th, is considered a milestone by the olive growers since, on this day, they believe that the olives are "oiled" (they are filled with oil).

During the last ten days of July, the olive fruit had grown (something that still happens today), so people looked for ways to assist the process by attributing the "oiling" of the olives (not to any natural process) but to the action of supernatural forces. The most common practice, known in the province of Malevizi, occurred at dawn on July 20th, when the olive growers would go to their fields, and before the sun rose, they would "stone" the oil from the trees. Specifically, they took stones and placed them on the logs (on the fork or anywhere else they could stand). This special folk ritual of "stoning" was preserved in Malevizi until the Second World War. Many elderly residents today remember it as a childhood experience, thus keeping the tradition of their place.