Stanos

Stanos is an exquisite village, 8km from Arnaia, to the south. Its characteristics are its neat appearance, the excellent climate (520m altitude), the wonderful vegetation that surrounds it, the large valley to the west and the… voices of happy children! It is the second village of Greece with the most families that have many children and the signs on the main road show that most residents are occupied in construction. Since they are perfect builders they could not have left their houses neglected.

According to local historic sources and oral testimonies, there are many versions regarding the name of the village. One of them is that it was named after Stanos, a General of Alexander the Great, who passed through the village. Another is that it was named after the Latin adjective “Stanus-a-um” which means a region that holds water for a long period of time. The third one is that it was named after a metal that existed in an old mine in the “Chalkoma” position. The fourth is that it was named after the sheepfolds (“stanes” in greek) that every family had next to their houses. During Ottoman rule, Stanos was integrated to the community of Arnaia. In 1922 it became a separate community.

Another peculiarity of Stanos is the local patroness St. Chaido, celebrated on September 1. She was a new martyr who was born and lived here during the Ottoman years. The church has been built in recent years to honor her, by initiative of the priest Nicholas Halkias and the support of Stanos residents. Vespers are chanted on the eve of the celebration, and Divine Liturgy and procession of the picture take place on the day of the celebration, with the participation of the Bishop and many priests. Next, the traditional “kourbani”, where everyone is offered a free dinner, takes place in the church.