On August 14, 2024, at 16:26, the article discusses the miraculous event on the island of Kefalonia that remains unexplained to this day.
Every year on the eve and day of August 15th, a small village in Kefalonia draws attention as it becomes filled with snakes, known as the "Snakes of the Virgin Mary."
These snakes, considered a good omen, appear at the church of Panagia Lagouvarda, also known as Panagia Fidousa. The harmless snakes, with black crosses on their heads and tongues, enter the church in swarms seeking refuge before disappearing for another year.
The phenomenon of the snakes is a complete mystery. Some claim that the church's location is simply a migratory route, while locals believe that the snakes are the result of a divine miracle.
Many believe that their absence is an ominous sign, possibly signaling bad luck for the coming year.
"We have been witnessing the miracle of the presence of the Virgin Mary's snakes in Kefalonia for many years. It's a living and real event that annually reveals her presence in our lives," says Archimandrite Fotios Gavrielatos to a local Kefalonian outlet.
According to tradition, the origin of this miracle lies in the village of Markopoulo, where there once was a wealthy women's monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary. One day, as pirates were approaching to loot the monastery, the nuns prayed to the Virgin Mary for protection.
The Virgin performed a miracle, surrounding the monastery with snakes that frightened the pirates away. Since then, snakes have appeared annually from the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6th until the Assumption on August 15th, hanging from icons, lamps, and pews without harming anyone.
The snakes' presence is a sign of the ongoing miracle, showing people that "where God wills, the order of nature is overcome."
These snakes, which cannot be classified by experts into any known species, are gray, slender, and no more than a meter long. Their skin is velvety, and a small cross forms on their heads and the tips of their tongues.
Known for their miraculous and harmless nature, the snakes are touched without fear by the faithful and are one of the main reasons people visit the island during the Assumption.
