The New Year's Eve "silent water" custom on Mytilene

ew Year's Eve: The custom of the "silent water"
The fountains in the center of the church run unceasingly with water, whereby the faithful, after worshiping the image of the Virgin with Christ, wash their faces. They then fill their jugs with 'holy water', that is, from the fountains, and take their vessels with them (usually clay), and with an olive branch or a branch of myrtle, they go home for the "podariko" the first entrance in the house for New Year's good luck.

An essential prerequisite for the success of the "podariko" is that one who carries water does so without speaking. That is to say, the water is 'silent'.

He is followed by the "footman" at home by his "patron" or the eldest member of the family. The myrtle branch or olive branch is fixed to the door. The pomegranate is broken by force on the first step, and the stone is thrown together with coins inside the house to make everyone strong "like a stone". Then comes the splashing of the house with the "silent" water.