Chios To Light Up Sky With Rocket War

The rocket war or "Rouketopolemos" on the island of Chios is ready to ignite the sky and just like every year thousands of tourists have flooded to this island in order to take part in this explosive event tonight. This traditional event is held every Greek Orthodox Easter in the city of Vrontados (Βροντάδος). As a variation of the Greek habit of throwing fireworks during the celebration of the service at midnight before Easter Sunday, two rival church congregations in the town take part in this "rocket war" by firing thousands of rockets across the town. There are two variations as to how this tradition began. The first stems from the 19th century, when the Ottoman occupiers confiscated the canon over fear they would be used in a uprising. So locals resorted to fire rockets instead. The second story states that the tradition started under Ottoman occupation because its residents were prohibited to celebrate Easter so they decided to stage a fake war between two churches to keep the Ottomans away while they celebrated the Resurrection. Believe it or not, the trick apparently worked.