-According to legend, when Drama was conquered by the Turks in 1830, the small church of Agia Barbara was demolished to build a mosque in its place. The plans of the conquerors, however, changed, as on the day of Saint Barbara, the area was flooded with water and so the mosque was never built. Since then, Saint Barbara became the patron saint of Drama and directly opposite the lake with the foundations, the new church dedicated to the Saint who saved her small church was built.
-The tradition is followed by the custom of the boats, which has two versions: according to the first version, on the eve of Saint Barbara after the litany, the people sent their candle for the Saint on a wooden board to the sunken chapel. The second version is based on the fact that Saint Barbara, in addition to being the patron saint of artillery, was also the patron saint of girls who protected them from tongue-eating and helped the "luck" of their marriage. So all the free girls on December 3rd, during Vespers and as soon as it got dark, lit candles on the eastern wall of the lake. Some girls put their candles on wooden boards and together with a wish they sent them to the sunken church of Agia Barbara. The course of the board in the lake showed whether the wish could come true. If the candle went out it was considered a failure but hope remained, as the next morning all the girls went down to the lake again to wash with the water that Saint Barbara had consecrated the night before. Nowadays, young and old go on the eve of Saint Barbara, to the waters of the springs, to launch their own improvised boat separately. The preparation begins many days before the eve of the celebration, when groups, families, associations, try in every possible way, using environmentally friendly materials, to be original. Tradition says that the boat that will be able to float ensures its owner the fulfillment of the wish he made when he threw it.
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