Welcome to August in Cyprus – the month of paradoxes and opportunities

Time stands still in August. At least in Cyprus, it does. Shops close, work is paused, tourists are in, locals are out. Cultural life is brimming, the beaches are packed, and inland cities are empty. Some love to catch planes, others like to stay put, and all try to avoid the unbearable heat.

Without rushing to gym classes, afternoon clubs or appointments, August offers one of its greatest gifts: time. There’s space to breathe. Perseid meteor showers and bright full moons add a whimsical note to the month.

There is a slowness in the air, a sluggish feeling – sometimes due to the heat – but also because most people are ready to set their Out of Office emails – and what a delicious feeling that is!

In many ways, August feels like the New Year as many get ready for the start of the new academic season. Perhaps a more realistic time for resolutions than in the dead of winter. Is it not much easier to think about what you want and what is possible when life is quieter? Definitely not after heavy lunches, excessive gift shopping and obligatory family visits.

Despite it being the official holiday month, not everyone experiences it the same way. So how do Cypriots really feel about August in Cyprus?

“August to me feels like an exhale,” says Panayiota Karayianni, who splits her time between Romania and Cyprus. “People rush into holidays in August, chasing entertainment and pleasure, but there is not much you can do in a month like this. Instead, I try to remember this month for what it is.

“It is the month of holidays, yes, but it is also the Holy-days,” she says. “There is something about August that feels sacred. A month to stay still, and when the island celebrates one of its biggest religious days, the Dormition of the Mother, on August 15. And with the cicadas singing loudly, I like to go into silence, eat figs and go to the beach – never on the weekends though!”

For Nicosia resident Evita Michaelidou, there is an unwritten August law that it is time to slow down. “Especially during the middle of the month,” she says. “Everyone is in this mode of relaxation. There is an anticipation in the air.

“August is not like other months,” she adds. “It is only this one that has this special feeling. For some, it may be the last summer month,” even if the high temperatures continue.

“I rarely take time off around August 15,” adds Evita. “When you are not bound by the school break, it is easier to go on holiday during off-peak season and enjoy the silence of the office in the middle of summer.

“Plus, I really enjoy being in Nicosia in August. I get to rediscover my city. I pay attention to life differently – the cicadas, the quiet streets, the balcony nights and the breeze in the trees.”

Avid traveller Andreas Constantinou says he, too, prefers to stay in the city in mid-August. Not only can it be productive thanks to quiet offices, but “it’s also easy to find a spot for coffee or drinks, compared to the coastal areas.”

As for summer trips, he finds them a bit overrated: “Travelling abroad in summer is a bad idea – most destinations are overcrowded and overpriced, airports are chaotic, and rising temperatures in Europe have made it unbearable. Plus, why leave when we already live in a summer destination?”

33-year-old teacher and mum Irene Joannides enjoys a long summer, yet this month signals the looming start of the new school year. “August always had mixed feelings for me,” she shares. “It’s mine and my daughter’s birthday month – a double joy – my husband is off as well, so we take our annual family holiday, which is nice.

“But it feels like the last month of summer because I start work in September. In July, you think ‘okay, I’ve got one more month’, but in August, you feel it’s getting closer. Plus, in August, all of the ‘Back to School’ adverts begin!”

And for teachers, parents and those in education, August signifies one more important, and stressful, occasion – exam results.

“If you asked me 15 years ago, how I felt about August, I’d tell you it was the most intense month of the year,” says Marlene Michaelidou, a career coach and counsellor.

“In mid-August, when A-Levels results are announced, my phone would not stop ringing. That week meant calls with parents and university admissions. It was holiday season, my birthday week, but my busiest work period! I’d get my break in mid-September, when students would leave for university.

“Nowadays, in the way I have transformed my work, August has gained a new meaning. It’s slower, swimming suits and flip-flops are my usual August attire. Still, evening swims and wet walks back home bring back that beautiful feeling of carefree freedom that marked our childhood summers in Kyrenia,” she adds.

Summer begins and ends in August for many. We save up our summer desires for this holiday month, trying to fit in scheduled rest, fun and travel. Yet the energy of August is not one of checking off to-do lists, but taking it easy.

In general, Cyprus does this well. Good luck getting an email answer in the middle of August. How do you explain to someone who does not live and work in Cyprus that this is a universal holiday period? We can always blame the heat!