It has been suggested that around 1200 is one of the likeliest dates for the beginning of the origin of the local religious procession. Held on 23 April (or the first Sunday after), the patron saint's day of Saint George, the procession involves the carrying of a statue of the saint, hoisted onto the shoulders of a group of the devotees, accompanied by loud music, songs, folk dancing, competitions of all kinds, and stalls with sweets and toys. The statue itself is a carved wooden depiction of the saint, originally mounted but the current one is without horse, and it is placed upon a pedestal which is surrounded by garlands of local flowers, and illuminated by candles. The statue was once also plated in silver, but repeated attempts at theft (the most recent in 1981) resulted in the metal being removed.