Loukoumades are traditionally made in Corfu from the feast of Saint Dimitrios on the 26th of October to the 11th of December, the day before the feast of Corfu’s patron saint and protector, Agios Spyridon. According to tradition, during the overnight service on the eve of the feast of Saint Spyridon, the faithful would eat tiganites (similar to today’s loukoumades) at the Church of Saint Spyridon to help combat fatigue. Today, on the eve of the feast day, the whole town smells of loukoumades as they are prepared in homes and sold in shops and by street vendors or offered by organisations, associations or societies. It is a custom known as the 'tiganites of St Spyridon' and has been included in the Culture Ministry’s list of intangible cultural heritage of Greece.