British woman sparks fury in Santorini by emptying ‘ashes of a loved one’ during walk through island’s famed narrow streets
A British woman has sparked fury on Santorini after she allegedly emptied the ashes of a loved one on the Greek island’s famed narrow streets.
Footage shared to social media showed the woman carrying a clear plastic container filled with what appears to be ash through the picturesque streets of Oia, on the north of the island.
She sprinkled the ashes as she and a group of other tourists walked by residents’ homes.
The group were heard singing Bob Marley’s iconic song ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’.
As the last of the ashes fell from the container, the group then burst into a round of applause.
It was reportedly the deceased’s last wish to have their ashes spread on the island.
But the video almost immediately sparked outrage from locals.
A representative of the local Chamber of Commerce was indignant when speaking about the matter to local media, calling the incident a ‘health bomb.’
Footage shared to social media showed the woman carrying a clear plastic container filled with what appears to be ash through the picturesque streets of Oia
She sprinkled the ashes as she and a group of other tourists walked by residents’ homes
They added: ‘You can’t just throw ash everywhere. It’s constantly windy on our island, so all this went everywhere, on passersby, shops and houses. Some limits must finally be set.’
While mourners do not generally need permission from Greek authorities to spread ashes, according to the UK’s foreign office, they can only be scattered in public under certain circumstances.
Remains can only be spread in designated memorial areas, or in remote natural areas.
Many choose to have their remains spread in the sea, with their loved ones taking a boat out before conducting a farewell ceremony.
Santorini, famed for its iconic whitewashed towns, has long struggled with tourists who clog up the island’s narrow streets and disrupt daily life.
Last year, Santorini introduced new rules and measures to manage the influx of visitors.
These measures include a tourist tax, restrictions on access and parking, and a proposed ‘saturation law’ limiting daily visitor numbers.
The Santorini incident isn’t the first time Britons have faced a backlash for spreading the ashes of loved ones in public places.
In 2024, a health scare was triggered among ‘panicked’ locals at a popular Turkish swimming spot after a group of British tourists waded into the sea to scatter the ashes of a loved-one.
The video almost immediately sparked outrage from locals
It was reportedly the deceased’s last wish to have their ashes spread on the island
Video shared by the Ibrox Bar Marmaris, a Rangers FC sports bar at the Uzunyalı beach, showed a large group of people embracing and sprinkling ashes just off the coast.
The family had reportedly travelled with the intent of spreading the ashes at the beach, the late relative’s favourite holiday spot, in a touching ceremonial tribute.
Health authorities in Marmaris, on the southern Aegean Coast, were reportedly prompted to pick up a hasty investigation following backlash from concerned locals about potential water contamination.
Swimmers warned that the spreading of ashes in popular waters just steps away from the coastline could endanger health.
Local reports later claimed the samples taken from the sea ‘had nothing to do with the incident’ and were part of a ‘routine inspection’, however.
While the process of cremation kills all potential microorganisms carrying health risks, the practice is not legal in Turkey and restrictions are in place to limit bringing ashes into the country.
