The Carnival period in Greece!!!
By the word Carnival – Latin in origin, the
corresponding Greek word being apókreo or apokria – we
mean the three-week period before Ash Monday when it
is the custom to masquerade. Literally “Apokria” means
to say goodbye to the period of meat-eating, or
abstinence from meat (Apo-kreo = away from meat). In the same way the
word “Carnival” is made up from the words carne (= meat) and vale (= take
leave of).
Carnival is essentially the period leading up to Lent and the
preparation for the biggest holiday of Christianity, Easter. It
allows people to have some fun before Lent starts on Ash
Monday. During Lent, Christians fast to mentally and
physically prepare themselves to participate in the Passion of
Christ during the Holy Week.
Carnival is essentially the period leading up to Lent and the
preparation for the biggest holiday of Christianity, Easter. It allows
people to have some fun before Lent starts on Ash
Monday. During Lent Christians fast to mentally and
physically prepare themselves to participate in the
Passion of Christ during Holy Week.
The roots of the Carnival customs can be traced back to
antiquity. They are related to the celebrations in honour of the god
Dionysus, where enthusiasm, gaiety and banter prevailed. When
Christianity became the dominant religion, elements of ancient Greek
worship were incorporated into the customs and traditions pertaining to
the period before Lent.
Since the 19th century, Carnival starts on the Sunday of Teloni and
Fariséou and ends on Shrovetide Sunday. In the past, the festive
atmosphere was created by groups of masqueraded
people who at night roamed the streets and the
neighbourhoods, singing ribald and satirical songs.
However, with the passage of time, standardised
celebrations with fancy costumes and floats
organised by the local communities prevailed to a
larger or smaller extent, to the detriment of the
older, more spontaneous celebrations.
However, carnival is closely related to
the cultural heritage of each region and in
many parts of the country substantial efforts
have been made in recent years to revive
traditional carnival customs. Dominant
elements in these customs are the phallus
symbols and satire, which centres on local
events or focuses on current Greek and
international issues.
Carnival Celebrations in various parts of Greece
Different customs accompany different areas of Greece the most
important of which are pointed right below!!
Carnival in the Peloponnese
PATRA
The Patra Carnival is one of the most important events, not only in the
city's own area, but in the country as a whole.
The opening ceremony is the starting-point of the events and at the same
time an invitation to the people of Patra to take an active part in it.
The main features of event itself in recent years have been the high
spirits of the carnival, the oath of participation and the decoration of the
city centre, as well as the first official appearance of the Carnival Queen
and the Carnival train which leaves Athens and passes through many other
cities.
Visitors have the
opportunity to
participate in events
such as IDOMATA,
BOURBOULIA,
MOONS, BABY
RALLY, and the
NIGHT PARADE on the eve of the last Sunday.
On the second Thursday of the Carnival - Tsiknopempti - and for four
days and nights, more than 30,000 people take part in carnival
celebrations, most of whom are active members of the Treasure Hunt,
while more than 300,000 people have the opportunity to have fun
watching the parades, dancing and singing.
THE BOURBOULIA
The BOURBOULIA, together with the
Treasure Hunt, are the oldest (1872 aprox.)
and most popular events of the Patra Carnival.
All residents of the area, together with other
revellers from all over Greece or from abroad,
participate in the fun.
In the old times, women couldn't go out at night and have fun during
carnival celebrations.
The BOURBOULIA gave women the opportunity to participate in this
Carnival Ball. They had to wear black dominoes (a kind of black dress with
a hood) as well as a mask, while men were uncovered and normally dressed.
In this way, women couldn't be recognised, and thus had the opportunity
to flirt.
Of course, nowadays things
have changed, but the
BOURBOULIA Ball still retains
its magic.
In the evening of the last
Sunday of the Carnival, the Carnival King is called upon to bid farewell to
his subjects and to arrange a date for next year.
The customary meeting of all crews on the central quay of the harbour,
the announcement of the winners of the Treasure Hunt, the farewell of
the Carnival King, the endless dancing and the astonishing fireworks are
unforgettable memories for the visitors.
Carnival in Thrace
XANTHI
In Xanthi, during carnival, people celebrate the revival of the old custom
of Tzaros or Tzarous (female). According
to local tradition, Tzaros or Tzarous was a
human effigy, placed on top of a pile of
holm-oak brush-wood. On the last Sunday
of carnival, it was burnt in the open, in a
square or on a hill, so that they would not
have fleas during summer. This custom was
brought by refugees from Samakov in
Eastern Thrace and is re-enacted each year by the inhabitants of
Samakov village, near the bridge over the River Kosynthos at Xanthi. The
word "Tzaros" comes from the particular noise of burning wood (the
sizzling sound).
Immediately afterwards a phantasmagoric fireworks demonstration
follows.
Carnival in Central Macedonia
NAOUSSA
During the days of carnival, townspeople relive the traditional custom
called "BOULAS" and that of the "JANISSARY" - GENITSAROS. There
is a parade with traditional and satirical costumes. The history of the
dance group goes back to 1705. In that year the people of Naoussa
honoured the memory of their young fellow-citizens, who fell in the
struggle against the Turks. They appear during
carnival dressed in the uniforms of the freedomfighters with wax masks and breastplates made out
of thousands of silver coins. The costumes, the music
and the dances are all authentic and have been
handed down from generation to generation without
any modern influences. The dance troupes,
accompanied by the town band, dance in the streets
and in many of the taverns, where they are treated
to the local wine, apples and other food. These events
begin in the morning and continue until late into the night.
Carnival in Western Macedonia
KOZANI
The most interesting local celebration
during the carnival are the FANOI (great
bonfires) lit at the squares of Kozani,
where local people sing and dance around
them. All celebrations become more exciting on the Sunday of the last
week when huge bonfires are lit all over the town which burn until the
early morning hours.
Carnival in Cyclades
NAXOS
According to tradition, the island of Naxos is considered to be the
birthplace of the god Dionysos.
The celebrations start on the first Saturday of the carnival, with the
slaughter of pigs and other festivities.
At noon on the last Sunday of the carnival, in the
village called Apiranthos, the Koudounati (people
who bear bells) make their appearance. They
wear cloaks and hoods and go around the village
creating a lot of noise and speaking and behaving
in a provocative way. They also carry a piece of
wood, called somba, similar to the Dionysian
phallus.
The group is joined by other carnival figures such as the Yeros (old man),
the Gria (old lady) and the Bear. Among the festivities organised by
the Koudounati, the visitor can also admire the Bride's Wedding, Death,
the Resurrection of the Dead and the Ploughing.
On Ash Monday, in the villages of Potamia, Kaloxido, Livadia and others,
the Kordelati or Levendes make
their appearance, called so because
they wear ribbons (Kordeles) on fez and
shoulders.
The Kordelati wear the foustanella, the
traditional Greek kilt. They are also known as
the Levendes, a nick-name they got from the
pirates. They are followed by the "robbers", who grab the local girls,
forcing them to join in the dancing and celebrations, which last until dawn.