Let the carnival begin! Apokria is here and you’re bound to see parents holding the hands of their excited little ones who are dressed as knights and princesses and kings and superheroes as echoes of laughter fill the streets.
Every year, in the weeks leading up to Lent, Greece bursts into a kaleidoscope of color, music, and revelry as it prepares to celebrate the funnest time of the year: Apokries or Carnival Greek style!
Many of the Greek carnival traditions that you can experience in cities and towns across Greece date back to ancient practices and Orthodox rituals.
The celebrations, which include food, fun, masquerading and parades build up over a period of three weeks, each holding special significance.
The festivities come to a close on Sunday with a grand parade and culminate on Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera), which officially marks the end of excess as we settle down for the 40 days of Lent ahead of Orthodox Easter.
Origins and Symbolism
Apokries means “avoiding meat” (from the Greek “apo” and “kreas”) has its roots in ancient festivals which honored the god of wine and ecstasy Dionysus.
These Dionysian festivals which included wild dancing, theatrical performances, and feasting, later merged with Christian customs, shifting the focus from indulgence to fasting in preparation for Easter.
The core themes of Apokria is transformation and renewal and a central aspect of many of traditional events that still take place across Greece is social and political satire. That’s why during the closing Carnival parade – the largest has traditionally been in the port town of Patra – King Carnival is usually a Greek politician.
Traditional Festivities and Happenings
The three weeks of Apokria are: Profoni or the week carnival is announced setting the tone for festivities and feasts. Kreatini (Meat Week), the week meat is traditionally consumed before Lent, marked by Tsiknopempti or Smoky Thursday. And, lastly, Tyrini (Cheese Week), which is the final week before Lent and carnival reaches its peak with parades, masquerades, and rituals mostly in Northern Greece.
In the last week, towns and cities hold grand parades, costume parties, and street shows, and of course, Patra takes center stage. This is the heart of Greek carnival with 24-hour revelry and massive parades featuring elaborate floats, satirical performances, and at last the burning of the Carnival King at the port.
Other towns with wonderful Apokria traditions are Xanthi, Rethymno (Crete), and Corfu with its Venetian-style mask parties.
The main element of Apokries is masquerading (“karnavali”), which gives us the chance to temporarily step out of our often hectic lives and into a different ‘lighter’ identity. Unlike Halloween, which focuses on spooky themes, Apokries or Greek carnival costumes are mostly playful, humorous, grotesque at times, satirically touching on politics, sexual orientation and hidden desires.
Symbolic Rituals and Customs
Apokries traditions carry a deep symbolism, reflecting themes of fertility, renewal, and social cohesion. Events like these include the much-loved “Gaitanaki” Dance with its colorful ribbons symbolizing unity and the cycle of life; the “Koudounatoi” men dressed in animal bells and skins, evoking ancient fertility rituals on the islands of Lesvos and Skyros; and the Burning the Carnival King which marks the end of excess and the beginning of cleansing through Lent to welcome spring.
A Celebration of Greek Spirit
Apokries comes to a wonderful close on Clean Monday, which is celebrated outdoors and includes a frugal menu of seafood and lagana flatbread and lots of kite flying. The day welcomes the coming of spring and the renewal of spirit.
Find out where the best carnival events take place in Athens here.
