Carnival in Greece, known as Apokries, is a vibrant three-week celebration rooted in ancient Greek traditions and the worship of Dionysus, filled with disguises, laughter, and spectacular parades. The community actively participates in comedic acts and processions, reviving the ambiance of antiquity.

Celebration and Symbolism: 
​Apokries is considered a time of release, a chance to escape the monotony of daily life by expressing passions (the Greek “pathos”)  through disguises and revelry, against a backdrop of camaraderie and libations.

Though Apokries does not originate from Orthodox traditions, it is now closely linked to Easter. Positioned three weeks before Great Lent, the fasting period of Easter, it concludes on the Sunday of Apokreo, the last day meat consumption is permitted by Orthodox tradition. The term "apó-kreo" literally translates to "away from meat," heralding the upcoming fast. Note that Apokries is considered a 'movable feast' as its timing follows Easter, which itself does not have a fixed date each year.
The festivities, also known as the carnival, climax on the final Sunday with an abundance of events. The day is dominated by dramatic acts and merrymaking, with masqueraders filling the streets in a spectacle of joy and euphoria.

The carnival presents a chance for carefree joy, delivering moments of lighthearted fun and entertainment.​

People spontaneously disguise themselves, usually in small groups, and entertain by playfully provoking friends with harmless pranks. They dance and sing in the streets, laugh and drink, infecting everyone present with their high spirits, from the youngest to the oldest, in a ceaseless celebration that lasts until the early hours of Clean Monday. These customs continue today, albeit in a milder form.
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In the past, the carnival was organized in every city in Greece, and even today, it takes place in most major cities, with Patras' carnival being the most famous. The event is well-organized, prepared months in advance, and includes thematic groups with masqueraders and floats, dance, music, satire, and various local customs. A large number of people, especially children, participate in the parades, enjoyed by the entire community.

Cultural Representation

As a social and cultural event, the disguises often embody local character and serve as occasions for ceremonial representations, or rather parodies, of wedding processions. Iconic figures include the bride and groom, the old codger, the ashman holding a sack of ashes to scatter on those attempting to disrupt the wedding, the doctor, and the gypsy. Other characters include the Bey, participants dressed in goat-like costumes, the Sheep Bell-bearers, and the iconic 'Bambooger,' figures whose names alone bring laughter, adding variety and a sense of community to the festivities.
The diversity of participants highlights the rich and layered culture that continues to inspire Greeks.
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Beyond masks

The term "maskaras," meaning someone who wears a mask, dominates these days and is synonymous with the jester, a person who behaves in a recklessly foolish or ridiculous manner, known for engaging in masquerades. Beyond disguises, the maskaras is also associated with mockery and deception.
The tradition of disguising extends beyond just masks, colors, wigs, whistles, musical instruments, staves, tools, hats, and flashy fabrics. Individuals and groups take on the task of "dressing" entire vehicles, turning them into moving celebrations, inviting everyone to an unstoppable party that lasts until the early hours of Clean Monday.
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Then & Now​

In its older form, the carnival had a more spontaneous character than today. People disguised themselves using whatever makeshift means they had, creating funny and bizarre figures, sometimes even scary, with the aim of mocking, teasing, and entertaining. Organized in groups, they visited friends, acquaintances, and sometimes strangers at their homes to play pranks, pretending to be some figure trying to deceive the host about their true identity. It was essentially an improvised sketch, involving a lot of imagination, humor, inventiveness, color, texture, mimicry, and acting. They roamed from house to house, and the group gradually grew, walking the streets and causing commotion, like an ancient custom in honor of Dionysus, with plenty of drink and song, proclaiming their arrival.
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Today, in addition to traditional costumes for children and adults, satire involving political and social issues of current interest is common.

In conclusion, the jubilant celebration of Apokries reflects Greece's rich and multifaceted cultural heritage, blending ancient with contemporary, and remains one of the most distinctive and beloved periods for all, uniting people regardless of age through the liberating power of satire and entertainment.

What will you dress up as this year?

​This year, many official events have been canceled as Apokries coincides with the two-year anniversary of the railway accident at Tempi, an event that has shaken Greek society.
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Important dates

• Tsiknopempti. 20/2/25 Burnt or smoke Thursday. A day with various celebrations throughout Greece, where meat and its distinctive smell from grilled meats dominate. This scent had a place even in ancient sacrifices, where the gods enjoyed the smell of burnt offerings in a ceremony that brought gods and humans together through burning.
• Clean Monday. 3/3/2025 Apokries ends on Sunday night, and for some, in the early hours of Monday when fasting begins. Clean Monday is celebrated with seafood, taramasalata, and traditional lagana, a bread similar to focaccia. The last carnival-goers are usually those who go to the bakery first thing in the morning to buy fresh lagana and treat themselves to taramasalata and other delicacies, making the last jokes and sharing wishes for Lent ("Kali Sarakosti").

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