Every year in February, Greece hosts a three-week carnival — Greek Maslenitsa! The holiday takes its name — «apocries» — from the name of the season in which the peasants ran out of meat: «apo kreas» — « without meat».
Apokries — is a tradition of the Greek outback. Traditionally, folk carnivals are held in different areas of Greece, where ancient traditions of dressing up have been preserved or restored. For example, in the cities of Patra, Xanthi, Serres, Naoussa, Grevena, Thebes, on the island of Chios, everything shakes from carnival processions and festivities. In these areas they managed to preserve local customs and rituals. Sparta, Hanti, Kefalonia and other cities host a chariot parade and carnival-suited processions.
The culmination of Apokries is the — «Cyknopemti» — day, when Greeks go out mummers onto the streets of cities and have a lot of fun, and Greek cuisine is replete with appearances. On this day, they traditionally eat fried meat before Lent and say: «Farewell to meat!». «Cicnizo» translated means « fry meat on fire».
In many villages in Greece, especially in the Peloponnese, there was a custom in the first week of «apokries» to cut a pig. A cross was scratched on the chest and three coals with incense were lit. Then, while eating fried pork, everyone wished each other long life. The children ate boiled pork liver, thus celebrating Maslenitsa.
During the days of «apokries», various superstitions and signs were resurrected, cheerful and sometimes obscene songs were sung, theatrical performances were staged, and feast and revelry reigned everywhere. These holidays helped the people forget about differences in social status, and provided the opportunity to sincerely express feelings and desires. And an opportunity to simply enjoy life.
These days, carnival is like all other carnivals. People go outside with firecrackers, serpentine, and masks. Children and youth are dressed in different costumes, which are sold and rented on every corner. And in the old days, when people had not yet traveled so much and so far and each lived in their own village, the festivities were more popular in nature. These days, men changed into women, and women — into men. Children burned large fires on the roads. The mummers walked around all the blocks of the city, dancing and holding hands.
Ends «apocries» on Clean Monday. The tradition of dressing up during the Apokries — period is ancient and is also associated with paganism. Therefore, Christianity does not welcome carnival.