Discover Greece as never before by deep diving into its most exhilarating national festivity, the Carnival, with our 2024 guide. This year, mark your calendar for March 17th as the key date of the thrilling Greek Carnival, or “Apokries,” unfolds, beckoning the adventurous soul to experience a side of Greece widely unseen by the casual visitor. This isn’t your average holiday getaway, it’s an invitation to those looking to explore the authentic essence of Greek culture beyond the tourist paths.
Apokries is a time of Dionysian festivities (pertaining to the ancient Greek god Dionysus, symbolising indulgence in wine and uninhibited revelry). It also marks the period before the solemn 40 days of Lent in the Greek Orthodox tradition, which for the devout, involves not eating meat. Meat in Greek is ‘kreas’, thus the Greek word for Carnival, ‘apokries’ meaning ‘abstaining from meat’.
While they may not mirror the extravagant size and bombastic popularity of Rio’s world famous Carnival, the Greek versions we present here each offer their own brand of rich ambience, unique traditions and thrilling revelry, with reenactments of pagan traditions, spirited dances and satirical jests that capture the essence of special communal gatherings, stories kept alive through the ages and free-flowign fun.
So don your mask and dance into a world where myths and contemporary magic merge in a stunning display.
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