Carnival Traditions - Greece

 Maypole

The maypole is a traditional Greek custom. It is a tall wooden pole with 12 ribbons and each dancer grabs a ribbon and dances weaving it. The ribbons are 12 and symbolize the 12 months.

Burning of the Jaros

In the city of Xanthi, when the great carnival parade is over the “Jaros”, a  human dummy,is placed on top of a pile of  trees on the banks of  the river Kosynthos and they burn it.The local tradition says that  in this way they had no fleas during the summer. After the “burning of Jaros”, people party until the early hours of the morning.

Flour Smudging (Alevromoutzouromata)

At Galaxidi, a village in Southern Greece, locals are divided into groups that throw flour and colored powder at each other on Clean Monday. There is music and dancing all night long until all the flour bags are empty.

Spaghetti Man (Makaronas)

On the island of Kos the residents make a straw man effigy who is tied in the square in the presence of a judge and jury, on the charge that he ate all the spaghetti and the rest of the residents remained fasting. The Court's decision is to sentence him to death by firing squad.

by Anthi & Eleftheria