The meaning of Apokries as celebrated in

Greece’s season, known Αποκριά) souls would came back from Hades as Apokries, is a period which This is called the Triodio (Τριώδιο) so the people surrounded their traditionally begins ten weeks The characteristic of Carnival is sacred places with a red thread, thus before Greek Orthodox and disguising and wearing costumes preventing them from entering. culminates on the weekend before and masks that offer anonymity Patras organises the largest carnival ‘Clean ’, (Ash Monday) – and freedom of expression. This held in Greece. Other prominent when carnival celebrations reach festival dates to Dionysus, the are held at Xanthi, their climax. started on ancient Greek god of wine, fun and Rethymno, and Tyrnavos. Wednesday, March 1, 2017 this fertility. Held in late February and year, and ends on Saturday, April early March the Dionysian festivals In Athens people have masquerade 15th 2017, a period of 40 days. also celebrated the rebirth of nature parties and the goal is to dress up marked by the beginning of Spring. so as not to be recognised. People The word Αποκριά or Απόκρεω In ancient times the celebrations wander the streets dressed in (Apokria) literally means ‘without were over a period of three days masquerade garb, hitting strangers meat’ and the word carnival comes whereas today they are held over on the head with a club (naturally from the Latin ‘carnem levare’ three weeks. In Athens, on the first only a plastic club). Friends get meaning ‘without meat’. The period day they would open the jars of the together and knock on other of ‘carnivale’ is a preparation to new wine and made libations to friends’ doors in dress-up and in fast during the period of Lent Dionysus, singing to thank the god this case as well as at a party one which follows, but the origins of for the wine and on this day the must guess who is hiding behind this revelry can be traced to Greek Athenians allowed their slaves to the dress-up and the mask. paganism. The festival begandrink with them. In modern times Apokria ends centuries, if not millennia, ago. On the second day, there was a on Clean Monday (Καθαρή History is full of festivals associated procession of entry to the city of Δευτέρα). On Clean Monday, the with fertility symbols and rites. Dionysus on a boat with wheels, koulouma (κούλουμα) are held Some historians and archaeologists on the boat there were people where everybody goes off to the believe that fertility rites are one of disguised as Satyrs teasing the countryside, eats Lenten food, and the oldest forms of religious rites in people with profanities creating joy. fly’s kites. Greece. Other Satyrs were dressed in animal Apokries is celebrated with Apokries last for three weeks prior skins or evergreen plants and one great gusto on Kythera, as the to Lent and covers twenty-two days man aimed to look like a billy goat photographs testify. and three Sundays. with a high propensity to sexuality; Apokries is one of the few Greek First Sunday is the Sunday of the this male goat symbolised the god traditions that has not transplanted Prodigal son Dionysus who was ‘married off’ to well in Australia; probably because Second Sunday is the Sunday of the wife of the archon of the city in the dates here are 6 months Small Carnival a ‘sacred marriage’. removed from Spring – coinciding Third Sunday is the Sunday of the On the third day koliva (κόλυβα) with the beginning of the southern Big Carnival ( Sunday) were dedicated to the god Hermes, hemisphere Autumn. Or in Greek: who accompanied the souls to the Κυριακή του Ασώτου after-life and by doing this it was Κυριακή της Απόκρεω (μικρή believed that the departed souls αποκριά) came back amongst the living on Κυριακή της Τυρινής (Μεγαλη this day. But it was feared that dark 36 The Kytherian April 2017 Apokries in Kythera 2017

Photos courtesy of John Tzortzopoulos of Platea Amos

The Kytherian April 2017 37