All Dressed Up and Everywhere to Go
Party Time in GreeceIn Greece, you don't dress up in costumes for Halloween, you dress up for Apokries. It's a 3 week period preceding Lent. This year, the dates are from February 12 to March 5. All over Greece, you'll see children dressed up as princesses, pirates, cowboys and the villain in the movie "Scream". The custom is said to have pagan roots related to the Dionysian festivals celebrating the God of wine and feasts. The last day of Apokries is celebrated with carnivals. In Athens, the district of Moschato has a parade down the main street complete with festive music blaring over loudspeakers and entrants wearing elaborate costumes comparable to Mardi Gras celebrations around the world. The most popular carnival is held in Patra. By the end of Apokries, many adults will join in the fun and dress up as well.
The day after the carnival is called Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday) and most Greeks will celebrate it by flying kites. Quite a few Greeks still follow the tradition of excluding meat and eggs in their diet for the 40 days leading up to Easter. Many Athenians will head up to Mt. Philopappou hoping to get better winds to propel their kites higher and longer than the rest. Every time I go, I spend more time with my kite on the ground or disentangling it from the dozens of others around me. Hope springs eternal so maybe this is the year I'll actually manage to get mine aloft for more than two minutes and high enough so that when it eventually does its spiral descent, it'll be somewhat entertaining. Since the kites are readily available from the kite vendors all over the city on this statutory holiday and cost only about 10€, everyone in the family gets the chance to fly one.
In my house, Apokries has started with the traditional Scare Tactics. My son has been terrorizing me all day in his Scream costume so I better hurry up and find a Genie costume so I can threaten to turn him into a frog if he dares to jump out from behind one more door. If that doesn't work, at least I know I'll drive my dog batty wearing it around the house.
On my planet, Altrusia, costumes are banned, so we just masquerade as ourselves, a race known as the Sleestak. If you take a gander at my photo, you'll understand why.
Posted by
Anonymous |
19/2/06 06:46
Scruffy...Lucky you...you won't have to shell out oodles of €€€€ for a costume. LOL
Enik...So how ARE things in the D Ward of Daphne, Home for the Mentally Disturbed? If the nurses find out you're hiding your pills under your mattress again then you run the distinct risk of having your Altrusian passport revoked...forever. LOL
Posted by
The SeaWitch |
19/2/06 15:09
I've been joining in the fun too. It looks like me and J have similar taste as I too am the villian from the movie Scream. My costume cost 41� but definately worth every cent. It had the desired effect!
Some of the best costumes last night was one guy dressed up as Christodoulos, a few slutty nuns, men dressed as loose women, geishas and of course myself.
Me and Christodoulos had a run in however at the end, he gave me blessing so it's all good!
This is a good time of year. Last night, I consumed beverages with an alcoholic content and also got up close and personal with a butterfly!
Posted by
Anonymous |
19/2/06 16:15
Ellas Devil has a girlfriend
Ellas Devil has a girlfriend
Ellas Devil has a girlfriend
Naa Naa Naa Naa Naa Naa
Posted by
Anonymous |
20/2/06 02:46
zardoz says:
the ARTICLE and comments are great,
and i had a laugh with
mount plilopappou,,,
i think its
PHILOPAPPOU H I L L .
make a mountain out of mole hill willya..?
= zardoz =
Posted by
Anonymous |
20/2/06 08:16
ellas...That would have been a great photo op...the Scream killer with a butterfly. Do anonymous and me a favour by posting some pics of your party. LOL
anon...you wouldn't be the aforementioned 'butterfly' would you? hehe
zardoz...You're most likely right...it is Philopappou Hill but I've been calling it Mt. Philopappou since I got here. I used to get it confused with Lycavittos all the time so now that I've figured out the difference, it'll take me another 8 years to call it by its proper name. Bear with me. LOL
Posted by
The SeaWitch |
20/2/06 16:17
Truth or dare! I'm Ellas Devils latest girfriend.
Posted by
Anonymous |
21/2/06 09:13
I missed that one. Ellasdevil and the butterfly. What are you dressing as this year SeaWitch? Does anyone here make their costumes? I always do. We did when I was growing up and I always find that the creation of the costume is half the fun. Many of my Greek friends make their own too. The only problem is my son refuses to wear homemade costumes now he's older. All his friends have expensive shop bought one so he wants them too. I think it's a shame.
Posted by
Anonymous |
22/2/06 04:03
Diva...I've looked at several costumes. I like costumes with colour so I figured I'd go as some Venetian Mardi Gras lady. My husband saw a bar wench costume and says I should get that one. I might actually do it since it will be the only time I'll let him get away with bossing me around...at least for an hour before I throw the beer stein at his head. LOL
I am no good at making costumes and that's why I buy mine. My friend, however, is really creative and made her friend a Periptero costume...complete with packs of gum and cigarettes glued to the front. LOL
Posted by
The SeaWitch |
22/2/06 14:04
I'm a bit of a cop out this year. I'm going to a party on saturday as Trinity (Matrix) How easy is that?
I don't think it's about creativity, I just like the fun of it. Last year I went as the ultimate Barbie. It worked not because the costume was great (pink crepe paper and a bit of cardboard) but because I am so NOT Barbie that people just dropped on the floor in shock. Now that's what I call an entrance. Oh that and I did buy the long blonde wig.
Posted by
Anonymous |
22/2/06 16:28