Apokries - Maslenitsa in Greece

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 creas” - “without meat”.
Apokries is a tradition from the Greek countryside. 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, and on the island of Chios, everything is shaking with carnival processions and festivities. In these areas they managed to preserve local customs and rituals. In Sparta, Hanti, Kefalonia and other cities, chariot parades and processions in carnival costumes are held.

The culmination of Apokries is Thursday - "Tsiknopemti" - the day when the Greeks go out into the streets of the cities in disguise and have wild fun. On this day, they traditionally gorge themselves on fried meat before Lent and say: “Goodbye meat!” “Tsiknizo” translated means “to fry meat on fire.”
In many villages in Greece, especially in the Peloponnese, there was a custom in the first week of "apokries" to slaughter 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. Children ate boiled pork liver, thus celebrating Maslenitsa.

During the days of “apokries”, various superstitions and omens were resurrected, funny and sometimes obscene songs were sung, theatrical performances were staged, and feasting and revelry reigned everywhere. These holidays helped people forget about differences in social status and provided an opportunity for sincere expression of feelings and desires. And the opportunity to simply enjoy life.
These days the carnival is like all other carnivals. People go out into the streets with firecrackers, streamers, and wearing masks. Children and youth are dressed in different costumes, which are sold and rented on every corner. And in the old days, when people did not travel so much and so far and each lived in his own village, the festivities were more popular in nature. During these days, men dressed as women and women dressed as men. Children burned big fires on the roads. The mummers walked around all the quarters of the city, dancing and holding hands.

“Apokries” ends on Clean Monday, the day of the beginning of Lent. The tradition of dressing up during the Apokries period is ancient and is also associated with paganism. Therefore, Christianity does not welcome carnival.