Some say that Carnival the world over has its roots in Greece’s ancient worship of wild, wonderful Dionysus, the god of winemaking, fertility and theatre. Today, Greece’s Carnival season is related to the Greek Orthodox religion, and kicks off three weeks prior to the fasting of Lent (from mid-January to late February or early March). A host of smaller events leads up to the wild weekend of Carnival – known in Greece as Apokreas – which is resplendent with costume parades, colourful floats, feasting and traditional dancing. At Apokreas even small villages eat, drink and don (sometimes off-colour) costumes and parade in the streets. The celebrations end with Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera), the first day of Lent, which sees families go on picnics and fly kites.
Each region has its own take on Apokreas. Head to Patra in the Peloponnese for the biggest and wildest celebrations. Skyros in the Sporades sees entire towns dressed as goats, copper bells and all. Rethymno in Crete celebrates with a bit of a Venetian flair. If you’re planning a trip, check the calendar: each year the date of Apokreas is different.