- Title: Flour war marks the end of the Greek carnival season
- Date: 20th February 2018
- Summary: MORE OF REVELLERS THROWING FLOUR IN THE AIR REVELLER IN PLASTIC SUIT AND GOGGLES COVERED IN FLOUR THROWING FLOUR AT THE CAMERA
- Embargoed: 6th March 2018 16:54
- Keywords: Lent Carnival traditions flour Greece Greek Orthodox customs
- Location: GALAXIDI, GREECE
- City: GALAXIDI, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA00283CX8HT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The small Greek town of Galaxidi was veiled by clouds of coloured flour on Monday (February 19) as revellers descended the streets to mark the end of Greek carnival.
Hundreds took part in the annual traditional event, throwing handfuls of flour tinted with food colouring at each other for several hours on the town's quay.
Tourists and people from across the country come to Galaxidi, 200 kilometres west of Athens, to take part in the event, wearing goggles and plastic work suits.
The tradition goes back decades and is believed to have originated in 1801 during the Ottoman occupation of Greece, when Galaxidi residents defied their Ottoman rulers by celebrating carnival, which was forbidden, and painting their faces with ash. Eventually ash was replaced by coloured flour, and evolved into the modern event. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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