GREECE: As the carnival season draws to a close, a small Greek village becomes the centre of attention, hosting a strange ritual called the flour war

Record ID: 206072

  • Title: GREECE: As the carnival season draws to a close, a small Greek village becomes the centre of attention, hosting a strange ritual called the flour war
  • Date: 9th March 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) 27-YEAR-OLD KIKI FROM ATHENS, SAYING: "It's the first time for me but now I will be here every year. It's super, super."
  • Embargoed: 24th March 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVA5M194UCY1YA6N01P4I1VPGSRG
  • Story Text: Every year in the small Greek town of Galaxidi, on shrove Monday of the Orthodox calendar, villagers wake early for a battle like no other.
    They don goggles and protective suits -- and even cover their homes in plastic sheeting. Neighbours become rivals, and no one is safe.
    Their weapon? More than 1,500 kilograms of flour, tinted with food colouring and placed in small bags -- a truly effective missile.
    The flour war in the coastal fishing town, 200 kilometres west of Athens -- held this year on Monday (March 6)-- has become one of the most famous events on Greece's carnival calendar.
    The battle began with the ringing of cow bells, sending scores of villagers, split into two rival gangs, into the streets. Firing flour bombs at each other, they tried to douse their opponents with as much flour as possible.
    "Its the first time for me but now I will be here every year. It's super, super," 27-year-old Kiki said as flour flew into the air in dusty clouds, seeping into villagers' hair, eyes and clothing.
    The bizarre ritual attracts hundreds of participants and spectators from across the country.
    "I heard about it from friends, and decided to come and see what was going on. It's really great - as long as you don't have respiratory problems, then it could get really difficult," 28-year-old Dimitris, who had come from Athens, said.
    Bus tours are even scheduled to bring spectators to the village. Many kept a safe distance across the village quay to avoid being struck.
    "This is the first time we have come to see it, we didn't know what to expect, we came unprepared. It's really great. It's something different from what we are used to seeing," Efthimia, who had come from Thebes, said as she sheltered across the quay.
    Galaxidi's neo-classical houses were covered with plastic sheeting for protection, as locals said it was difficult to remove the dyes. They spend days afterwards trying to clean the streets.
    Despite this, the tradition has taken place for decades.
    It is believed the ritual originated in 1801 when Galaxidi residents defied their Ottoman rulers by holding a forbidden carnival, painting their faces with ash and dancing through the streets.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register