NAXOS, Greece — Throngs of revelers throughout Greece attended end-of-Carnival celebrations this weekend for the primary time in 4 years.

The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the festivities held earlier than the start of Lent in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

On the island of Naxos, which hosts a number of the most colourful Carnival occasions in Greece, the variety of younger folks collaborating soared this yr.

Most of the customs noticed are primarily based on rituals from celebrations of the altering seasons that predate antiquity, whereas others are more moderen.

Within the latter class is the Lampadiforia, or Torch Parade, held on Naxos that incorporates a procession of younger women and men holding torches on poles and with their faces painted to resemble black-and-white masks.

It first occurred on the Saturday evening previous Lent in 1994, dreamed up by younger members of an area cinema membership. About 50 of them went out into the road that yr, screaming and dancing whereas holding torches, and startling different folks as they paraded towards the Temple of Apollo.

This yr, nicely over 2,000 torch bearers joined the parade, dancing to the beat of drums alongside the maze of the slender streets in outdated city Naxos to a central sq. the place a scarecrow was burned.

In different components of Naxos and mainland Greece, younger males sporting cow bells and carrying a phallic image — a typical characteristic of historic rites celebrating spring — danced their technique to village squares on Sunday.

Different customs included younger males sporting folks costumes and holding thick canes making their technique to neighboring villages, the place they invite native ladies to bounce. The ladies, in flip, supply the boys native delicacies and wine.

In Orthodox Christian nations, Lent, in addition to Easter, are celebrated at completely different occasions than in primarily Catholic nations as a result of they use completely different calendars. Greek Orthodox Easter is normally every week later than Catholic Easter.

Carnival celebrations additionally occurred this weekend in Cyprus.

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Nellas reported from Athens, Greece.