Carnival in Western Macedonia

GREVENA

The most famous feature here, is the "Langotsaria", according to which groups of people put on disguise light fires and dance.
Municipality of Grevena: Tel.: 24620 22402

KASTORIA

The Rangoutsaria of Kastoria is a ritual which goes back to pagan times. Groups of people, old and young, wearing fancy dresses and playing folk instruments, hang around the town.
The carnival celebrations, reach their peak on the third day, called Pateritsa, when all the groups dance through the streets, satirising various people and current events.
On the last Sunday of the carnival, the local people light fires (called boubounes). The first of these is lit in the central square, and this is gradually followed by others in various squares of the town. The townspeople gather round the boubounes and are offered wine, raki, halva, olives and grilled sausages. The festivities last until the fires die and only the hot charcoal is left. There is another old custom in Kastoria called "haskaris": an egg is tied to the end of a rolling-pin "klosti" and this is passed swiftly from mouth to mouth. The person who succeeds in grabbing it is the winner.
Municipality of Kastoria: Tel.: 24670 22312

KOZANI

The most interesting local celebration during the carnival are the FANOI (great bonfires) lit at the squares of Kozani, where local people sing and dance around them. All celebrations become more exciting on the Sunday of the last week when huge bonfires are lit all over the town which burn until the early morning hours.
Municipal Enterprise: Tel.: 24610 29843, 24610 21285