Alevromoutzouromata (flour smudging) is a very old custom in Galaxidi. A custom that was even taking place during the Ottoman occupation of Greece.
The biggest ceremony of the year in Olympos village of Karpathos. During this Byzantine custom, the Icons from the main church are being carried on people's shoulders around the village to perform memorials at the other churches and the cemetery.
Olympos is a rather secluded place in Karpathos island where traditions are fading in a very small pace. They consider themselves descendants of the Byzantine empire and is one of the few places in the world where a visitor can experience Byzantine traditions.
This is a very old custom that takes place in the ancient city of Vrykous, in the island of Karpathos. The cave church of Saint John celebrates and the believers walk for one and a half hour from the nearest village through a difficult road.
The fires of Christmas is an ancient custom that is very widespread in the villages around Florina in Greece. Large bonfires are being set in central squares and each village tries to make a bigger and better fire than their neighbors.
While waiting for the fire of Achlada to start at midnight, a custom that takes place in many villages around Florina on December 23, the guys we met there told us to go together at the next village, Giourouki, to see the fire there as well. They would start that earlier than Achlada, since that was a smaller village and most of the local people there would visit the big fire of Achlada later.
Purpuris will be visiting the houses of the village and dance around their yards. He will wish prosperity and fertility for the year to come and the house owner will treat him with food and drinks, usually Tsipouro.
Purpuris will be visiting the houses of the village and dance around their yards. He will wish prosperity and fertility for the year to come and the house owner will treat him with food and drinks, usually Tsipouro.
An ancient Dionysian custom that was brought from Asia Minor by the Pontic-Greek people who came to stay in Greece following the Lausanne treaty in 1923.
Kotsamania is an ancient tradition of the Black Sea. The performance refers to the priests of Momos, the god of laughter and satire.
Carnival in the Macedonian warrior uniform
During the first day of the year, in the town of Simitli in Bulgaria, the Kukeri custom takes place. A Dionysian custom from Thrace, where people are dressed in goat's skin, trying to chase away the Kallikantzaroi of Christmas.