(photo: internet)
In
winter time the inhabitants of Lesvos like to barricade themselves
behind their front doors, watching television, seldom leaving their
place. Since the crisis there is hardly even
a dinner party in a restaurant that can succeed in getting them out.
Even Christmas is spent indoors and on New Years Eve it’s just
youngsters who gather in the empty streets.
The
Greek hibernation only gets interrupted when Dionysus rattles the
door to wake up the people for the Lent. After a boring winter,
frustrations have built up, and it is time to get them ventilated:
and for that purpose there are three weeks of Carnival (Apokries).
The first week is the week of the annunciation. The second week is
dedicated to meat, and is highlighted by Tsikno
pempti, the Thursday when they have
huge barbeques outside: the smell of grilled meat seems to really get
people out of their houses. It is customary to eat as much meat as
you can, so that you won't long for meat in the coming 40 days of
Lent.
At
the end of the third week, the cheese week, the parties finally
start. Colourful costumes are dug out from cabinets and bottles stand
ready to grease the throat. Since the crisis hardly any procession
with carnival floats is to be seen in the streets of the island. Most
of the carnival is celebrated in public rooms where too loud music
brings people to the floor.
The
Olympic Gods didn't have carnival, except for Dionysus, God of wine
and dance, who annually at the beginning of spring, celebrated the
rebirth of nature. On those days, not called carnival then, the
followers disguised themselves as satyrs, others put masks in front
of their face while running through the streets, yelling obscene
things and going mad. There were also lots of satiric performances in
the theatres. When the Church got all the Olympic Gods out of the
air, they also wanted to get rid of all those pagan rituals. But
nowadays the carnival has grown again into a celebration of
Dionysical proportions. In the Greek village of Tyrvanis the whole
carnival event is about huge phalluses, just like on Naxos, the
birthplace of Dionysos, where secretly they celebrate his birth with
symbols of phalluses.
In
the Lesvorian mountain village Agiasos they also celebrate big. But
here they have more theatre. In the weekend of carnival the streets
rustle with people in disguise and little stages, from where they
fulminate against all and everything. You could say that the carnival
of Agiasos is one big standup comedy festival, where people say
whatever bothers them, everything from fights with neighbours to the
big conflicts in the world.
As
a last spasm of festivity on Clean Monday (Kathari
Devtera) the children are sent to the
meadows to go kite flying. In nice weather the parents will follow
with picnic baskets, but most will end up in the overflowing
restaurants, where as meat is forbidden, there is traditionally a run
on shellfish and vegetables.
Unexpectedly
last week on February 14 another festivity sneaked into the carnival
days: Valentines Day. Maybe more modest than a Dionysus party, but on
the program was a contest to write the best erotic letter, song or
poem. Not many people know that Lesvos is the island of the Holy
Valentine. The catholic church on Ermou (main street of Mytilini)
harbors an important relic of this now popular saint. “Surprise
your friends with a present”, is the slogan of this commercial day.
The Greeks have picked this up, although not yet as badly as in other
countries where around February 14 you stumble upon hearts and other
romantic rubbish.
The
capital this year decided to celebrate big because the church
restoration has just finished and the relic, that stayed in Athens
for a while, is back home. Besides a concert and some poem readings,
the holy remains of Valentine were brought into the fresh air in a
real procession full of catholic priests – coming from Greece,
Europe and including a special representative from the Pope. That
must have been a show because it is not often that you see a
procession with priests who are not orthodox, in other words those
having maybe a tiny beard but not buried in their overgrown beards.
The
Tourist Union of Lesvos should publicize
this pilgrim location. Besides Christmas and Carnival Valentines Day
is the most commercial day of the winter in Europe and America. A
romantic trip to Lesvos would be a great Valentine gift, especially
when you can encounter part of his remains. To stumble by accident
upon a carnival festivity with Dionysic features, can be a high light
for a romantic holiday on the island. Let us have Valentine join in
the carnival festivities and highlight that Lesvos is the island
where Dionysos – hand in hand with Valentine – honours love,
friendship and spring.
(with
thanks to Mary Staples)
©
Smitaki 2018
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