Patras Carnival

Patras Carnival is the largest event of its kind in Greece and one of the biggest in all of Europe. It is the largest carnival event in Greece which celebrates the carnival season that begins around ten weeks prior to Greek Orthodox Easter and finishes on Clean Monday. It is a celebration filled with music, dance, color, feasting and partying. Patras Carnival is not just a Great Parade but is full of events and activities for the whole family. Beside the parades, there are masquerade balls, open air parties, a hidden treasure hunt, concerts, exhibitions, theatre performances and even a children parade. However, the main event and highlight is the Great Parade on the last Sunday before Lent.

The history of Patras Carnival dates way back to ancient pagan rituals that were associated with celebrating god Dionysus, however, the modern version began back in 1829 because of the French troops stationed in the city. The Patras Carnival is heavily influenced by the grand festivities of Venice and is completely unrelated to the pagan carnival customs of the rest of the country. The carnival started approximately 190 years ago and has acquired a prestigious reputation, attracting thousands of carnavalists and spectators each year.

Carnival is a pretty long celebration. It starts every year on January the 17^th and ends a day before Clean Monday. Clean Monday is a moveable feast, occurring on the 7^th Monday before Greek Orthodox Easter. The Carnival season always begins with a town crier who strolls through the streets inviting the locals to the Patras Opening Ceremony in George Square. The Patras Children Carnival takes place a week prior to the Grand Parade. It features thousands of kids of all ages from Patras and the surrounding area.  The kids parade through the streets with their parents, dressed in fancy costumes. A major event is the Treasure Hunt, a scout game between carnival groups who have to crack all the clues hidden around town. The game tests their knowledge and skills and everything is evaluated and marked by judges until a winning team emerges victorious. The night before the Sunday’s extravagant parade, a small parade takes place. An overwhelming stream of people organized in dance groups march through the city holding lit torches and create a spectacular scene. The only floating participating is the King’s, and that’s the reason why this parade is called “podarati”, which means “walking”.

The Grand Parade is held the Sunday prior to Clean Monday. It is a massive party of more than 40,000 people caught up in carnival fever. The Carnival also has its Queen, who is actually a beautiful young lady on a floral or an artistic float. Thousands of spectators pack the city streets to see the parade which is also broadcast live on TV. The fun lasts for several hours. The closing of the carnival sees the burning of the Carnival King in the Patras Harbor. Along with the burning of the King there is a firework display. An open-air music concert follows the burning of the King, which turns into an all night street party attended by thousands of locals and visitors who dance, drink and have fun all night long.

There are key things you need to consider if you are planning to visit Patras for Carnival. The tourist attraction is the big parades, right before the end of the carnival. So, a perfect vacation stay would be from Friday, two days before the big parade, until Tuesday, one day after Clean Monday. Accommodation options are limited in a small city like Patras, so early booking highly recommended. And if you are looking for a lifetime experience, just join one of the carnival groups and parade through the streets of the city. On the official Patras Carnival website, you can see a list with all the available groups, once they are announced. You can choose your favorite suit among them and send your inquiry to join. The next thing you need to do, while you’re on your way to the parade, is to find a store or a wandering seller that sells Mavrodafni. Mavrodafni or Mavrodaphne is a local wine made of black grapes, for which we in Patras are very proud. Once the parade is finished it is time to explore Patras nightlife scene. Last but not least, in case you hear very loud music from an apartment and see people going in and out give it a try and ask if you can join. Everybody is in a great mood and usually will welcome you in. The carnival’s program, venue, schedule of events and various other information related to the carnival is present in the carnival’s official website.