Patras Carnival is the largest carnival event in Greece. It measures more than 180 years history. It is not an isolated event but a series of events including dances, exhibitions, parades, “treasure” hunt (a contest among carnival groups based on games of problems solving), carnival of children, etc.
The events begin on 17th January and last until Holly Monday. It culminates the last weekend of Carnival period by the Saturday night parade of the crews and the Sunday noon extravagant floats and crews parade. On Sunday, it ends up through the burning of “King” of Carnival, the best float of the parade, being its emblem. The burning takes place in the sea at the harbor of Patras.
The main principles of Patras Carnival are spontaneity, improvisation, inspiration and volunteerism.
This year of 2016, more than 30.000 Carnivalists took part in it and thousands of local people as well as visitors, enjoyed watching the parades and participating in the festivities.
This year's opening ceremony was characterized as a journey of voices, movement, songs and traditional percussion, where Greece, Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba and Italy combined, and ended with the percussion group of the Olympic Games of 2004 "Ichodrasi» Athens. Besides this, the ceremony was attended by the group of African percussion and dance of Lefteris Grigoriou, the group of Brazilian percussion “Bloco Swingueira”, the Cuban group “Havana Tropical”, the percussion group “Croussis” of musicians and soloists barrels. The Mayor of Patras during his speech urged young people to react, to ask for what they deserve and to take at their hands a fight for peace based on human values, love and friendship.
Thousands of carnivalists came to take part from other cities of Greece (Messolonghi, Pyrgos, Amaliada, Serres, Athens, Agrinio, Zakynthos, etc.) and TV coverage of Patras Carnival was done by foreign TVs too (such as Japan and Chile).
An intercultural dimension has been identified every year that is strengthened as time goes by. More precisely, within Patras Carnival 2016 the Russian Association of Patras in cooperation with the Institute of Intercultural Relations formed “CKAZKA” (i.e. “FairyTale”) group dressed in white and blue referring to peace and joy. The Bulgarian Association of Patras joined the Bulgarian Association of Peloponnese and participated dressed with traditional folklore costumes, using bells, calves, but also a banner ahead, expressing in Greek language, their friendly feelings towards Greece.
The “Children of the Earth” crew used flags from many countries all over the world and danced for friendship and solidarity!
Furthermore, crew members of “Minor Asia Association of Patras” dressed in "blue" forming the group of "A sea of dreams that will not sink", with a quite symbolic subject referring to refugees and the Aegean sea.
Patras Carnival is directly related to life and situations we experience – that is the reason why it always transfers awareness messages ….
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