Mardi Gras in New Orleans, party time all over the world, Greece included!
Today is the third and last Sunday of the "Apokreas", a period during which, takes place the custom of feasting, entertainment, "masquerading" and disguise, which has its roots in the Crones "Lupercalia" and "Saturnalia" and in the ancient "Dionysian feasts" of the Greeks, where people disguised themselves, danced, sang while drinking wine and the fun peaked in honor of Dionysus.
For the Greek Οrthodox Christians this is the last day before Great Lent (40 days) and Holy Week (seven days), a period of fasting and preparing hearts, bodies and minds until Christ's rest in death, the descent into Hades and His Resurrection.
Similar to the Greek word Apokrea [I abstain from meat] is the Latin word Carnival (Carneval, Carnevale, from the words Carne = meat and Vale = passes).
Although my country is quite far from New Orleans, I invite you to listen to the authentic MardiGrass music and join the party or just taste the Gumbo.
