The Apokries 
Apokries is a festival for young an old and takes place three weeks before the begin of Lent and it's usually celebrated in February. Apokries means literally "goodbye to meat or abstention from meat," so, during the 40-day Lenten fast in Greece, people eat no meat. 

During Apokries, each part of Greece has its own customs and traditions, and in some parts of Greece people use masks, or play games, depending on the local tradition. The costuming and feasting all derived from ancient ceremonies in honor Greek gods, but there is a special god that is honoured these days: Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. As you can see, this could be an excuse to have a huge parade.

 In addition, in the festival people dress up and enjoy the freedom of anonymity. Carnival celebrations today are much more decorous than the ancient, when the followers of the god ran through the streets brandishing giant phalluses and singing rude songs. However, masks let their wearers lose their serious and respectable selves and have fun, forgetting their worries and problems.

 The mask is thought to be a descendant of the ancient identical clay masks worn by actors in ancient Greek comedy and satirical drama. Then, the Romans made many different masks representing the various types of comedy. Many centuries later, in Northern Italy, the comedy was developed, introducing the characters of Harlequin and Columbine with their respective masks and guises, and also golden bird-masks.


 To conclude, this feasting atmosphere ends with the beginning of Lent on "Clean Monday" and it marks the end of Apokries and the first day of the Lent. The foods are consumed next to the start of the "Clean Monday" are all "pure", without the shedding of blood and that's why is allowed to eat fish roe, squid and cuttlefish besides other animals.