TSIKNOPEMPTI (i.e.The Thursday, two weeks before the Big Parade, when people organize open air barbeques and the appetizing smell from the grilled meat known as tsikna covers the city.)
Almost everybody seems to participate in this traditional fest. Every kind of delicious meat, poultry or sausages is slowly grilled at open air barbeques while people cheer with glasses full of local wine. Everybody dances to the rhythm of the music and arranges to meet that very evening in Germanou Street where the fest continues. Uptown, local tradition and popular customs revive. Carnival acts, satiric short plays, folk band music and of course, great food and drink, are the key to all peoplehaving a great time.
These festivities are included in the city’s official Carnival program. Starting early in the morning till late at night, different things seem to happen all the time. The Municipal Band plays carnival music, traditional dances take place in the streets, live concerts with folk music entertain people and a float parade through the city makes the whole thing an unforgettable experience.
This fest, according to N. Politis, dates back in the Interwar period. It started witha constant fuss being made during the wedding preparations of a woman known as Giannoula. She was said to have always looked forward to her wedding, but her expectations were never fulfilled.
