This weekend all attention is focused on the carnival! To get in the mood, this evening there is a Carnival Ball in Agia Pelagia, followed by one in Avlemonas tomorrow evening. The traditional parade will be on Sunday afternoon, in Potamos. Afterwards, children will dance the colourful ‘gaitanaki’ (a dance with ribbons around a pole) and then the Agia Pelagia dance group will start an energetic session of dancing for everyone to join in.

On Monday, the party is over: Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday or Monday of Lent), is the first day of Greek Orthodox Lent (7 weeks before Easter Sunday). Traditionally on this day, the Greeks will only be eating shellfish, octopus, taramosalata, azyme bread (lagana) and halvas (a kind of semolina pudding).

‘Breaking news’: due to bad weather conditions, all carnival activities on Sunday have been cancelled.