You may have heard of Fat Thursday before – some countries, like Poland, celebrate the last Thursday before Lent by stuffing themselves as much as physically possible. In Poland, this is achieved via pączki and angel wings. But did you know that Greece also has its own Fat Thursday? What does it look like? Why is it called Tsiknopempti? Let’s take a look!
Tsiknopempti
Greek Fat Thursday occurs 11 days before Clean Monday. It’s a part of the traditional Greek Carnival – Greece has three weeks of carnival celebrations: Prophoní, Kreatiní and Tiriní. These mean Preannouncement, Meat and Cheese weeks respectively. Tsiknopempti, as will become obvious in a moment, is the Thursday of Kreatiní, the meat week.
The name can be translated to ‘charred thursday’ or ‘smoky thursday’. And what do you think happens on a Smoky Thursday?
What do Greeks eat on Fat Thursday?
Starting early in the afternoon, Greeks fire up their barbecues and slap on some meats. Like, everywhere – in gardens, yards, squares, school playgrounds, even streets sometimes. Restaurants may also have special menus on that day with extra meaty offers – you may need to book tables in advance, as it can get a bit crowded.
What’s on the menu? We recommend you try the popular souvlaki, pork skewers. Other typical specialities include meat jelly, pork offal with bulgur porridge, fried pork, sausages, lamb ribs and steaks. Frankly, you may find as many different meats as there are letters in the name of this holiday.
What else happens on Fat Thursday in Greece?
Of course, Greeks don’t eat alone. People get together, throw parties, eat, sing, gossip. You may find huge grills on main squares in many cities and towns. Special celebratory balls are organised for the big adults while children may even find special little mini dress-up parties. As such, expect a bit of loud music here and there and lots of meaty smells everywhere. If you’re not into that at all, this may be a bit of an overwhelming day.
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