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Ragoutsaria is one of the lesser known Greek traditions!

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kosta_karapinotis

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This is one of the lesser known customs that people don't know about!! Between the 6th and the 8th of January, people get dressed up with symbolic and often scary masks to exorcise the evil spirits from the city. I thought it would be nice to share with all of you. Are any of you from Kastoria? That's where this custom is practised

greekreporter.com

The Carnival-like Custom of 'Ragoutsaria'

The “Ragoutsaria” celebration starts today in the city of Kastoria, northern Greece, and will continue through Thursday, January 8, seeing locals donning costumes and dancing in the streets. The Ragoutsaria is a centuries old custom and a revival of ancient Dionysian rites. Celebrations begin on...
greekreporter.com
 
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kosta_karapinotis said:
This is one of the lesser known customs that people don't know about!! Between the 6th and the 8th of January, people get dressed up with symbolic and often scary masks to exorcise the evil spirits from the city. I thought it would be nice to share with all of you. Are any of you from Kastoria? That's where this custom is practised

greekreporter.com

The Carnival-like Custom of 'Ragoutsaria'

The “Ragoutsaria” celebration starts today in the city of Kastoria, northern Greece, and will continue through Thursday, January 8, seeing locals donning costumes and dancing in the streets. The Ragoutsaria is a centuries old custom and a revival of ancient Dionysian rites. Celebrations begin on...
greekreporter.com
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Woah this is so cool! I would love to visit Kastoria and see this in action
 
efhernandez_ said:
Woah this is so cool! I would love to visit Kastoria and see this in action
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I agree! I wonder if other people on here have been, I'd love to hear about it...
 
My wife lived in Kastoria for 6 years, but she has never spoken about this. I'll have to ask her about it.
 
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ellinasgolfer0320 said:
My wife lived in Kastoria for 6 years, but she has never spoken about this. I'll have to ask her about it.
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Commenting so I get notified on this thread! I would love to know :) :)
 
Asked my wife about this.

She said no one really dresses up as any thing scary, but no one will stop you if you want to - people dress up however they want. People see this is like Apokries. On the last day of Ragoutsaria, everyone wears matching outfits and you have to pay someone to give you the matching outfit. Most people are just drinking and partying for Ragoutsaria, but things can get really crazy/weird depending on how much you're drinking...
 
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ellinasgolfer0320 said:
Asked my wife about this.

She said no one really dresses up as any thing scary, but no one will stop you if you want to - people dress up however they want. People see this is like Apokries. On the last day of Ragoutsaria, everyone wears matching outfits and you have to pay someone to give you the matching outfit. Most people are just drinking and partying for Ragoutsaria, but things can get really crazy/weird depending on how much you're drinking...
Click to expand...
That is so cool! Thanks for posting. I see this with many traditions, some of them are slowly dying out, but a few strong tradition holders keep them going
 
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Information About Apokries?

I’ve been curious about how people experience Apokries and what it looks like in different parts of Greece. For some, it seems centered on big public celebrations and costumes, while for others it’s more about smaller gatherings, food, and local customs.

I’m especially interested in the traditions people grew up with. Was Apokries something your family actively celebrated, or did it feel more like a community event? Did you attend costume parties, parades, or specific local festivities? And how did days like Tsiknopempti fit into it for you?

I’d also love to hear whether your experience changed over time, for example, celebrating differently as a child versus as an adult, or noticing differences between village and city celebrations.

For those who no longer live in Greece, do you still mark Apokries in some way, or has it faded with distance?

I’m looking forward to hearing how this tradition shows up for others.

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In my family, name days were always open-house style, people calling, stopping by, bringing sweets, and it felt very communal. Birthdays, on the other hand, were more low-key.

Do you feel like name days still carry that same weight today? Or has it changed depending on the generation or where you live?

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I imagine the answer probably depends a lot on location, family, and lifestyle. Someone growing up in a village might have a different experience than someone in Athens or abroad. I’d love to hear from people of different ages, which traditions have stayed strong, which ones are fading, and are there any that younger generations are bringing back in new ways?

Does your family make fanouropita for Saint Phanourios Day?

I recently saw a news article about Saint Fanourios Day, and it showed people bringing fanouropita cakes to a church to be blessed. I knew about fanouropita and the tradition of making it when you’re hoping to find something that has been lost, but I didn’t realize how much of a church tradition it could be on the saint’s feast day itself.

Does your family make fanouropita for Saint Fanourios Day? If so, do you bring the cake to church to be blessed, or do you usually make it at home and share it with family and friends?

I’m also curious whether this is something that is still widely done in Greece or if it depends on the region, parish, or family. Are there any other traditions your family follows for Saint Fanourios Day?

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