The Bourani Festival in Tyrnavos is probably the dirtiest "Clean Monday" event in the world! It happens the Monday following the Sunday Carnival Parade of Floats. Although this is part of the Greek Orthodox lent celebration it obviously has strong pre-Christian pagan fertility influences as well. The Penis is King at this festival and you will see plenty of them represented in various forms and materials. Street venders sell a wide assortment of penis candies, penis pottery, penis lighter holders, penis bottle decanters, wooden penis sculptures, penis drinking mugs, penis ashtrays, penis cakes.
For the classier festival goer there are nicely decorated boxes containing a bottle of local wine or Tsipouro (local hard liqueur made from grape rinds) and a big ceramic penis. There is even a giant balloon penis floating above the town on this day. The spectators must kiss a large penis before being allowed into the village square. Those that kiss the penis get marked with charcoal across their face, much like the Ash Wednesday Tradition.
During the day, revelers take a break from the village square and go up to the Prophet Illias hill to eat a spinach soup called Bourani free of charge. Most Greek towns traditionally make bean soup for Clean Monday. While up there they partake in kite flying as well. Then they return to the village square to music, dancing and free Tsipouro. The men participate in a traditional dance where they rub against ground with different parts of their bodies singing “dirty” satirical songs, such as the “How do the Devil’s monks grind the pepper?”. Pepper is a frequent metaphor for sex in the Greek folk poetry. So if ever you are in Greece at this time of the year don't forget to catch this fun filled family event.
 |
| Like Mary Antoinette says "Let them eat cake!" |
 |
| Festival guard standing erect! |
 |
| And for the kids...pop-corn and penis lollipops! |
 |
| Local wine, tsipouro and penis mugs... |
 |
| A wide variety of phallic objects. |
 |
| Gift box of Tsipouro and ceramic penis. |
 |
| Do you want to lick my lollipop...! |
 |
| Penises in a variety of Greek soccer team colors. Go team go! |
 |
| The Carnival Bourani soup chef, holding a big..."pepper"! |
 |
| A witch of Thessaly riding a...broomstick! |
 |
| It's a bird...it's a plane...no, it's SUPER PENIS! |
4 comments:
My kind of festival!
This festival should be once a month instead of once a year! :)
I think once every couple of years would be better... :)
When I researched the penis shrine / fertility temple in Bangkok, Chao Mae Tuptim, I found the Japanese penis festival but didn't realise that the Greeks were in on the fun as well. Nice :-)
Post a Comment