Bourani : The path to true hap-penis!

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!

Carnival - Mardi Gras madness in Tyrnavos!

The Carnival in Tyrnavos is the best and the strangest in all of Greece. Literally thousands of people come to this small town in Thessaly to celebrate it every year. The event has come under attack from the Orthodox church and other conservative groups for some of its overtly sexual overtones. The events last one month with concerts, theater, mascarade balls and street parties.


The festival concludes with a parade of floats on the last Sunday before lent. The parade has school groups, youth groups and adult organizations participating with costumed groups and floats. Everyone in costumes, from children dressed as clowns, cowboys, cheerleaders to adults in sexy nurses and doctors uniforms performing lewd sexual acts on the road. The strange mix shows how the modern Greeks have found a way to blend the early spring fertility rites with the Christian resurrection ceremonies. Clean Monday following Parade Sunday gets even more wantonly pagan but we will wait until tomorrow to show you that, as it is truly worthy of its own posting.

Sexy nurses and doctors "riding" their patient! 

A quieter side of Carnival in Elassona, a town near Tyrnavos.

The Carnival crowd having fun!

The burning of the Carnival King at the end of the Parade.

No Carnival is complete without its transvestites..!

Last but not least, the final float of the parade.

No Peter Pan, but we have Pan's Peter...