The Makaronas Carnival Custom Returns to Dimitsana

Dimitsana welcomed Carnival season with the revival of Makaronas, one of the village’s most characteristic festive customs. The 2026 programme included a children’s carnival celebration and, on Sunday 22 February 2026, the main Makaronas procession through the village.

The custom centres on a life-size effigy that is paraded with theatrical humour, accompanied by figures such as the widow, relatives, “barboutes” and “boules”, before being burned in the central square. In Dimitsana, the symbolism becomes even stronger because the effigy is traditionally connected with the village’s gunpowder heritage.

The event was organized locally with the support of the Municipality of Gortynia and brought residents, young people, families, and visitors into the square for music, treats, laughter, and the symbolic farewell to the old before the beginning of Lent.