The Corfu Carnival
The Ancient celebrations in early spring that took place in honor of Dionysus, god of wine and fun, hoping for a good harvest and successful husbandry, are the forerunners of today’s carnival in Greece.
Here in Corfu over the years, the celebrations gained a strong Venetian influence that makes today’s Corfu carnival completely different from those in other parts of Greece. It also demonstrates the innate zaniness of the Corfiots and shows their creativity
Costumes were worn, and the floats were influenced by medieval pageantry and exuded an aristocratic Venetian “air”.
The satires of absolutely everything are scorching, especially the satires of the politicians, both of today and of the past.
Discretion and conservatism are unknown words, and revelry continues in both the city of Corfu and the villages, where they still maintain many unique customs that you can enjoy watching.
One of them is the famous custom of Venetian marriage, the sets and clothes of the era bring the atmosphere closer to that of the Middle Ages.
Floats parade through the streets during the parade on the first Sunday of the Prodigal Son and also on the last Sunday of Carnival, when the King of Carnival is burned, among other characters that exist only here are the “Ntotoroi” ( doctors), the “nodaroi” (notaries) useful in reading the will of Carnival, and the “Muzeta” that is our name for the carnival masks which give anonymity.
The masqueraders cover the whole of their faces with Muzeta; they are unrecognizable, and they go anywhere and tease people without showing any mercy to their victims.
On the third and last Sunday of the carnival, the parade ends with the final burning of King Carnival, with the symbolic burning of all evil, and the nodaroi accompanying him reads his will, which is usually full of innuendos aimed at politicians.
This is followed by a celebration with dances and songs all night.
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