Photo of the Week: ‘Boules’ of Naoussa’s Carnival Festival in Northern Greece

Thanasis Paparnakis (Photo and Text)
12 December 2010

The mask (Pròsopos) is the most important element of the costume used for the ‘Boules’ traditional carnival custom in Naoussa, Imathia, Northern Greece. The exact history of this custom is not clear, but there are many indications that it is connected with the ancient festivals for welcoming spring during which Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of wine, was honoured.

The character of the event changed in 1705. Until then, the village of Naoussa was granted a special exemption by the Ottoman Empire from having to send small children to be Janissary soldiers. But when, against tradition, the Ottomans came to recruit children that year, the Ottomans were all killed. In response, the Ottoman army attacked the city, killing many men.

Starting the year after that, in memory of the unfortunate event, groups of dancers followed standard routes inside the city, exactly like those used during the Greek Orthodox custom of ‘Epitafios‘ (Epitaph), and started what is now a ritual event that still adheres to the same routes and strict principles to this day, with verbal rules passing from one generation to the next.

There are only two workshops that produce these handmade masks, using 18th-century molds. The masks are made from a thick cloth covered on both sides with pure beeswax. This helps to keep the dancers cool, as there is no nose hole and a very small mouth opening. The outside is then painted using egg-based tempera. The mustache is made from horsehair and pitch, while the most impressive element of the mask is its ‘tarampoulo‘, a pure silk turban that is 3.6 metres long and attached to the mask with a special knot.

In ancient times, the white colour of the mask symbolised the dead nature of winter, while the red spots represented the awakening of nature (i.e. spring). As it is remembered through verbal tradition, during the times of the Ottoman Empire the symbolism changed, referring instead to the views of the Greek population regarding slavery and the hope for freedom.

The Boules Carnival takes place 40 days before Orthodox Easter. Travellers planning on taking part in the festivities often prefer to stay in nearby Thessaloniki, which has a wealth of excellent accommodation options and is the perfect location from which to explore the entire region.