Greeks mark start of Lent with traditional parade

Video. Greeks mark start of Lent with traditional parade

Residents of the Greek mountain town of Sochos, northeast of Thessaloniki, celebrated the beginning of Lent on Monday with a carnival and procession dating back to ancient times.

Residents of the Greek mountain town of Sochos, northeast of Thessaloniki, celebrated the beginning of Lent on Monday with a carnival and procession dating back to ancient times.

Known locally as 'Clean Monday', the festivities mark the end of the carnival season and the beginning of the 40-day Lent period.

Men are helped into tall ribbon-covered masks topped with a foxtail, and colourful costumes including animal hides.

With bells around their waists, they hold a procession through the streets, then gather to dance in the town's main square.

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