They are a revival of the ancient Dionysian orgiastic ceremonies.
It is a remnant of the original Greek Carnival and not a foreign custom like the well-established Halloween carnival. Men and women, in "packs", from different neighborhoods, in a panzurlismo.
In Ragucharia, the inhabitants disguise themselves and necessarily wear masks. These masks have a symbolic character, since their appearance is terrifying and they aim to exorcise evil from the city. The masqueraders are in the habit of begging people for their reward for driving away evil spirits. After all, from this custom comes the name of the celebration (Ragoutsaria-rogatores, meaning beggars).
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou
