The Latin root of the word “carnis” means “meat”. Carnival translates as “putting away meat”, in order to purify before Easter.
Lixouri has a great tradition, holding the best carnival in Kefalonia and one of the best of Greece, taking place on the last Sunday before Lent.
Every year loads of people gather at the heart of Lixouri to forget their worries and have fun with satiric sketches of the current political and social situation of the island and the whole of Greece.
Visitors watch the parade of the local philharmonic followed by floats with groups of masquerades on top, each performing their own sketch and dance accompanied by a satyric narration and carnival music. The roots derive from manners and customs of various conquerors of Kefalonia, such as the English, French and Venetians where slowly elements of Dionysian worship of ancient Greece were added to them.
