The final evening of the Sochos Panigyri belongs to the adult oil wrestling competition. Categories One and Two take the field, the musicians never stop, and the whole festival comes down to who shows their belly to the stars.
Beach Wrestling World Series champion Christos Christoforidis competed at the Sochos Panigyri of the Holy Twelve Apostles and won his category outright. This is his story.
The Panigyri of the Holy Twelve Apostles in Sochos is best known for its oil wrestling, but the festival begins long before anyone steps onto the field. Part 2 follows the Sunday evening procession through the upper village, a cultural performance that stopped me in my tracks, and the moment the youngest generation of Pechlevanides took to the field.
Oil wrestling isn’t what comes to mind when you think of Greece; but at Sochos, it’s a centuries-old tradition, and one wrapped in genuine controversy. Greeks and Turks alike fiercely claim it as their own. The real history, it turns out, runs back through ancient Egypt, Persia and the Seljuks, and is far too tangled for either side to own outright.
Ancient Pella and Aigai and the Acropolis of Thessaloniki – Sans Photos! Today, I will return to Thessaloniki for a couple of days. I finished the tedious chore of packing and then headed out to take one last walk around Sochos village. The contrast between the craziness of the Clean Monday festivities and this morning…
The morning of Clean Monday began with a light smattering of snow that settled on the hills above Sochos. Here in the village, the flakes melted as soon as they hit the ground. Such is the early March weather in Northern Macedonia. Today is the finale of Carnival. Clean Monday or Kathara Deftera marks the…
Sunday morning brought with it a bout of light drizzle. The overcast sky did not feel very “Carnival” to me. From within the church, the solemn tone of the priest’s chanting reminded all that now is a time for Christian worship. The Pagan revelry will come later. There were very few signs of life outside,…
Friday 28th February was a day of national strikes and a time to remember the 57 souls that were tragically lost during the Tempi rail disaster. Speak to any Greek and they will call it murder – most certainly not an accident. To show respect on the 2nd anniversary of this horrific event, all carnival…
I had dropped a small clue on where I would be spending the tail end of Carnival and Clean Monday in my video of the Thessaloniki parade – though ever so subtle. It was a pure coincidence that I was in Thessaloniki at the time of the parade. As magnificent as it was, this fairly…
4 week itinerary – This Northern Greece Carnival itinerary covers Florina, Edessa, Thessaloniki and Sochos by bus and train. Experience authentic Greek carnival traditions including the extraordinary Koudounophoroi bell-wearers of Sochos, Edessa’s spectacular waterfalls, Naoussa’s Genitsaroi carnival, and the thermal springs of Loutra Pozar. Best time: February-March. No car rental needed.
