11th Gymnasium of Patras
11th Gymnasium of Patras
The Carnival of Patras
ITS ROOTS
The
Greek Carnival has its roots in ancient Greece. It is connected with the worship
of Dionysos, God of wine and celebration. A happy, noisy company dressed up as
Billy goats joined him. Later, when Christianism appeared, even though people
stopped worshipping the Gods of Olympus the Greek’s’ habit of getting
dressed up and of celebrating in the streets remained. Once a year, at around
this time, carnivals take place in various cities and towns of our country.
The Patras Carnival is a continuos meeting of myth with reality,
imagination and creation over the years. The most important elements (records)
concerning the course of the Patras Carnival are drawn from recent
investigations, which sent us back to the 19th century. From these we can
conclude that the first Carnival Ball in the capital of Achaia was held in the
house of the merchant Moretis in 1829. The very first records of organizing 
the biggest institution of the country, in its kind, began to appear in
1860 and after the influence the West and the Ionian Islands. Even since then
the Patras Carnival has been naturally influenced by the culture of the dwellers
of the area and the Greek element remains dominant.
Confetti appeared in Carnival Balls in 1894 and chocolate throwing in 1899.
The end of the 19th century finds the Patras Carnival on an upward course.
At the beginning of the 20th century the Patras Carnival is enriched with
satirical floats while at the same time the “Black Domino” Masked Ball is
established.
In 1941 and for the next ten years under the weight of events of this period the
Patras Carnival does not take place.
In 1951 the Patras people return with the intention of covering lost time and
enrich Carnival with activities that make it known all over the world.
The turning point for the Carnival in taking the form that it has today was in
1966,with the introduction of the “Treasure Hunt Game”.
It is not known when and how the beginning of the Patras Carnival was
established to be on Saint Antonio’s name day, but this is the date when the
first ’’boules’’(in fancy dress) appeared.
THE TREASURE HUNT GAME
The Treasure Hunt Game, ever since 1966 when it first appeared, until
today, has turned the anonymous participant into the leading person of the
Carnival. 
The talent of the thousands of young people, who participate with their
groups every year, is opened out in all its glory through Patras Carnival.
The
“Treasure Hunt Game” is a series of questions, riddles and activities, which
turn out to be a head spinner for the “contestants”.
The members of the groups take part in pantomime, mixed spectacle, theatre,
dance, creations and quizzes. Fantasy, talent, multiformity, laughter, variety
and liveliness come together to add something special to the Patras Carnival
each year.
KIDS CARNIVAL
The
“Kids Carnival” is the “successor” of the well Known “Baby Rally and
is now in its fourth year. It is a completely separate entity with its own
parade, games, contests, activities and seminars. Its purpose is for the
children to gain Carnival knowledge, through the kids’ Carnival, in
combination with their getting used to cultural creativity, and one day they may
take the future of the institution and the cultural efforts of the city in their
hands.
It
is the entity that revives memories and brings moments of the Patras Carnival
into the limelight from the days gone by, which were the starting points for the
greatest festivity of its kind in the whole country. The “Old Times
Carnival” will take place on Sunday the 7th of January this year, starting
from Ipsila Alonia Square and finishing in King George Square.
The “Old Time Carnival” brings the very first games of the “Treasures Hunt
Game” in the limelight, as there will be “masqueraded” cars with as many
participants as possible in them.
This entity was first established in 1997 and ever since has had an upward
course both in participation and reception.
This is the greatest moment of the Patras Carnival, though which a grand
parade makes its mark on what seems to have been touching every cell alive in
the capital of Achaia for 365 days. The whole town, plus more than 300.000
visitors move to the rhythms the participants impose, and floats with the
Carnival King lead you to the paths of high spirit, merry making and freedom
from care. What happens in Patras, on the last Sunday of Carnival, is the
pinnacle of the pyramid, which the Patras Carnival has been built on every year.
The parade starts some time after noon with high spirit, dancing and
participants, while those taking part in the ‘Treasure Hunt Game’ write
their own history in their own way in the streets of the Capital of Achaia.
CLOSING
CEREMONY
Right
after the completion of the Grand Parade, in a unique night of its own, the King
of Carnival will bid farewell to the lovers of the kind, while making a
rendezvous for next year.
It is the moment when the King of Carnival will be given to the pyre and
the sky of Patras will be filled with light and color. Meanwhile, dancing
liveliness won’t stop, as the thousands of participants will goon living in
frenzied rhythms till dawn.
The moment the first rays of sun appear, the thousands of young people in the
city of Patreas will start making plans for their participation in next year’s
Carnival.
The
place where art, imagination and creation meet with the Kind of Carnival bears
the name of the Carnival Workshop.
There, Carnival imagination has the power while every design is brought to
space.
In this hive of creation, a unique army hews the floats with equal wisdom every
year, introducing a special proposal to the cultural events of the country at
the same time.
With artistic feeling, talent and patience that many of us would envy, those
heroes of the Patras Carnival who remain in the background transform designs and
sketches into Carnival floats with dominant traditional elements.
If someone was to give marks to the Patras Carnival one should simply
consider the numbers: of the people participating, who create out of purely 
amateur
diposition of the visitors who arrive to admire and enjoy themselves of the
activities which are superior in number and quality to those of other Carnivals
in Greece and Europe as well. The Patras Carnival is mentioned in all
tourists’ guides.
Assistants of the Patras Carnival are groups, associations
and services giving a certain product. The Carnival Committee, the Chocolate
throwers Club, the Treasure hunt crews and many other participants with genuine
carnival spirit, play theatrical performances, street theatre and quizzes.
Once more the Patras Carnival proves to be the best among
the others. And it is the carnival spirit that makes people of Patras take a
step forward each time. That’s the future of Patras Carnival…