Pagan rituals, monstrous figures, satyrs, Dionysian worship, plenty of wine and loud bells in 'Babougera' festival.

Residents of Kali Vrisi in northern Greece held a unique festival named 'Babougera' on Sunday afternoon (January 8) with its roots lost in the depths of the centuries. Men and women of all ages wore traditional goat costumes and parade through the streets of the city in honor of the Greek God of fertility, wine and pleasure, Dionysus.

The inhabitants form a ritual procession and pour into the streets disguised as satyrs-followers of the god Dionysus, while the god himself leads the procession. Wine libations are made and ashes are thrown on the ground to expell evil spirits. In the central square, a satyr wedding takes place while the satyrs steal the bride and after supposedly impregnating her, return her back as the custom has to do with the fertility brought by the new year.

The cult of Dionysus was widespread throughout the region due to the proximity to Mount Pangaion (the sacred mountain of Dionysus), while outside of Kali Vrysis a sanctuary of the god has been discovered with identical figurines like the costumes of the satyrs (Babougera) with which the inhabitants dress up during the event.

Mr. Palikaris Athanasios chairman of the cultural association of Kali Vrisi talked on camera (timestamp 4:10-5:12) "Babougera is an ancient and Dionysian event, no one knows exactly when it started. The custom characterizes the uniqueness of our region and the worship of the god Dionysus who appears during the festival. He also had a temple dedicated to his worship and it was discovered outside our city.

There were found effigies of the mask of the "Babougera" which is a central figure of the custom and was thus associated with the satyrs and followers of the god of fertility, Dionysus. But these tragic figures pre-existed even before Dionysus himself."

Pagan rituals, monstrous figures, satyrs, Dionysian worship, plenty of wine and loud bells in 'Babougera' festival.

Residents of Kali Vrisi in northern Greece held a unique festival named 'Babougera' on Sunday afternoon 8/1/2023 with its roots lost in the depths of the centuries. Men and women of all ages wore traditional goat costumes and parade through the streets of the city in honor of the Greek God of fertility, wine and pleasure, Dionysus.

The inhabitants form a ritual procession and pour into the streets disguised as satyrs-followers of the god Dionysus, while the god himself leads the procession. Wine libations are made and ashes are thrown on the ground to expell evil spirits. In the central square, a satyr wedding takes place while the satyrs steal the bride and after supposedly impregnating her, return her back as the custom has to do with the fertility brought by the new year.

The cult of Dionysus was widespread throughout the region due to the proximity to Mount Pangaion (the sacred mountain of Dionysus), while outside of Kali Vrysis a sanctuary of the god has been discovered with identical figurines like the costumes of the satyrs (Babougera) with which the inhabitants dress up during the event.

Mr. Palikaris Athanasios chairman of the cultural association of Kali Vrisi talked on camera (timestamp 4:10-5:12) "Babougera is an ancient and Dionysian event, no one knows exactly when it started. The custom characterizes the uniqueness of our region and the worship of the god Dionysus who appears during the festival. He also had a temple dedicated to his worship and it was discovered outside our city.

There were found effigies of the mask of the "Babougera" which is a central figure of the custom and was thus associated with the satyrs and followers of the god of fertility, Dionysus. But these tragic figures pre-existed even before Dionysus himself."