Lougoutsaria and the Camel Ritual
On New Year’s Eve, in Kozani’s Aiani, you will experience one of the most impressive customs of the Twelve Days of Christmas: the Lougoutsaria, along with the unique Camel Ritual. It is a celebration deeply rooted in folk tradition and is associated with warding off evil, ensuring a prosperous new year, and promoting fertility. Local residents —primarily men— dress up as frightening or comical characters, wearing animal skins, masks, bells, and makeshift costumes. The Camel takes center stage; a handcrafted effigy made of wood, fabrics, and a horse’s skull. Two people enter its interior and bring it to life, while a lively procession forms around it, moving through the narrow streets of Aiani. You will see figures such as the “camel driver”, the “bride” and the “groom”, the “stachtoubabaliaros”, who throws ashes for protection, the “bear leader” with the bear, and the “double man”, a traditional figure stuffed with straw. It is a unique spectacle that combines mysticism, humor, and folk art. As the procession passes through neighborhoods and homes, the masqueraders sing, dance, tease passersby, and chant carols. Hosts welcome them with treats, wishes, and wine, creating a large open-air celebration throughout the village. The festivities culminate in the central square, where everyone gathers to feast over music and traditional delicacies.
