Rougatsaria
Ancient and deeply rooted in folk tradition, the custom of Rougatsaria (also encountered as Rogatsaria or Roungoutsaria) is worth discovering and experiencing. It is revived every New Year’s Day in many villages of Grevena; in Rodia, Alatopetra, Amygdales, and Kydonies, among other places. Its roots are traced back to the ancient Dionysian festivals, and, over the centuries, it has been infused with elements of Christian tradition and stories of the struggle for national liberation. In the past, the revival began on New Year’s Eve, shortly before the change of the year. Today, in most villages, the festivities begin early in the morning of the New Year’s Day. Young men wear traditional costumes: some disguise themselves with animal skins and animal heads, others with improvised masks. At the centre stands the “Boula” —a man dressed as a bride— and the “Rogatsiaris”, the “Arapis” figure of the custom. The Rogatsiaris, with his face blackened with soot, a hump on his back and large bells tied around his waist and back, holds a club with which he “defends” the Boula from those who try to steal her. The group moves from house to house, drinking, dancing and exchanging wishes and teasing with the hosts, while the bells make as much noise as possible to drive away —according to tradition— the trolls and mischievous spirits. The climax comes in the village square with dancing and music, and in some villages with rituals such as the throwing of the tsioubanika (a stick with a thick, rounded end) or an orange, bringing good luck to whoever catches it. In this context, the custom symbolises the union of the old with the new and the warding off of all evil, keeping local identity alive and functioning as a popular form of historical memory and social cohesion. Despite the changes of time, it remains authentic, inclusive and inseparably linked to the area.
