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The flour smearing of Clean Monday is an ancient and unique tradition in Greece, revived every year by the people of the coastal town of Galaxidi, along with a large crowd that comes to join the celebration. Groups of bell-ringers and people of all ages, covered in flour, play pipes and drums, flooding the beach of the picturesque Galaxidi. A spectacular mosaic of people and colors, a Dionysian feast of joy.
Photographs by Maro Kouri

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Feb. 27, 2012, Galaxidi, Greece: woman with face and body painted with smoke and flour blows the whistle ecstatically. Revellers throw flour and colored powder to celebrate the "Clean Monday" marking the end of carnival season and the beginning of the 40-days fasting of the Orthodox Easter Feb.27, 2012 - Galaxidi, Greece. Face-painted man drives a traditional 'carnival' car, carrying the revelleres who throw flour and colored powder during the annual 'flour-war' celebrating the 'clean Monday'. It is the day that marks the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period of the Orthodox Easter Feb. 27, 2012-Galaxidi, Greece, about 200 km (125 miles) northwest of Athens: Revellers throw flour parading on a wooden boat with wheels. Every year revellers throw flour and colored podwer to celebrate the 'clean Monday' a day that marks the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period of the Orthodox Easter (Maro Kouri) Feb. 27, 2012 - Galaxidi, Greece: Men with faces painted throw colored flour frm the Police (carnival) car. Every year revellers celebrate the "clean Monday" by throwing flour and colored podwer. This day marks the end of the carnival seazon and the start of the 40-day period of the Orthodox Easter (Maro Kouri) Feb, 27. 2012 - Galaxidi, Greece, about 200 km (125 miles) northwest of Athens: Revellers throw flour parading on a tranformed car to a "HO(T)SPITAL". Every year revellers throw flour and colored powder to celebrate the "clean Monday", day that marks the end of the carnival seazon and the start of the 40-day Lent period of the Orthodox Easter (Maro Kouri) Feb. 27, 2012 - Galaxidi, Greece, about 200 km (125 miles) northwest of Athens: Revellers throw flour parading on a car tranformed to Jail, for the feast. Every year revellers throw flour and colored powder to celebrate the "clean Monday", day that marks the end of the carnival and the start of the 40-days fasting of the Orthodox Easter Feb. 27, 2011 - Galaxidi, Greece: Man dressed princess with flour on his face holds a bottle of bear and participates in the flour-throwing. About 200 km (125 miles) northwest of Athens, revellers throw flour and coloured powder to celebrate the "clean Monday", day that marks the end of carnivla season and the beginning of the 40-days fasting of the Orthodox Easter (Maro Kouri) Feb. 27, 2011 – Galaxidi, Greece: Revelers engage in a flour war while dancing around a street fire, celebrating "Clean Monday," which marks the end of the carnival season and the beginning of the 40-day Lent period leading up to Orthodox Easter (Maro Kouri) Feb. 27, 2011 - Galaxidi, Greece: Revellers participate in a flour war to celebrate 'clean Monday', marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period of the Orthodox Easter
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