'Flour war' erupts in Greek seaside town as revelers celebrate the start of Lent

The Greek seaside town of Galaxidi has exploded into a messy “flour war” as many of its 1,700 residents and many visitors pelted each other with bags of dyed flour

GALAXIDI, Greece -- The Greek seaside town of Galaxidi exploded into a messy “flour war” on Monday for its annual end of carnival season festivities that mark the start of the Lent season.

Galaxidi’s main coastal road became a flour-strewn mess as revelers pelted each other with bags of dyed flour. Most of the town’s residents, and many visitors, merrily took part, while the more prudent ones enjoyed the show from the safety of their balconies.

Within a couple of hours, the celebration was mostly over, but some diehards were determined to stretch it far into the night.

“This custom was brought here by (our ancestors) in their sailboats, in 1800. It only exists here,” said Panayiotis Paphilis, a local resident.

It’s an explosion of color that takes place every Clean Monday, an Orthodox Christian holiday marking the start of Lent, the 40-day period of fasting that ends on the Easter holiday, and the end of the carnival season that holds onto many of the country’s pre-Christian traditions.