Festivals and celebrationsEuropeHindu
Tsiknopempti
In its own language: Τσικνοπέμπτη
A Greek Carnival feast of grilled meats held on the second to last Thursday before Lent.
Tsiknopempti is a traditional Greek celebration during the Carnival season. It takes place on the second to last Thursday before Lent. People gather for large outdoor parties to eat roasted and grilled meats before the fasting period begins.
When is Tsiknopempti kept?
Tsiknopempti is kept on the second to last Thursday before Lent.
Tsiknopempti marks a key moment in the Greek Carnival season. It is a day dedicated to eating meat before the long fast of Lent starts. Communities hold outdoor gatherings to grill large amounts of food together.
What it is
This tradition is part of Apókries, the Greek Carnival season. The season has three themed weeks. These are Preannouncement Week, Meat Week, and Cheese Week. Tsiknopempti falls on the Thursday of Meat Week. It serves as a highlight for the weeklong focus on eating meat. The name comes from Greek words meaning the smell of roasting meat and Thursday. It translates roughly to Charred Thursday or Smoky Thursday.
How it is kept
People celebrate by holding large outdoor parties. Friends and neighbors gather to grill or roast massive amounts of meat. This happens specifically on the second to last Thursday before Lent. The day falls eleven days before Clean Monday. Clean Monday marks the start of the strict fasting season leading up to Easter. Fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays is important in the Greek Orthodox tradition. This makes Thursday the ideal day for this final meat feast before the fast begins.
Related customs
Similar celebrations happen in other places around the world. In Lebanon, a custom called Khamis el sakara exists. This means Thursday of drinking. Many other countries hold events known as Fat Thursday. These are traditional Christian feasts linked to Carnival. After Tsiknopempti, the next major event is Tirofágos. This occurs during Cheese Week. That celebration focuses on eating cheese, eggs, and dairy products instead of meat.
How Tsiknopempti is kept
Communities gather outdoors for large parties. They grill and roast significant quantities of meat. This happens on the second to last Thursday before Lent. The event marks the peak of Meat Week in the Carnival season. It allows people to enjoy meat freely before the fasting period starts.
When and where
It falls on the second to last Thursday before Lent. This date is set relative to Clean Monday. Clean Monday marks the beginning of the Great Lent fasting season.
The tradition is strongest in Greece. It is part of the national Apókries Carnival season. A similar custom exists in Lebanon. Other countries also have related Fat Thursday celebrations.
What Tsiknopempti means
The day represents the final opportunity to eat meat before the strict fasting of Lent. It emphasizes community sharing through large outdoor meals. The name highlights the sensory experience of cooking meat. It marks a transition from celebration to spiritual preparation for Easter.
Questions people ask about Tsiknopempti
When is Tsiknopempti kept?
Tsiknopempti is kept on the second to last Thursday before Lent.
What is Tsiknopempti?
It is a Greek Carnival celebration focused on eating meat. The name means Smoky Thursday. It happens during the Meat Week of the Apókries season.
Why is it called Smoky Thursday?
The Greek word combines terms for the smell of roasting meat and Thursday. The name reflects the large outdoor grilling that defines the day.
Is it only in Greece?
It is primarily a Greek tradition. Similar customs exist in Lebanon and other countries. These are often called Fat Thursday or Thursday of drinking.
See also
Fat ThursdayA Thursday before Lent when doughnuts, grilled meat and Carnival take over
CarnivalA season of parades, masks and feasting in the days before Lent
Kol NidreAn Aramaic declaration of vow annulment that opens the Yom Kippur evening service in Jewish synagogues.
Clean MondayThe Monday that opens Great Lent, kept with fasting, forgiveness and kite-flyingGood reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Tsiknopempti", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryParampara rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-07.
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