Tsiknopempti or ” Smoke Thursday” is the Thursday during Carnival with Ancient Greek origin, it takes place only in Greece and marks the beginning of the Greek Orthodox fasting period before Easter (lent). This day the observant Greek Orthodox Church members can “legally” eat meat and because of this, everyone rushes to prepare and enjoy their favorite meat dishes, creating a cloud of smoke where it is being cooked. This gives Tsiknopempti one of its common names, “Smoke Thursday”.
It’s a popular day for going out to eat and enjoying as many different meats as possible.
