“Purpuris is Coming!”: Michael Pappas on the Little-Known Thracian Custom

Originally posted on On Art and Aesthetics:
Michael Pappas In the northeastern Greek town of Didymoteicho (just two kilometres away from the Greek-Turkish border), December 27 is the day of Purpuris—a character who visits the houses of neighboring villagers, dances around their yards, wishes prosperity and fertility for the year ahead. The house owners must treat…