Tsiknopempti in Greece: BBQ grills are on fire and the smoke rises in the sky. Charcoals are set on fire as early as possible and pieces of meat are laid on the racks. The day calls for the glorification of port: chunks on skewer, chops, pancetta slices, sausages. But also chicken wings, breasts and thighs, lamb chops…. they all sizzle on the hot fire, with the fat running down, making these funny zzzzts zzzts sounds. The tsikna – the smell of burning meat-is spread all around in homes and streets and neighborhoods
As the skilled griller flips the meat pieces on the rack, family, relatives and friends are standing around eagerly waiting for the barbecued delicacies. A glass of wine in one hand, while the other picks with a fork salads and bread. The festive table on “Smoky of Fat Thursday” Greeks call Tsiknopempti is simple but full of cholesterol and joy.
Grill meat and have fun is a must in the Greek-Orthodox tradition, with Tsiknopemtpi, depriving from Tsikna + Pempti (Thursday) to take place during the second week of the Apokries, the Greek Carnival.
Greeks celebrate the day mostly outside their homes, in squares and taverns or join the events offered by municipalities.
In the central meat market Varvakeios in Athens the meat, the music and the dance start early in the morning.
In Larrisa, central Greece, the mayor donated 4,000 sausages that reportedly disappeared in zero time.
But where does this tradition come from? According to scholars, the tsikna, as offer of the mortals to the favor of the gods derives its origin from myth of the fraud committed by trickster Prometheus against the highest of the Olympian gods, Zeus.
According to Greek mythology, Prometheus decided to fool Zeus. He slaughtered an ox and cut its skin into two In one half he wrapped all the good meat cuts, in the other half the fat and the bones.
He put the two pieces in front of Zeus to choose. The one with the good cuts was malformed and awkward, the other with the fats was inflated and alluring.
According to the myth, Zeus understands that Prometheus has a wicked plan but he falls ito the trap (otherwise there would be no myth…)
So he chooses the piece with the fats and leaves the one with the good meat aside. Prometheus gives the good package to the mortals, thus inaugurating the custom of eating the meat of sacrificial animals and burning the fats to create “tsikna” as an offering to the gods.
Ancient Greeks considered the sacrifice of animals without eating the meat as “barbaric.”
As fish played a central role in the daily diet of the ancient Greeks, sacrifice sheep, pigs, cows, bulls etc was a good worship pretext for a welcome change in the every meals.
Tsiknopempti is a joy for everyone, humans and not humans
PS if Tsikonpempti is too difficult to pronounce just say it in Greeklish “Tsi-kno-Thursday.”
