‘Tsiknopempti’: Why do Greek Orthodox Christians have a meat feast day?

Tsiknopempti is an annual tradition celebrated by meat-lovers in Greece, Cyprus and diaspora communities worldwide, including Australia.

Tsiknopempti is celebrated by meat-lovers in Greece, Cyprus and diaspora communities worldwide, including Australia. Source: Piqsel

Highlights

• 'Tsiknopempti' is celebrated in Greek culture as a meat-eating day
• But the real meaning behind 'Charred Thursday' is linked to the Greek Orthodox faith
• Communities of Hellenes worldwide, including Australia, follow the custom

The Greek celebration is commonly referred to as ‘Charred Thursday’ in English.

But ‘Tsiknopempti’ is sometimes amusingly yet inaccurately translated as ‘Smelly Thursday’ due to the component ‘Tsikno(a)’ of the Greek word denoting the overpowering smell of grilled meat.

A grill-master tends to meat in celebration of Tsiknopempti Smoke Thursday outside Varvakios Central Market on February 20, 2020 in Athens. Source: Getty

Simply because, the day traditionally involves cooking and consuming large quantities of meat, most often than not on the barbeque. But why?

The reason is religious, as it marks one of the last days Greek Orthodox Christians can eat meat before the 40-days’ Easter fasting period.

But in popular Greek culture, it is also established as a festive ‘excuse’ for friends and loved ones to get together and share a lavish meal.

Gatherings take place at homes, at a typical Greek taverna or even just out on the street with a barbeque and good company being all that’s needed.

Father Evmenios Vasilopoulos from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, gives a definition that encapsulates the double meaning of the feast.

“Let’s put it this way, it’s a gift of our Church to the faithful for getting together and having a good time while preparing for Sarakosti [Lent period],” he tells SBS Greek.

While, anecdotally, the custom dates back to ancient Greek festivals dedicated to Dionysus - the God of wine, associated with pleasure, fertility and religious ecstasy – it is an established date in the Greek Orthodox Christian calendar.

Celebrated annually, ‘Tsiknopempti’ falls, by definition, on a Thursday. But the date changes every year, depending on Greek Easter Sunday.

‘Charred Thursday’ is the last meat-eating Thursday before a lengthy Lent period begins.

In Greek Orthodox Christianity, a 4O day Lent period (in Greek Sarakosti) precedes Easter Sunday.

Aiming to prepare the faithful for Easter, it includes abstaining from meat as well as dairy products.

In fact, Tsiknopempti falls on the second of a three weeks’ preparatory period for this, defined as ‘Triodio’.

“The first week is ‘Profoni’, the second ‘Creatine’ [week of meat] and the third is the Tirofagu [cheese-eating week],” Fr Evmenios Vasilopoulos explains.

With Greece under strict lockdown, celebrations of Tsiknopempti are postponed for this year.

A Greek festival in Melbourne. Source: SBS

But this is not the case for the Greek community Down Under, getting ready for their COVID-safe barbeques.

Amongst them, the gathering organised by the youth group of the Greek Archdiocese’s district of Northcote, in Melbourne, of which Fr Vasilopoulos is the Archdiocesan Vicar.

He says the aim of events like this one is to uphold the continuation of traditions among younger generation Greek Australians.

“This is also a role we want the church to play.

“Being away from the homeland, it is upon us to keep the connection with Greek heritage and traditions alive.”