Tsiknonpempti is here, but what is it?

Naturally, everyone rushes to prepare and enjoy their favorite meat dishes for Tsiknopempti, which gives it one of its other common names, "Smoke Thursday" or "Smoked Thursday". It is also called "Barbecue Thursday" or "Grilled Thursday" by some.

It's a popular day for going out to eat and enjoying as many different meats as possible. It can also be called, as a joke, "Feast of the Carnivores."

Meaning of Tsiknopempti
In English, Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" and so Tsiknopempti is sometimes called "Fat Thursday." In Greek, Thursday is Pempti (Thursday), meaning the fifth day of the week as Greeks count Sunday as the first day.

The word tsikna refers to the smell of cooked meat, especially fat - however, "Smelly Thursday" has not caught on as a translation.

In typical Tsiknopempti recipes and menus meat is king, with the emphasis on grilled meats, though the occasional stew pot will be visible. Lamb chops, beef and pork steaks, sausages, and all forms of grilled meats will be on Greek tables, along with salads,and side dishes,as well as hors d oeuvres known in Greek as mezedes.

Greeks will set up barbecues at every available venue, including sidewalks inurban areas.

Virtually every tavern will put on special menus for Tsiknopempti, and in some areas hotels will also join in. By far, the most common item will be some variation of souvlaki - meat on a stick. These will be available everywhere along the streets in the tavern areas; Be sure to walk carefully to avoid banging into an unexpected grill in the already narrow streets and walkways.

Souvlaki skewers in the hands of the inexperienced may also be the cause of a minor injury.

Since dining is the main activity in Athens on Tsiknopempti, it can be a good time to visit the museums and monuments, which will be quiet even by the standards of the off-season, especially later in the day.