It ends with the main parade on the last Sunday before clean Monday, led by the queen of the carnival and the main float, the King of the carnival, which at the end of the night is burned in a large bonfire at Patras harbour.
Carnival began in Greece in 1829 with a masked ball given by a local merchant. It was further influenced by the Venetians and the French during the 19th century. Floats began to appear in 1879, and this shaped the look of the modern-day Patras carnival.
Carnival is believed to be rooted in the costumed, dance-filled pagan rituals held for Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of wine.
