Tip of the day 23/02/2026 – Clean Monday: What to do today in Athens

• March 8, 2022

Clean Monday or Koulouma, is the first day of Lent. It is considered to be the epilogue of the celebrations of Carnival.

In some parts of Greece, during this day, locals “clean” what is left of the non-fasting foods of Carnival. In other parts of Greece, such as Epirus, housewives clean the pots and all the copper utensils from the grease of Carnival with hot ash water until they glisten and paint the pavements white.

The lunch of the day includes quick snacks as a detox from the rich carnival feast. Halvah, taramas, olives, pickles, seafood, and bean soup are on the agenda. Lenten foods are accompanied by lagana, a kind of bread without sourdough, elliptical in shape and flattened for easy baking.  Another tradition of the  day is to fly a kite. If you are in Athens, the most popular spot is Filopapou hill. And usually the Municipal of Athens organises some special events for this day.

An extended  survival guide of Clean Monday in Athens in our travel guide.

Clean Monday 23.02.26
Filopappou Hill | Koulouma

11:00 | Musical walk by the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Municipality of Athens.
11:30 | We celebrate Koulouma with an island traditional feast with the band of Nikos Oikonomidis and traditional Lenten dishes.

And of  course, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) is  another popular spot to visit on this day with a rich program to celebrate the day. Check here for its detailed program!