Tsiknopemti (Greek Mardi Gras)

Tsiknopempti is the Thursday during Carnival or the "Greek Mardi Gras" period which marks the beginning of the last weekend that observant Greek Orthodox Church member can "legally" eat meat. 

Because of this, everyone rushes to prepare and enjoy their favourite’s meat dishes, creating a cloud of smoke where it is being cooked. This gives Tsiknopempti 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".

In English, Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" and so Tsiknopempti is sometimes also called "Fat Thursday" - which is logical as the cooking of all that meat results in vast quantities of fat dribbling down onto the coals.