NICOSIA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of revelers cheered and danced in the streets of Limassol, the second largest city in Cyprus, as the first post-pandemic carnival celebrations got under way on Thursday.
Carnival is the biggest annual event in Limassol, a port city of about 235,000 inhabitants. It runs for 11 days and will culminate in a grand seafront parade on Feb. 26.
The festivities were kickstarted by "Tsiknopempti procession," during which the Carnival King entered the city.
"Tsiknopempti" literally means "smelly Thursday," referring to the "smell of grilled meat in the air." On this day, the locals install big charcoal barbecues outside in the streets or even indoors and invite passers-by to enjoy a dish and a drink together.
As dusk fell on Thursday, Mayor Nicos Nicolaides, the members of the Municipal Council and a group of majorettes walked from the City Hall to a square next to the city's old port to welcome the King of the Carnival known as the Flame King.
After crowning the Flame King, the mayor and thousands of revelers danced their way through the narrow streets of downtown Limassol to the tunes of carnival bands.
The Municipality said on its website that the event constitutes a big popular feast, whose origins go back to ancient times.
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