Greek Town Grills 130-Metre Kontosouvli for Carnival

The news in Greek

1. Αμφίκλεια  (f.)
   κωμόπολη της κεντρικής Ελλάδας, στους πρόποδες του Παρνασσού ↩︎
2. Φθιώτιδα  (f.)
   νομαρχία / περιφερειακή ενότητα της κεντρικής Ελλάδας, με πρωτεύουσα τη Λαμία ↩︎
3. κοντοσούβλι  (n.)
   παραδοσιακό ελληνικό φαγητό με κομμάτια κρέας σε σούβλα που ψήνονται στα κάρβουνα ↩︎
4. Απόκριες  (f.)
   περίοδος πριν από τη Σαρακοστή με γιορτές, μεταμφιέσεις και καρναβάλια ↩︎
5. παρέλαση  (f.)
   οργανωμένη πορεία ανθρώπων στον δρόμο για γιορτή ή επίσημη εκδήλωση ↩︎
6. εθελοντής  (m.)
   άτομο που προσφέρει τη βοήθειά του χωρίς πληρωμή ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What special event were the people in Amfikleia celebrating when they cooked the very large kontosouvli?

Question 2: Who helped to make the celebration with the big kontosouvli possible?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
Αμφίκλεια  (f.)	Amfikleia (small town in Greece)
Φθιώτιδα  (f.)	Fthiotis region
κοντοσούβλι  (n.)	kontosouvli (Greek spit-roasted meat)
Απόκριες  (f.)	Carnival period
παρέλαση  (f.)	parade
εθελοντής  (m.)	volunteer

Read the full story

A small town in central Greece, Amfikleia in the region of Fthiotida, staged an eye‑catching celebration on Cheese-Fare Sunday of Carnival, grilling a kontosouvli (spit‑roasted meat) said to measure around 130 metres in length. Local media described it as comparable to the length of a football pitch, and organisers hope that it may qualify for a future Guinness World Record.

The event formed the centrepiece of a wider Carnival festival, with a parade of decorated floats and groups of costumed walkers moving through the streets. According to reports from regional news outlets, the atmosphere resembled a traditional Greek village celebration, with live music, dancing and food shared among residents and visitors.

Despite some concern about the weather, which briefly threatened to disrupt the festivities, conditions improved enough for families, children and older residents to remain outdoors. Local reports stressed that both tourists and locals were able to enjoy a full Carnival programme, and many participants said they planned to return the following year.

Organisers and commentators highlighted the role of volunteers and community cooperation in making the large‑scale grilling possible. Dozens of people were reportedly involved in preparing the meat, setting up the long spit and serving portions to the crowd. The event was presented by local media as an example of how smaller Greek communities use traditional food and celebrations to promote their town and maintain cultural customs.

While some coverage focused mainly on the record‑breaking length of the kontosouvli and the hope for international recognition, other reports placed more emphasis on the social aspect of the day: neighbours working together, visitors mingling with residents and the revival of local Carnival traditions. So far, there has been no official confirmation of a Guinness record, but in Amfikleia the event is already being spoken of as a new local landmark in the town’s festive calendar.

Info: ‘Greek Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Greek’, a language school dedicated to teaching Greek online through various types of courses for different levels and interests in Greek language learning. Through this service, we share updates, resources and practical information to support learners in developing their skills in modern Greek.