The annual flour war in Galaxidi, 200 kilometres west of Athens, marks the end of the carnival season as it turns into Orthodox Lent and draws participants from across the country.
It's called Clean Monday but in reality it's exactly the opposite.
For over 200 years Galaxidi's residents have spent the day pounding each other with bags of coloured flour.
Nobody is spared the bombardment of bakery products. Spectators who want to keep clean keep clear of the action.
The town's historic houses are covered in plastic sheets to protect them from the dye in the flour which the locals say leaves stubborn stains.
According to legend the ritual began in 1801 when the townspeople painted their faces with ash and danced through the streets, celebrating the carnival in defiance of their Ottoman rulers.
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