THE TREASURE HUNT GROUPS
The Groups constitute of either permanent companies of revelers or bevies from the city's high schools and lyceums, work colleagues, or neighborhood friends. As a group they share a name and a theme - which provides their name for each year - for their disguise. Depending on the members' carnival experience, culture and available time they opt for either their participation in only the parades or for participation in the treasure hunt games and contests. These games include questions on history, literature, maths or practical knowledge, the ability to find their way through hidden evidence scattered all over the city, artistic painting, pantomime and theatrical sketch contests or whatever else the organizers might come up with. The teams' performances in the various phases of the game are rated in order to nominate the grand winner.
Several groups maintain offices or clubs during the carnival period and many organize parties and balls or even public shows in streets and squares. Some of these groups take part in the parade, having constructed a carnival float relevant to the theme of their disguise.
The number of group members ranges from 50 to 300 people, even more in some cases. In 2006, 239 groups participated in the carnival. Over the past few years, their members include people from other cities who not only want to attend the Patras carnival but actively participate in its festivities.
Group members pay for the cost of their costume and contribute to other group expenses (for example the construction of the float, the organization of public shows etc.). Their large number (40.000) means that this is an enormous investment, the most significant in the whole carnival organization. The Patras carnival is therefore a carnival not only composed by, but financed, in its largest part, by the disguised citizens. |
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