2024 FDF Minoan Dancers 1, Advanced Senior, final

2024 FDF in Anaheim Co-directed by Achilleas Fourakis, Konstantine Avdalas and Danny Staveris Dances: Paidoushka, Stis Tris, Zervos, Douzikos/Tsestos, Devetzidikos, Syngathistos Musicians: Stefanos Stefoudis (gaida), Diomidis Stefoudis (daouli), Petros Vouvaloudis (kaval) and Nikos Giannakidis (accordion and vocals) Award: Division I Sweepstakes Award New Year’s Day celebrations in Neo Monastiri, Thrace are festive and symbolic. The custom of the camels and camel drivers (the Divitzides; dive means camel in Arabic), symbolizes a new beginning for the new year, with wishes for Kali Xronia, good health, fertility and an awakening of nature from the winter months. The Divitzis is dressed in sheepskin with a colorful hat/mask and he holds the topuzi, a wooden club. The camel is a wooden structure covered with a coarse fabric and bells, which ring to ward off evil spirits. Camels were used in Thrace up until the 1960s, carrying heavy loads through inaccessible parts of the Rhodope Mountains. New Year’s Day festivities begin after church services, with food, drink, music and dancing at the village square, leading up to a “battle” between the Divitzides and the camel.