Boules are a very old carnival custom of the town of Naoussa. It is very difficult for us today to discover its origin, as it usually happens with most of our customs. Nevertheless, all of its elements lead us to older times when this custom first originated.
In this carnival custom of our town a very successful definition is given, that of ‘dance act’, because the action of the people who take part in its enactment is a dance act and without that dance act the enactment of the custom is impossible to take place.
Leaving the park with the Patinada ‘Kambana’ they head towards St George’s church, where the members of the group who live in that quarter dance.
Then they head for St Mina’s church and from there they go to the crossroads of Maggavelas next to St Mary’s church. From Maggavelas onwards the musicians play the Patinada called ‘Kateva katou Lenko’ and they go to the quarter of Alonia, where a great feast is going to be held. In this neighbourhood all the members of the group whose houses or their relatives’ houses are close by take off their masks.
Late at night all the members of the group and the rest of the people tired from dancing so many hours, they separate and they go home, too. In older times, when they returned late at home, Boules slept with their outfits in a chair or on the mattress, wrapped in a clean sheet, so that the next day they would be ready and they wouldn’t have to get dressed again.
From http://zaliosparadosi.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html
