The carnival dances of the “Boules” of Naousa are also associated with the Greek War of Independence.  During the revolutionary struggle, the warriors used to come down from the mountains to the city of Naousa, at night all through Carnival.  Thus, disguised as masquerades, they could slip past the Authorities unobserved and this way they could communicate with their relatives and friends.

The drum and the clarinet (zournas) are heard from far away calling for the group to gather. The musical instruments, playing a melody of the free rhythmic type, called Zalistos, will pass by all the houses of the young men who participate in the group and they will gather them one by one.

The musical instruments will not gather the small boys. Those boys go with their fathers to the houses of the older men.

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