Tsiknopempti ( or else Barbeque Thursday) is a Thursday 11 days before Clean Monday, where Greeks gather to eat grilled or roasted meat at home, or outside.
Tsiknopempti comes from the Greek word tsikna, which refers to how the grilled or roasted meat smells. It is a very intense smell, you either love it or hate it ( I hate it!)
On Tsiknopempti, meat is the one and only star. Sausages, steaks, meatballs, are all grilled or roasted and served in huge quantities. For meat lovers, this is a day in paradise. I have friends who eat so much meat on that day, they have serious digestion issues afterwards.
I am not a big fan of meat, so on Tsiknopempti I will usually go out with friends and have a couple of sausages at a Greek restaurant. I can’t completely avoid it, it is literally the only thing served at Greek restaurants on that day.