Amid music and plenty of wine, wearing masks of the ancient Greek god Dionysus and holding a huge red phallus, the followers of the god of wine and debauchery walked through the historic centre of Athens in celebration of the god.

For the fifth consecutive year, the fans of Dionysus, the god of wine and drama, flooded the Greek capital on Sunday night, taking part in an event called “Falhephoria-Fallagogia”, a quaint type of a “parade” where they dressed up in Dionysian uniforms and held a huge phallus, along with many smaller ones.

The polytheists who organised the procession belong to the “LAVRIS Worship Community” and the walk began from Herod’s Theatre to move along the entire historic centre of Athens, Dionysios Areopagitou, the Plaka streets and the square in Monastiraki.

Drums, flutes and obscenities could be heard throughout the procession, with the Dionysian atmosphere taking hold. “The phallus parade is done just like 2,500 years ago. It was banned by the Christians, but the tradition remained over time. Halloween is an imitation of this celebration”, one of the organisers told Espresso magazine, adding “The phallus here behaves like it should normally act, freely and upright.”