Residents and visitors of the pretty Greek seaside town of Galaxidi have marked the start of the Orthodox Lent with a colourful spectacle.

In what is known as a “flour war”, participants pelted each other with bags of dyed flour along the coastal road lining Galaxidi’s old harbour.

It is an explosion of colour that takes place every Clean Monday, an Orthodox Christian holiday marking the start of Lent and the end of the carnival season which holds onto many of the country’s pre-Christian traditions.

The colourful spectacle brings visitors to the small village of Galaxidi (Petros Giannakouris/AP)
The colourful spectacle brings visitors to the small village of Galaxidi (Petros Giannakouris/AP)
The festival gives an opportunity for participants to let off steam before the serious business of Lent (Petros Giannakouris/AP)
The festival gives an opportunity for participants to let off steam before the serious business of Lent (Petros Giannakouris/AP)
The last fling of Carnival heralds the beginning of the Orthodox Lent (Petros Giannakouris/AP)
The last fling of Carnival heralds the beginning of the Orthodox Lent (Petros Giannakouris/AP)
Flour is hurled at the climax of the Carnival season (Petros Giannakouris/AP)
Flour is hurled at the climax of the Carnival season (Petros Giannakouris/AP)
The festivities make for a colourful spectacle (Petros Giannakouris/AP)
The festivities make for a colourful spectacle (Petros Giannakouris/AP)