Carnival

The International Orange Blossom Carnival, which was planned to be held for the eighth time this year in the southern province of Adana, was canceled due to the coronavirus epidemic. But locals celebrated it from their balconies.

The bonus that the government announced will be paid to hospital workers and the staff of the Underministry of Civil Protection is an expression of the basic recognition and gratitude of the state to all those who day and night are transcending themselves in the battle against the Coronavirus.

Police in Oraiokastro, on the outskirts of Thessaloniki in northern Greece, detained two people in the act of attempting to break open an ATM on Monday.

The would-be thieves had aimed to use an explosive device to gain access to the cash in the ATM, police said, without elaborating.

Carnaval La Land, a special event featuring musical theater, flash mobs, Afro-Brazilian percussion, samba, tango and many more surprises, will be happening in Syntagma Square on Friday, February 28.

The Hellenic Children's Museum will be hosting a workshop on carnival masks for youngsters aged 3-12 and their families on Wednesday, February 26, in the context of a series of events organized by the City of Athens dedicated to Greek Carnival celebrations. Ribbons, buttons, feathers and a range of other decorations will be made available for the children to create their own personal mask.

A car that rammed into a carnival procession in central Germany on Feb. 24 injured 52 people, including 18 children, police said, adding that the perpetrator's motive remains unclear.

"Among the victims are 18 children [while]... at present 35 people are still undergoing treatment in the hospital and 17 were already able to leave," police in Hesse state posted on Twitter on Feb. 25.

The Athens Wind Orchestra will be performing a free open-air concert in Monastiraki Square in downtown Athens on Tuesday, February 25, in the context of the city's Carnival celebrations dedicated to youngsters. Starting at 1 p.m., the orchestra will be creating a festive mood with upbeat music for children and families.

The Croatian President, government ministers, LGBT rights groups and the Ombudsperson on Monday all condemned the burning of an effigy of a kissing same-sex couple and their child at a Dalmatian carnival, calling it a hateful act. The image was torched at Sunday's traditional carnival in the small town of Imotski in the Dalmatian Hinterland.

The City of Athens Philharmonic Orchestra performs outside the Zappeion Megaron building in the National Gardens on Saturday as the capital kicks into Carnival gear. As of last week, Athens is hosting more 60 festive open-air events for everyone, young and old, around the city until March 2 when the Carnival season peaks on Clean Monday.

Kids aged 3 to 12 are invited to put on their Carnival costumes and join the games, creative activities and educational events that are being organized by the City of Athens at Zappeion. Highlights will include acrobats, jugglers, stilt walkers, musicians, magicians, face painting and more. Starts at 11 a.m. and admission is free.