The custom of Gynaecocracy in the Villages of Monoklisia, N. Petra and A. Kamila,  is very well known all over Greece.

     A large number of visitors, Greek and foreign reporters visit the Prefecture on the 8th of January every year, to watch from a close distance the new «Amazons» receiving the key of the village for one day. The married women elect a woman as a chairperson, whose term of office lasts for four years. Then they elect the rest of the members of the Board, which also consists of women. Women occupy all the positions that day. You encounter a role of reversal in society; a traffic policewoman, a post woman etc. The men are occupied with housework; they wash the clothes, do the ironing, look after the children and in general they wear the housewife’s apron and they are busy in the house, which is left in a complete mess by the wives.

     So, while the husbands are busy with the housework the wives are holding a «session» at the coffee house. They are smoking, playing cards and enjoying themselves until the early hours. None of the men are allowed to take part in the festivities. If one of them dares to appear the least that is going to happen to him is to get drenched with water. 
  
     Traffic policewomen, women doctors and policewomen at the day of Gynaecracy in the village Nea Petra.

     This is a Thracian custom and the Thracian refugees brought it here. Another name for this custom is the festivity of «Babo» and also «vrexoudio» because on that day the men who dare to go out of the house get completely wet. 

     This custom is a distant recall of the primitive period’s matriarchal spirit, which was obvious in the religion of people from Asia Minor from the Prehistoric period. Most probably it influenced the northern areas (Thrace) and was slightly preserved in life.
 
     Lately, the custom adopted a particular festive style and became a real tourist attraction with its «Dionysus style» celebrations, in which women play the main roles.