Feather-weight fighting: Greece marks International Pillow Fight Day

Greece marked the International Pillow Fight Day for the first time on Sunday with thousands of people participating in Athens and the northern city of Thessaloniki and having loads of fun.

Pillow fighters took over Klafthmonos Square in central Athens and Aristotelous Square in Thessaloniki to revive good, old-fashioned pillow fight from their childhood and to send their message against domestic violence.

"The only fight that is acceptable is the one with pillows and feathers," Katerina Kechagia, member of the organizing team, told Xinhua.

With the motto "Pillow Fight, Don't Fight", Greece participated in the worldwide event in support of the Greek Association of Aid for Abused Women and Children.

The goal was to raise public awareness and gather medicine and clothes ahead of the Orthodox Easter holiday next weekend.

Despite the cloudy weather, people of every age group equipped for a fight - with fluffy pillows in their bags - joined the challenge and once the whistle blew, they pulled out their "weapons" and started whacking each other until last drop.

Like every game, pillow fight has also its rules, which forbid hits to the face.

"I am very happy to join the pillow fight. Schools closed for Easter, I came with my friends and family to have good time before leaving for holidays, " 13-year-old Spyros Spiliotopoulos said.

This year is the 7th annual International Pillow Fight Day. The event, which is part of an urban playground movement, attracts tens of thousands of people in more than 100 cities across the globe each year. Endit