Greek Easter: Celebrating uniquely.

The Greek Orthodox Easter as known as “Pascha” is a big deal to nearly every greek out there. Regardless of faith, it has more to do with tradition and it holds no less importance than Christmas. We’ll give you an idea of how greeks spend their holidays, what they eat, what they do. This is Greek Easter.

Holy Week Habits

The Holy Week, or the Great Week as it’s called in Greece is just as spiritually and culturally significant. Schools start their spring break for two weeks, allowing students to kick back and join their parents on field trips to their places of descent. People usually frequent their local church through the week, especially in rural areas to hear melodic chants.

On Great Friday, people join a walk around the church to carry together a symbolic picture of Christ decorated with flowers, as known as the Epitaph, mourning his death under candlelights and the evening sky. Great Friday in contrast to Great Saturday is a day of grief.

The very next day, at midnight sharp, the Greeks celebrate the resurrection of Jesus gathering around their church and holding their special candles, called Lambades in order to participate in the ceremony of sharing the holy light. After this family tables have been prepared with delicacies for a late night feast.

Unique Customs

All around Greece there are various customs and traditions for the celebration of Easter. For example, you might have come across “Botides” in the island of Corfu, where in the early morning of Great Easter people gather on their balconies to throw red clay vases filled with water. People from all over the country and beyond gather round to witness the spectacle of the incredibly loud sounds the vases produce.

Eating and drinking during Easter

Sunday of Easter, the day right after Great Saturday marks the end of the fasting period for those who chose to refrain from meat, dairy, fish etc. Under the Sunday sunlight and clear skies, families gather round to share a meal of roast lamb or goat, salad and traditional greek dishes accompanied by fine wine.

For sweets, tsoureki sourdough bread, easter cookies with orange flavour and easter chocolate eggs are staples of greek childhood during Easter. Perhaps the funniest tradition of all is the cracking of red eggs that have been dyed and prepared since Great Thursday. The hard boiled eggs are placed in each guests hand ready to participate in a break or be broken competition. Whoever manages to leave their egg as intact as possible after hitting their opponent with both tips is bound to have a strong, lucky rest of the year.

What are you waiting for? Are you joining us this year?

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