EUROPE: The Puzzle of Diversity
GREEK EASTER TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS
Greek Easter is the most significant Holy Day in Greece. The Greek Orthodox Church celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, along with the arrival of spring, when everything is reborn. Here are some of the unique Greek Orthodox Easter traditions and customs.
�Fasting during Lent�
The seven-week period before Easter is called Lent, known in Greek as Sarakosti. During that time, some Orthodox Christians go on a special fast, which we call nistia, in order to cleanse themselves in preparation for Easter. Many people only fast on the Holy Week. Greek fasting is similar to a vegan diet, with the addition of seafood, and sometimes excluding olive oil and wine.
� Dyeing the Red Easter eggs on Holy Thursday�
In Greece, Easter eggs are real chicken eggs, but not the usual ones – they are first hard boiled, and then dyed red. Traditionally, women used to dye the eggs on Holy Thursday, using a colorant produced from onion peel. This gave the eggs a deep red color, which is symbolic of the blood of Jesus Christ. Nowadays, we normally buy special red dye to paint the eggs. Ready-made red eggs are also available at supermarkets and street markets.
�Baking Easter sweets – Tsoureki and koulourakia�
On Holy Thursday, women traditionally prepare two types of Easter sweets – tsoureki and koulourakia. The tsoureki is a type of traditional sweet bread, with a fluffy, chewy texture. It contains flour, butter, eggs, sugar, milk and spices. We often decorate each tsoureki with a red egg. As for koulourakia, they are cookies that typically contain butter, eggs, sugar, flour and spices, and come in different shapes. They go very well with Greek coffee, or milk.
�The Epitafios procession on Good Friday�
On the evening of Good Friday, every church in Greece mourns the death of Jesus, and organizes an Epitafios procession.
The Epitafios is a wooden construction covered with a piece of precious cloth, often adorned in gold and silver. It depicts the dead body of Jesus, and is usually decorated with flower petals.
During this ceremony, the Epitafios is carried around every single town and village in Greece. People follow the procession around the neighbourhood, carrying candles.
The procession begins and ends at the church, and it’s a uniquely solemn event. On some Greek islands, like Tinos, the Epitafios is carried into the sea, to protect the sailors and bless the water.
The Anastasi (Resurrection) on Easter Saturday
Late in the evening on Holy Saturday people gather outside the church in expectation of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy Light, which signifies the Resurrection, arrives from Jerusalem. Exactly at midnight, the flame quickly spreads among the crowd as everyone in the congregation lights their candle. Then everyone returns home, holding their lit candles. It is customary to make a cross out of candle smoke on the ceiling, just above the entrance door. This symbolizes the fact that Christ is risen from the dead.
Cracking the red eggs�
As everyone returns home after the Anastasi, the family sits around the table, and everyone gets ready to crack the red eggs into each other. Everyone picks a couple of eggs, trying to find the ones that look best for the cracking game.
One person holds their egg in their hand, and the other person tries to break the egg saying the phrase “Christos Anesti”. The response is “Alithos Anesti”. Sometimes both eggs might break!
Cracking the eggs is symbolic of the Resurrection of Jesus, and the eternal life.
�Eating the mayiritsa Easter soup�
After eating the eggs, Greeks have the traditional midnight meal, which we call mayiritsa. This is a special heavy filling soup containing goat or lamb intestines, kidneys and other inside parts. It also contains rice, herbs and lots of lemon. Its consumption signifies the end of the fasting period, and it’s only prepared for this special occasion. And for anyone who has fasted for the full Lent, it’s a truly festive dinner.
Feasting on goat or lamb on Easter Sunday�
Greek Easter food is tied to feasting on lamb and goat on the spit. This is prepared on Easter Sunday everywhere around Greece. Many towns and villages have designated areas where people cook The procedure begins early in the morning and continues until late in the evening. Apart from roasted lamb or goat, you can usually find kokoretsi and gardoumpes, meat delicacies made with the various lamb and goat entrails.
The Burning of Judas
A separate custom of Easter is "The burning of Judas", which we find in various variations in many regions of Greece, on the night of the Resurrection or on the day of Easter. The faithful "punish" the betrayer of Jesus, setting fire to his effigy, a makeshift structure made of wood and straw. In Ermioni of Argolis it is burned on a wooden raft and is surrounded by many events.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!
2nd Primary School of Filyro
May 2023