Easter festivities take place all over Italy, a country with deep religious roots … But in Leonidio, things are slightly less aggressive. You have to visit Greece once and celebrate Easter in one of the locations mentioned here. It’s a moving and colorful experience as they disappear into the night sky. Greek Easter Sunday means eating Greek lamb, goat, kokoretsi, wine, tsoureki bread and cracking red eggs, while visiting family, friends, dancing etc. In addition to stuffing candles inside oranges, the Leonidians also maintain a very colorful Easter ritual that consists of setting as many hot air balloons in the air. They always start with cracking the red eggs with each other, which symbolizes the risen Christ’s blood. Even though the dates for both Easters may be the same this year, there are many traditions that make the holiday of Easter in Greece different than Easter celebrations in other lands. Afterwards, they return to their homes and the families sit together at the table to … Easter is celebrated all over the mainland and on the islands, it is a family celebration as well as being the most significant time in the Greek Orthodox Church. Greeks traditionally get together and grill meat on this day. It is imbued with an extra layer of spirituality and acceptance and there is definitely a more robust observance amongst even the younger Greeks. In Greece, Easter is the most important celebration of the year, with many traditions and special food. Who said Easter is boring? Certainly not the Cretans who have their own take on the popular burning of Juda tradition observed in other countries. Many of them are related to church attendance and customs. For instance, in Chios island on the eastern shore, a very peculiar tradition still takes place on Easter Sunday, involving two churches and their parishes. Easter is one of my favorite times to be in Greece for a couple of reasons. It is the custom to carry the Eternal Flame home and use it to … Greek Orthodox Easter, called Pascha, is by far the most important feast for the Greeks, celebrating the suffering and martyrdom of Jesus Christ as well as, his resurrection and the chance of rebirth for mankind, symbolized by the coming of spring. Spending Easter holidays in Greece offers some tantalising options for authentic Greek fun, in some pretty unusual places, too. Agios Markos and Panagia Ereithiani churches sit 400 meters apart on two separate hilltops on the village … Greeks follow the Holy Week rites in commemoration of the Passion of Christ and celebrate His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. This is eaten on Easter as the three braid of the bread represent the Holy Trinity. A lot of people actually participate in lent as catharsis, and these days even more do so. Many people even cut into the shape of a cross. The week before Easter is called the Holy Week and traditionally the people fast and go to church once a day. Since the date of Greek Orthodox Easter. The Kalymnians make a whole lot of noise with dynamite, which they cast about throughout the island (safely we hope). But on the island of Chios, Easter is even more incendiary. Red eggs are a traditional part of the Greek Easter celebration. Additionally, eggs are being boiled and dyed red. https://www.greece-is.com/16-islands-to-spend-greek-orthodox-easter The festival consists of two weeks of the feast, beginning from the Sunday of Meat Fare and ends with the first day of the Lent, called Clean Monday (Kathari Deutera). After the 40 days (according to the Julian calendar) of fasting, people celebrate Easter, or the resurrection, by eating inordinate amounts of awesome grilled lamb, kokoretsi, gardouba and several other entrails’ goodies, such as the magiritsa soup. Easter Traditions in Greece. A 3 bender ensues, with everything that entails in a Greek mountain town. Easter time, from the carnivals that come before the Lenten fast through Holy Week. Apart from fasting, there are numerous other Orthodox Easter traditions in Greece. (See Tradition #4 to  learn more about the importance of the Red Eggs.) During Good Friday an effigy of Juda is created and paraded around the village, only for it to burn on Easter Sunday as a sign of catharsis and penitence. If you do not change your browser settings, you agree to it. Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday is May 2 for 2021! I cook lamb.” If you don’t remember, watch the scene here. You have to be careful taking an Easter break to Greece. This sad mood is soon broken in true Greek style, with lots of eating and singling and loud noise. Holy Thursday evening, church services include a symbolic representation of the crucifixion, and the period of mourning begins. Throughout Crete, Easter is celebrated everywhere with great enthusiasm; at the same time … There is so much to see, taste and experience. Greek Orthodox Easter relates to Spring and the nature coming out from the clothing of winter. It’s okay. Because Greece has so many influences from so many regions and countries, there are small pockets of unusual festive traditions in and around the mainland hamlets and island villages that aren’t to be found in other places around the country. The priest lights a candle representing of Jesus’ eternal flame and everyone lights their candle from this one. Agios Markos and Panagia Ereithiani churches sit 400 meters apart on two separate hilltops on the village of Vrontado, but they have a bone to pick. Unique hymns and liturgies are recited, related to Jesus and Orthodoxy. Then the egg cracking begins! The other one responds, “Alithos Anesti” (meaning “Indeed, he did!”). The Greek Orthodox Church doesn’t always celebrate Easter at the same time as the Catholic or the Church of England. Kicking things off, the Thursday of the second week of Carnival is known as Tsiknopempti, or Burnt Thursday. Back in the 1800’s, the pesky Greeks devised a cunning way of circumventing the ottoman prohibition of celebrating Christian events by staging a faux war between themselves that consisted of firing canons and rockets at each other to hide their faith. It’s more important than Christmas, by far, and holds a special place in the heart of Greeks. Red Egg Cracking. For instance, in Chios island on the eastern shore, a very peculiar tradition still takes place on Easter Sunday, involving two churches and their parishes. Fireworks are common during midnight church services on Orthodox Easter Saturdays in Greece.But on the island of Chios, Easter is even more incendiary.Two neighbouring parishes in Vrontados – Agios Markos and Panaghia Ereithiani – hold an annual competition to fire shots at each other’s steeples. Customs and traditions take place in every town in the biggest celebration of Christianity. Don’t you remember in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, “What do you mean he don’t eat no meat? Many Athenians head for their ancestral homes on the islands or in the countryside. First of all even if you are not a devout Christian you can't help but be moved by the ceremonies and the way life begins again on Easter Sunday after winter and 40 days of fasting. This feast of drinking and eating lasts till the early hours, sleeping only to get up and make the Easter Sunday lunch. The Holy Week, or Easter week, including Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are all public holidays in Greece. So, book your luxury villa in Mykonos or a villa in Santorini to cross this truly unique experience off your bucket-list. The one with the strongest egg is said the have good luck for the whole year Tradition #5: Eating MagiritsaAfter the egg cracking, they start eating the traditional magiritsa! This happens in a festive setting, obviously, and as you’d expect there’s music and dancing and singing, all intertwined with the smell of roasted lamb and wine; a legit Dionysian symposium by any account, in which the whole town or village participates. Preparing for Greek Easter In case you are a vegetarian, do not worry! The simplicity of meals, the generosity of the people and the pure, unadulterated joy drawn from such momentus events is sure to leave you wanting more. Every Greek island has its own unique Easter traditions, and Kalymnos of course has its own way of doing so. In every corner of Greece people celebrate Easter in a unique way. This dish contains the offal of the lamb just before it is roasted, along with some green vegetables (lettuce, dill and onion) boiled together. The Greek Orthodox Easter is normally celebrated later in the year, but in 2007 both dates for Easter coincide. In 2020 Easter Sunday is on 19 April, but the celebrations start long before then, and are quite special. Families gather again before noon to roast the lamb on a spit and then enjoy a long lunch with lots of meat, potatoes, salads and drinks. Easter in Greece means lots of things, not only spiritually related. Then follows a festival of light that is a true delight - at midnight the church goes dark and the bells ring out to proclaim the resurrection, and people start cheering and letting off fireworks and crackers! Greece is probably the easiest place to always find plenty of vegetable dishes. Families get together and people enjoy a holiday air, and there are many wonderful food traditions that Greeks follow around Easter time. In the Orthodox tradition, eggs are a symbol of new life, victory over death and the blood of Tradition #6: Roasting the LambThe Easter Sunday is another day to celebrate. The date of Easter in Greece is marked by the Grecian calendar and so does not fall at the same time as Easter in other European countries. Easter is celebrated all over Greece and each part of the country has its own unique Easter customs. Tradition #4: Red Egg Cracking Afterwards, they return to their homes and the families sit together at the table to have the festive dinner! but also enjoying the beautiful nature and wildflowers everywhere.. Easter in Greece is a special affair. Bread arches of Italy. Let’s find out about some of these age-old traditions. NOTE! Happy Easter – Kalo Paska! Special church services begin on the Friday after Clean Monday. in Greece. Easter is the most important festival in the Greek Orthodox calendar and is the perfect time to visit Athens or one of the Greek islands like Crete or Corfu. T: 0030 2104836823E: reservations@bluevillascollection.com, Stay in touch with BlueVillasGet exclusive offers & BlueVillas News, Copyright © 2011-2021 / All Rights Reserved. Each region, however, has its own way of celebrating both the Passion and Resurrection. The balloons carry the prayers and hopes of the parish as they ascend. People carefully carry their candle home and make a black cross on their house with the flame to bless themselves. The Holy Week or the Great Week. The Greeks young and old buy or make their own Easter candles which they take to the church on this night. If you are in Greece during the Greek Orthodox Easter, you are very lucky! Covid-19 Policy Updates and Measures | Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Crete Learn more, Enhanced On-Site Covid-19 Operation Standards. Starting on ‘Clean Monday’, the period of lent begins and lasts approximately for 40 days during which no meat or animal byproducts can be eaten. Two neighbouring parishes in Vrontados – Agios Markos and Panaghia Ereithiani – hold an annual competition to fire shots at each other’s steeples. Rocket battles in Chios, Greece Fireworks are common during midnight church services on Orthodox Easter Saturdays in Greece. and the celebrations of Easter, is a special season in Greece.. Greek Orthodox Easter 2021. In Thrace and Macedonia, young women in traditional clothing called the 'Lazarins', go around the villages, singing traditional Easter songs. In this article you will read about the traditions that are followed in every region of Greece.. Fasting and cleaning! Everyone is costumed and parties take place in the streets and bars, throwing colored confetti to … The result of turbulent times, one may say. For the church it is a celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ, and also dating from ancient times it marks the changing seasons and the arrival of spring. Baking of Easter cookies – these are made either on Holy Thursday or Holy Saturday In what seems to be a recurring theme, gunpowder is also the main ingredient in this distinctive Easter custom in Kalamata, known as ‘Saitopolemos’. Or so it seems. It is custom to carry the Holy flame back home and smoke the doorframe to bless the house. Tradition #1: Baking Tsoureki & Dying Red EggsOn Thursday evening, all of the Greeks prepare for the Holy Weekend. Greeks love going out with friends, being independent and traveling abroad, yet, Easter is a synonym for ‘family’ for them. One cracks their chosen egg on top of another’s chosen eggs, saying “Christos Anesti” (meaning “Christ has risen”). In Greece, the Carnival is called "Apokries". Red eggs are a traditional part of the Greek Easter celebration. The Traditional Meal. In Greek, it’s the “Great Week”: Μεγάλη Εβδομάδα, which starts on … Okay. Everybody makes the delicious sweet Easter bread, called Tsoureki (or buys it from the bakery because it’s very difficult). It still takes place today, although canons have been replaced by fireworks, however the point of all this is none other than to hit the opposite church tower bell to declare victory. On Saturday before Easter Sunday, the Orthodox Patriarch of Greece breaks the seal of the door of the tomb of Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and emerges with the Holy Fire. Certainly more important than Christmas. Religion is an integral part of society in Greece, and Easter is the most important religious event on the calendar. From Lent (and even Carnival, or Apokries) to Easter, the Greek calendar is filled with traditions and rituals that many Greeks still observe. Easter in Greece, Greek Easter, Greece plays host to religious festivals with deeply rooted customs and centuries-old traditions, access map, how to get to, routes and distances, selected accommodation offers and deals at Easter in Greece, Easter holidays in Greece, hotel and lodging price lists, hotels, lodgings, rooms to let, studios, apartments Every year, on Easter Sunday, the Greek island of Chios hosts a unique celebration known as the Chios Rocket War. This takes place in the municipal football stadium of Kalamata and despite significant pressure from authorities to curb it due to its precariousness, locals are understandably nonchalant. Tradition #3: Midnight Church Service & CandlesLate on Saturday night, before midnight all the people go to all the churches, which all seem full to bursting. This site uses cookies and similar technologies. Fireworks begin to light up the sky and people exchange traditional Easter wishes (“Christos Anesti – Christ is risen and in response, “Alithos Anesti” – truly, He is risen). Everyone selects one egg, carefully choosing the one that seems the strongest. In Corfu, the tradition is to throw pots out onto the streets from the balconies, while in Arachova, the folklore dictates that men dress up in traditional tsolia regalia. Similar to that of the Chios celebrations, this tradition is again rooted in Ottoman times, and it basically consists of two teams of 15 to 30 men and teenagers detonating hand made fireworks while still holding them. Almost everyone in Greece visits their grandparents’ village during Easter and especially on Easter … Spring is a wonderful season in Greece; the sky is blue, there is warm sunshine and pretty wildflowers growing in meadows and along the roadside. In the Orthodox tradition, eggs are a symbol of new life, victory over death and the blood of Jesus Christ. Easter Sunday is the main reason why people believe that Easter is all about family. Find the most important family Easter traditions in this Easter in Greece Guide. With so many fun and yummy traditions, spending Easter in Greece is a must-add to everybody’s bucket-list. But in many ways Greek Easter—or Pascha —can be an even richer experience if you spend it in Athens. To have as many balloons up in the air for as long as possible, with the aim of reaching God, or as close as feasible. The egg cracking keeps on going, until there is only one winner- the chosen one with the un-cracked egg! Greek Orthodox Easter is the stuff that myths are made of: age-old fasting rituals, candle-lit processions, lambs whirling on a spit and fireworks at midnight. Each time there is a winner and loser. The 5 local churches compete with each other. It is traditional to eat magiritsa because it symbolizes the end of the 40-day fast Greek Orthodox people have right before this day in order to mourn the death of Jesus. Naturally, all this is done in a healthy competitive spirit, and despite the fact that this torrent of rockets are fired with people still inside the churches adds an extra layer of theatricality and drama to the occasion. Rocket battles in Chios, Greece. The goal? Religious festivals with centuries-old traditions and customs take place throughout the year in Greece and Orthodox Easter is one of the greatest such celebrations. They also feast on their very own version of stuffed lamb in the oven, which they call Mouri. Easter is the most important religious celebration for the Greek Orthodox Church, and the holiday marks a fascinating time to visit the country. HANIA. That’s the celebration of Saint George, the patron saint of the town. 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