Customs and traditions of Easter in Greece

Easter is called the Lilac EasterThis is the most important and the biggest religious festival of the year in Greece and mentions not only the death of Christ but mostly the Resurrection.

The week of the Passion is the Holy Week because “big” is what will happen. “Holy Monday, big day. Holy Tuesday, great crisis. Holy Wednesday, great darkness. Holy Thursday, tears falling. Holy Friday, a lot of grief. Saturday, full of joy. And Easter egg and lamb. "

• Holy Monday: Fasting for allNowadays, many start Holy Week’s fasting on the Holy Monday until Communion on Holy Saturday.• Holy Tuesday: CleaningThis day is dedicated to cleaning the house. In the church they read the Parable of the Ten Virgins, while the night is chanted the mantra of Kassiani.

• Holy Wednesday: The new doughFormerly, every year on Holy Wednesday they brewed the new dough -the leaven of the year. In the neighborhoods in fact, women of the church went from house to house, they collected flour and kneaded without yeast. The priest went on and he leaned over the cross of the Holy Cross and blew flour. That would be the leaven of the year and they shared a piece of it in every home. On the afternoon of Holy Wednesday, in our churches, celebrated the Sacrament of Unction Great.

• Holy Thursday: “Red falls” - KokkinopeftiOn Holy Thursday it is painting eggs, which indicates the blood of Christ shed on the testimonies. That is why we call Red falls - Kokkinopefti. The egg has another notation Resurrection. The egg symbolized for the Christians the grave, from which Christ resurrected – and that is the meaning of breaking eggs after the Resurrection.

On Holy Thursday evening, having finished the 12 Gospels, girls undertake to decorate the bier with all the spring flowers. They make wreaths and garlands, while chanting the lament of Mother Mary. On the evening of Holy Thursday, the women awake in church and mourn Christ. All worship the Epitaph and pass underneath "to catch the grace of Christ.“

Also, in many parts of the country on Holy Thursday women knead buns or so-called "coils Easter", which also symbolize the resurrection, as the flour is transformed with kneading and becomes bread.

• Holy Friday: Mourning large The Holy Friday represents the trial of Jesus by Pontius Pilate, the martyr's path to Golgotha and the Crucifixion. This is the day of the Passion. The evening it is celebrated the procession of the Epitaph, while the bells ring mournfully all day. In other parts of Greece people hold the flowers of the Epitaph after the procession, because they are considered miraculous.

For believers fasting day is strict and prohibits even the oil, while the custom forbids any work that day. In many parts of the country make an effigy of Judas, which was delivered to the fire after the procession of the Epitaph. Also on this day the faithful are accustomed to visit the graves of deceased relatives and friends.

• Holy Saturday: Christ is Risen Holy Saturday is the feast of the Resurrection. In many churches it starts fall many fireworks. The climax is on midnight. People go to church late at night carrying with torches and candles. The midnight the lights of the church are extinguished and the priest sings Come Receive the Light (Holy Light every year arrives with a special flight from the OlympicJerusalem, sharing in all the churches of Greece). After following the Resurrection Gospel, usually in the courtyard of the church, the priest marks the Resurrection of Christ singing the Risen Christ.

The table is laid with the traditional soup “magiritsa”, red eggs and Easter treats

Upon returning home many make a cross above the door with the smoke of their candle.

Believers after the operation are carrying the Holy Fire to their homes. The custom wants them to guard it, to not disappear for forty days.

People crack red eggs and wishes Christ Risen, flares and fireworks light up the sky.

• Sunday of Easter: Egg, feast and lamb! This is the great feast of Easter. From early morning baked the traditional lamb on the spit on the spit, while friends and relatives gathered around the festive table to eat and have fun until late afternoon. Easter is the biggest celebration of Christianity.

Our best wishes

2nd Secondary school of Corinth