FIND OUT MORE. Easter is a festival and holiday celebrated by millions of people around the world who honor the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, ... by her Babylonian name, "Ishtar". 18 fascinating Easter facts you probably didn't know; Which countries follow the Orthodox Easter tradition? Easter is the greatest celebration of the year for the Greek Orthodox Church. This day is when the Service of the Holy Passion takes place. As a religious nation, Greek Orthodox Easter is a week-long celebration that includes a series of festivities. Preparation for Pascha (Easter) begins at the start of Great Lent. Easter is the most important religious holiday in Greek Orthodox calendar, a bigger to-do than Christmas. Throughout the nation, lambs are roasted on a spit or for smaller families, in the oven. To those in the tomb he gave eternal life.” This hymn is sung for several weeks after Easter during the church services. However, some families opt to eat their big Easter dinner during this time. Nowadays, people simply buy the tsoureki at the bakery as its preparation is time-consuming. While clinking each other’s eggs, religious Greeks tell each other, 'Christos Anesti' (Christ has Risen), and reply, 'Alithos Anesti' (He has indeed risen). People usually return home with their candles lit or go to the nearby taverna for a Resurrection dinner. OUR ULTIMATE COVID BOOKING GUARANTEE. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the summer solstice full moon (calculated with the Gregorian calendar). The Easter meal is a feast for the eyes and the senses. Impress your family and friends with these interesting Easter facts that explain the little-known origins behind common traditions. In regions of Greece where lamb isn’t readily available, goat is served instead. Written by GreekBoston.com in Greek Easter Traditions, Modern Greek History. One of the longest running traditions of Easter is the Passion Play. 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. Eggs are a symbol of renewal, and they are dyed a deep red color symbolizing the blood of Christ. As a religious nation, Greek Orthodox Easter is a week-long celebration that includes a series of festivities. Orthodox Easter Foods . Various customs are associated with Easter celebration in Greece. This is a visual reminder of the fact that He died on the cross for our sins. We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements. This is because the egg has come to symbolize Christ’s tomb, which has been stained red with His blood. They have two children.) You’ll recognize this bread because it will likely have a red Easter egg baked right in the center. Did You Know? If that is the case, they’ll likely still serve magaritsa. In ancient Canaan Ishtar is known as Astarte, and her counterparts in the Greek and Roman pantheons are known as Aphrodite and Venus. Since Easter is such an important holiday to the Greeks, there are many traditions that have developed because of it. People usually join the procession, with a brown candle in hand, and chant or listen to the chanters singing the hymns in a somber atmosphere. The rules are simple. Easter – or 'Pascha' in Greek – is the greatest celebration of the Eastern Orthodox Church, honored by various customs and religious ceremonies. Attending Church. After weeks of careful fasting and prayer, they’re eager to break the fast and finally eat foods that have been deprived of them. Easter Traditions in Greece. It is served with a red hardboiled egg in the middle. It is the symbol of human rebirth and the promise of life after death. Passion Plays. (Actress Rita Wilson, whose mother and father both were born in Greece, is widely credited with landing Nia Vardalos a movie deal for “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” Wilson and her actor husband Tom Hanks had their own “Big Fat Greek Wedding” in 1988. Afterwards, they return to their homes and the families sit together at the table to … To allow us to provide a better and more tailored experience please click "OK", Braided tsoureki with boiled dyed red eggs to symbolize the Blessed Trinity, The Epitaphios laid onto the decorated bier, as used in the Church of Y. Th. It arrives in Athens earlier on Saturday, before being distributed across the nation. Because a lot of … In case you are a vegetarian, do not worry! Now, when you attend Greek Easter, you can impress them with how much you know about their culture! But in many ways Greek Easter—or Pascha—can be an even richer experience if you spend it in Athens. but also enjoying the beautiful nature and wildflowers everywhere. Families spend the day together eating, drinking and celebrating this special occasion with a lot of singing and dancing. Have you ever heard Greek people greet each other at Easter by saying “Christos Anesti?” This means, “Christ is risen.” If they say this to you, impress them by following it up with the proper response of “Truly, he is risen.” In Greek, this is translated to “Allithos Anesti.” The first time this is said is after midnight on Easter Day, usually during the evening church service. In Greece, Easter is the most important celebration of the year, with many traditions and special food. The country celebrates this special holiday like nowhere else in the world! Facts & Figures About the Holiday of Easter. The Greek Easter is blessed with rich, colorful and symbolic traditions that include a series of festivities. The end of the official fasting period starts 40 days before the Resurrection Sunday. By his death, he has trampled down death. Red eggs are perhaps the brightest symbol of Greek Easter, representing the blood of Christ and rebirth. Preparation for Pascha (Easter) begins at the start of Great Lent. Adopted by the early Christians it became a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Preparations for the Resurrection festivities start on that day. The Holy Fire, which is used to light the priest’s candle, is brought all the way from Jerusalem, accompanied by high-ranking Orthodox priests and government officials. Let’s find out about some of these age-old traditions. The choice of the lamb is supposed to represent Christ, the Holy Lamb of God. On Sunday, a luscious feast awaits as extended family gathers. Hellenic Grocery is the best place to Learn about & Shop for the Best Greek products with next day delivery! Many Athenians head for their ancestral homes on the islands or in the countryside. Here, we give you a day by day breakdown of the Greek Holy Week to introduce you to the most essential Greek Easter traditions. The Holy Week, or Megali Evdomada, is brimming with symbolic events and traditions followed by all Greek people. After midnight, the church lights up with candlelight as people light their tapers from their neighbor’s and begin chanting “Christos Anesti.” The traditional hymn is also sung. For the Greek people, they’re ready to celebrate. 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. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Here’s a summary of some of the most prominent. While many opt for a white candle on Holy Saturday, children usually receive from their godparents a colored candle often decorated with small trinkets. Roasted lamb is served on Easter Day. For many Greeks, the church service that takes place in the evening of Holy Saturday is the most important one. It is a mobile holiday. Translated, it means “Christ is risen from the dead. The game keeps going until there is only one winner, who is said to have good luck for the whole year. It is the ultimate message of love and forgiveness, it is the time when God and sinners reconcile and spread the love Jesus Christ taught the world with His death and glorious Resurrection. Odigitria, Easter in Santorini: Anastasis (Bright Saturday Night) in Prophet Elias Monastery, Christian Orthodox worshippers hold up candles lit from the 'Holy Fire' as thousands gather in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City. The Good Friday mass takes place in the evening and is followed by a solemn procession around the block of the church in big cities or around the village in rural areas. The Holy Week, or Megali Evdomada, is brimming with symbolic events, festivities, and traditions followed by the whole nation, though the serious business begins around Holy (or Maundy) Thursday. Greece is probably the easiest place to always find plenty of vegetable dishes. This special day sees the conclusion of the Passion of Christ with Christ’s burial. Greeks follow the Holy Week rites in commemoration of the Passion of Christ and celebrate His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. During the Holy Week, the churches’ chandeliers and icon screens are dressed in black and purple ribbons, enhancing in this way the atmosphere of mourning for the coming crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ. The celebration of the Greek Orthodox Easter starts on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. The traditional dish to serve during this meal is magaritsa, which is a soup that is made from the organs of the lamb that will be prepared for the main feast. There's a lot to learn about Easter's rich history. An atypical dish at Greek Easter is spit-roasted lamb, alongside delicious traditional sides. Facts for Easter in Greece. The reason why this is served is because according to the Apostle John, Jesus is the Lamb of God. It is traditionally on Holy Thursday that people make the Easter brioche, also known as tsoureki. Easter, or Pascha as it is known here, is in fact the most important occasion in the Greek Orthodox Church calendar. The festival accompanies the smells of spring, the rebirth of nature and the flower-carpeted ground. The one that ends up with a cracked egg is the loser. Customary foods are a lamb and Tsoureki Paschalino, a sweet Easter dessert bread. There are 260,000,000 Orthodox Christians worldwide, of which 10,000,000 are from Greece and 450,000 are in the GOA. Are you planning to visit Greece during Orthodox Easter? The girls run down the street while the boys throw buckets of water on them! Thousands of Greeks took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather of this Orthodox Easter weekend and rushed to their nearby beaches to enjoy a spring swim. Here are some of the unique Easter traditions you will witness during your vacation in Greece. However, in the eyes of the church, they’re all equally as important. It falls on Sunday, May 2, 2021 and most businesses follow regular Sunday opening hours in Greece. If you’ve attended Greek Easter dinner, you may have noticed that all the eggs are dyed red and there are no pastel colored eggs at the table at all. Greek Easter celebrations in Birmingham Read More Related Articles. Orthodox Easter Sunday is not a public holiday. The history of Greece traces back far past the beginnings of Christianity, but from the very earliest days of the Christian faith the Islands of Greece and the Greek people have embraced these beliefs and made them part of the Greek heritage. Each person at the feast chooses a blood-red egg and taps it against someone else's. What’s more, visitors can observe our unique Greek Orthodox Easter traditions. People greet each other with a “Christos Anesti” and its reply “Alithos Anesti” (He has truly risen), lighting their candles along the way. In this article you will read about the traditions that are followed in every region of Greece.. Fasting and cleaning! The word tsougrisma means \"clinking together\" or \"clashing.\" In Greek, it is τσούγκρισμα and is pronounced TSOO-grees-mah. It is normally seasoned and prepared on a spit, or souvla. This sweet bread is usually braided with three pieces of dough, which represent the Holy Trinity, and spiced with mahleb. The cracking tradition symbolizes Christ The country celebrates this special holiday like nowhere else in the world. In the eyes of the Greek Orthodox Church, it is an honor to commemorate the fact that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Roasted lamb is the traditional meat of choice on the Greek Easter table. The tradition of tsougrisma, or the cracking of the eggs, can take place on Saturday evening or Easter Sunday, depending on each family’s traditions. Everyone chooses an egg and cracks it on top of another person’s egg. The most popular Easter tradition in Greece is the boiling and painting of eggs with red colour. The Resurrection of Christ is celebrated at midnight sharp; the priest proclaims “Christos Anesti” (Christ has risen) with bells ringing and fireworks lighting up the sky outside. Serbian Orthodox families traditionally begin the feasting after Easter Sunday services. The last person holding an un… Easter in Greece Traditions Greek Easter is one of the best times of the year to be in Greece. The country has been experiencing some of its highest April and May temperatures of the last decade since last week, with people rushing to beaches to enjoy the unseasonably hot weather , despite the coronavirus restrictions. The tradition of boiling and dyeing eggs in the red color symbolizes the rebirth of life and the blood of Christ. People in northeast Hungary celebrate with girls and boys wearing traditional dress. Eating lamb honors this. Another dish that is present at the Greek Easter table is tsoureki, the traditional sweet bread. In Hungary, Easter is celebrated with the baking of delicious pastries and the painting of hardboiled eggs. Here’s a summary of some of the most prominent. Just before midnight, the church goes completely dark. Some families take this one step further and use the traditional tsoureki dough to make small sweet rolls for the guest to enjoy. If you have any Greek people in your social circle, you may have realized that Easter is the biggest holiday of the year for them. Greek Easter Sunday means eating Greek lamb, goat, kokoretsi, wine, tsoureki bread and cracking red eggs, while visiting family, friends, dancing etc. Categorized in: Greek Easter Traditions, Modern Greek History, Recipe for Kourabiedes – Greek Sugar Cookies, Greek Orthodox Holy Tuesday Religious Service Overview, History and Meaning of Greek Easter Bread (Tsoureki). The churches are usually packed, and you will often see people spilling onto the church’s parvis with white candles, which will be lit later with the Holy Light. Greeks are eager to break the fast they engaged in during Holy Lent as soon as possible, so many of them eat a meal right after they get home from the Holy Saturday church service. Koulourakia (Greek: κουλουράκια, IPA: ; singular: κουλουράκι) are a traditional Greek dessert, typically made around Easter to be eaten after Holy Saturday.. Why Easter is Greek to Me: Xristos Anesti! Greek Lenten & Easter Traditions Greek foods and traditions mark the season as uniquely Hellenic. Orthodox Christians fast and pray regularly during the forty days of lent and also during Holy Week. Orthodox Christians fast and pray regularly during the forty days of lent and also during Holy Week. Holy Thursday is the day for dying eggs. Great news! On this day, bells ring multiple times throughout the day, and people head to church early to decorate the Epitaphios, a canopy holding the holy icon depicting the burial of the Christ, with flowers. Some people may not like it, but this traditional dish is proof that Greeks traditionally do not waste anything, especially food, and eat the lamb’s tripe the day before roasting the rest of it. On this day, people who haven’t joined in the celebrations usually show up to church for the evening mass. That partially explains why church authorities believe it is too important to change the date just to fall in line with the rest of the Christian church. Greek Orthodox Christians traditionally break the Lenten fast after the midnight Resurrection Service. Officially, Easter Sunday is the end of the 40-day fasting period, and it is celebrated with whole lambs roasting on a spit. The Holy Week, or Megali Evdomada, is brimming with symbolic events, festivities, and traditions followed by the whole nation, though the serious business begins … Greek Orthodox, particularly in America are in fact a small part of a large community of the Holy Orthodox Church. The weather is pleasant, there are flowers everywhere, and tourist numbers are still low. In fact, the egg has been an ancient symbol of life and death in many different cultures and religions. The egg was a symbol of rebirth of the earth in Pagan celebrations of spring. Afterwards, the girls reward the boys with coi… The eggs symbolise Christ's tomb in this moment, and their cracking symbolises his Resurrection. Did you know that religion historians believe that the holiday of Easter originated with the pagan festival of Eastre, a Saxon celebration of spring and fertility?The April holiday included a number of the same springtime rituals and symbols that today feature in Christianity’s celebration of Easter. Churches are decorated with palm branches and have daily morning and evening services. It never lands on the same date every year. This bread contains several ingredients that were forbidden during Great Lent such as eggs, butter, and sugar. Red Egg Cracking. Since Easter is such an important holiday to the Greeks, there are many traditions that have developed because of it. Magiritsa is a lamb tripe soup served after the service. 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