How do Greeks celebrate Easter?
Greek Orthodox Easter is probably the biggest celebration of the year for most Greeks, with a lot of special traditions and family gatherings. So, how do Greeks celebrate Easter?
Read here the most important things you should know to celebrate Greek Easter in Greece!
The preparations for the Greek Easter actually start from “Kathara Devtera” (Clean Monday) onward. All Greeks celebrate the national holiday “Kathara Devtera”, which is the last day of carnival and the first day of the so called “fasting period”.
From that day onward till Easter people might greet you with “kali sarrakosti” (We wish you a nice 40 days!), since there are 40 days till the “holy week” (the week before Easter Sunday). From Clean Monday till Easter Sunday children could count the 7 weeks with a traditional “Kuria Sarrakosti calendar”! Kathara Devtera is the first day of the so called “fasting period” and the last day of Carnival.
Most people do not bother so much about “fasting” after Kathara Devtera, but they start fasting again for just one week before Easter, during the so called “holy week”! Nevertheless, for those that can do without eggs, milk, meat, etc… for 40 days, in every shop you will find “nistissima”, the foods you can eat during the “fasting period”.
Greek Easter is a very special and holy time indeed! Even for non-religious Greeks or students, the atmosphere is nice and it is a part of the Greek culture and traditions. During the evenings of the holy week you can hear the church services every day. On Good Friday the candlelit funeral procession takes place in every church around 20.00 h.
On Saturday evening, 90% of the Greeks hurry to church around 23.30 for the Resurrection and witness the priest bringing in the Holy Flame, flown in from Jerusalem. Greeks will light their candle at midnight and quickly try to walk home or to the tavern without
a) the candle going out
b) wax dripping on clothes, and
c) someone else’s candle setting clothes (or hair) in fire!
