EASTER IN ATHENS

ΚΑΛΟ ΠΑΣΧΑ

Greek Orthodox Easter
Greek Easter is the country's most important religious festival.
It begins with a 40-day fast, though many people choose to fast only on certain days of religious significance or just During Holy Week the churches are full every evening as even people who are not regular church goers still observe Easter during the final week before Easter, Holy Week.
The red eggs for just after the Resurrection are the women’s first job as far as food preparation is concerned. In our house this involves 3 generations Grandma, myself and my girls. Eggs are usually painted and cookies baked on Thursday.
Good Friday is a solemn occasion and many people spend long periods of time, sometimes all day in church. Others go for a short time to light candles. The church bells ring a death toll all day long and it is the only day of the year on which I do not play music, mainly out of respect for local traditions.At about 9pm the “epitafio” is brought out of the church and leads a candlelit procession around the streets.


At midnight on Saturday the church bells ring out joyfully: the faithful, candles lit, can celebrate the Resurrection. Fireworks are set off and some places have bonfires where they burn an effigy of Judaes.



The meal afterwards consists of "mageritsa," (soup made from offal) which I avoid like the plague the red eggs are knocked and the traditional phrase "Christ is risen" will be heard all around the table.
On Easter Sunday, spit-roast lamb is the centerpiece of the table Served with plenty of green salads particularly lettuce and lots of good red wine or retsina. Many families will spit roast a whole lamb for this ocassion, ours included, and friends as well as family are invited to join the feast.
HAPPY EASTER . PASSOVER. HOLIDAYS

FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK ON LINK

http://www.chiff.com/a/easter-greece.htm