GREEK ORTHODOX EASTER
© Georgios Paraskevopoulos
I decided to post this today because of the date differences of the
Easter Celebration between Catholics and Orthodox Christians. This year
the difference is 5 weeks. It happens every 4rth year.
The week dated 21-27 of April 2008 is the so called Long Week (Megali
Evdomada), the Great Week, which is Easter Week for all Greek Orthodox
people. Anyone that has spent this week in Greece will have noticed
that it is the most important holiday of the year. This year the Good
Friday is on the 25th of April and the Easter Sunday on the 27th of
April 2008.
It is traditions to fast before Easter, meaning that we are not allowed
to eat various foods such as meat, butter, milk as well as olive oil
for the last few days. Then we will go to a priest for confession, and
are so allowed to partake in the Holy Communion.
ΑΙΜΑ ΚΑΙ ΥΔΩΡ - BLOOD AND WATER
In Orthodoxy the Easter celebration begins on Good Friday. People go to
the churches to see how the priests and monk's take down the icon of
Christ off the cross, wrap it in linen and put it in a great casket
covered in flowers symbolizing the tomb of Christ. Then the bier is
taken through the town or village, with people lamenting the death of
Christ.
A scene from "The Passion of the Christ." The film, produced,
written and directed by Mel Gibson, depicts the last 12 hours in the
life of Jesus Christ.
Click above
Late on Saturday evening everyone goes to church, carrying with them
unlit candles. At midnight the priest announces the Resurrection of
Christ ("Christos Anesti") and lets the people light their candles of
the Holy Flame taken from Christ's nativity cave in Jerusalem. As
everybody does this fireworks and crackers go off and the dark night is
filled with light from the candles. After this, everybody goes home for
a meal - the fast is over. If their candles are still burning, a cross
is made in the doorway with the soot, to protect the house for the
coming year.
On Easter Sunday friends and family gather in homes, eating lamb on the
spit and dyed eggs. Before the red eggs are eaten, however, you must
crack them against your neighbours and friends and whoever wins by
having a whole egg at the end, will get all the luck.
See under Philoxenia forum
Greek Easter
HAPPY EASTER
Georgios