Greek Easter Traditions

In Greece Easter is a really big deal, for some people even the most important celebration of the year. Sometimes the date differs from the Western Easter, because in the Greek Orthodox Church it is calculated after the ancient Julian calendar unlike the western church who is going after the Gregorian calendar.

Preparations for the Greek Easter Celebration start on Holy Thursday. This is the day when the traditional Easter bread Tsoureki is baked and everyone dyes eggs together. Usually the color used for that is red, because red is the color of life and symbolizes the blood of Christ, the renewal of life and the victory of life over death.
The next day, Good Friday is a day for mourning. Believers do not work, some of them even refuse to cook or only eat really simple food boiled in water or a thin soup. Traditionally Christ’s bier is decorated with flowers in the church by women and children.

On Holy Saturday the Holy Fire is brought to Greece from Jerusalem by plane and given to state and church leaders who carry it to their local churches. People gather there for the midnight Service of the Resurrection, some of them with big white candles.  After midnight the Holy Fire is passed from person to person until everybody holds a lit candle in his hands. There is usually a big firework and people go home to traditionally break the fast with a soup called Magiritsa. In Vrontados, here on Chios Island, this is also the day on which the famous Rocket War takes place. The celebration of Easter Sunday includes roasted lamb or goat kid, traditional side dishes, much ouzo and good Greek wine and continues until late in the night.