Christmas in the city and Easter in the village!

Holy Week has arrived this year as well. In a few days we will celebrate Easter, one of the biggest holidays of Christianity. After a difficult and heavy winter, everyone is waiting for Easter to celebrate, change their mood and rejoice.

Schools are closed, teachers and students stop classes and relax the intensive teaching rhythms to rest and resume classes after Easter, until the end of the school year. Some employees take leave and others work more these days, as this requires their profession. The holidays of Easter, give everyone the opportunity to rest, even for a while. Most people are preparing to leave for their village, in mountainous or coastal areas, on an island, in their cottage, with their parents or near their friends. There are many who rent a room in a hotel or at home, in order to enjoy Easter in the countryside. Athens is empty for a few days, as the celebration of Easter is combined with nature, with flowers, with spring.

Each place has its own Easter customs, while in all parts of Greece the decoration and procession of the Epitaph is of special importance, not only religious, as the inhabitants of each area try to decorate the Epitaph of their parish in the most beautiful way, so that it stands out. On the night of Holy Saturday the churches are filled with people, waiting to hear ‘Chris has risen’ to light his candle and give the kiss of love.

At the festive table, the magiritsa has her honor and the red eggs that we crack, to see who will be the strongest and whose egg will be broken.

On Easter Sunday at the Easter table the main food is the lamb on the spit and the kokoretsi, as long as there is good company and an experienced turnspit who will know how to cook the meat properly and on time.

No matter how everyone celebrates it, Easter marks the rebirth of nature, good weather, joy and hope.

With best wishes, Happy Resurrection and Happy Easter to all, with love and health!

Anthoula P. Veziri