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
