EASTER

Easter is called the great celebration of Judaism and Christianity. In Judaism, it was established

as a remembrance of the exodus, which freed the Jews from Egyptian slavery. Later, it was

adopted as a celebration by Christians to dignify the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus

Christ.

The Christian Easter and the term Resurrection refer to the week of Resurrection until the

Sunday after. The feast of Easter, because of its importance, it begins 40 days before the

Resurrection and ends 50 days after.

On Easter day, according to the Greek/Orthodox calendar, several Greek names are celebrated:

ANASTASIOS, ANESTIS, LAMPROS, PASCHALINA and PASCHALIS,

STASINOS.

These are the events that happened before the

Resurrection of Christ:Saturday of Lazarus: In this day, Lazarus

resurrected. In some places, children sing “Lazarika” (Easter carols) and housewives make “Lazarakia” (human-shaped cookies with carnations for eyes.

Palm Sunday: Churches are decorated with palms (usually branch of laurels). This day, people welcomed Jesus Christ when he was entering in Jerusalem with palms.

Good Monday: Jesus Christ went to Jerusalem and he was hungry. He saw a fig tree with no figs and he told it to desiccate. The fig tree desiccated. Jesus’ students asked him how he made the fig tree to desiccate and he told them that if you have faith, you can do many things.

Good Tuesday: Jesus Christ went to the temple of Solomon to teach. He told many parables there.

Good Wednesday: Jesus and his students was at Lazarus’ house. At the mealtime, a woman called Maria approached Jesus, she suffused his legs with essence and she scavenged them with her hair.

Good Thursday: This day, Last Supper was taken place. Jesus share bread and red wine which symbolized Jesus’ body and blood. It also symbolized the sacrifice of Christ. On Good Thursday, Jesus was arrested due to Judas who betrayed him.

Good Friday: On Good Friday, Jesus was crucified between two robbers. Sources refer that the one robber regretted for his mistake in the cross and he asked for forgiveness. Jesus told him that he will be with him in paradise. However, the other robber did not regret for his mistakes and he offended Christ when he was in the cross!

Good Saturday: The body of the dead Jesus Christ drew down and it was buried in a grave with a huge stone for gate.

Easter Sunday: Student of Christ visited him in his grave to suffuse it with aromatics but when they moved the stone, they found the grave empty. As one angel told them, the body of Christ had been resurrected. It is understood that Christ was crusified due to the love he had about people.

The customs in Easter are generally the same:

• On Palm Sunday, churches are decorated with palms.

• On Good Thursday, especially housewives make brioches and paint red eggs. We paint eggs because it symbolized the renewal of life from the ancient years and the red color symbolize the blood of Christ.

• Good Friday is the day when Epitaph (the place where the dead body of Jesus Christ is, Jesus’ grave) goes round the town. Firstly, women go to the church and decorate with flowers the Epitaph. In the morning of Good Friday, there is a representation of Jesus’ burial. Many residents of the town worship the Epitaph and the younger children pass under the Epitaph. Residents follow the course, priests chant and the crowd throw flowers at the Epitaph. The course of the Epitaph starts from the church and finishes again to it. It is obvious that this day is the most touching day of the Easter and it is also a day-holiday and a strict fasting.

• Good Saturday is the Resurrection Eve. At about 11:30, people are dressed in their formal clothes. They hold candles and they wait for the Holy Light to come. When the priest says “Christ is Raised”, all the candles have been lighted. The fireworks are doing the night morning due to their light. All the people kiss each other. The first person says “Christ is Raised” and the second “Verily Risen”.

• People keep their candles lighted and some of them draw a cross at the to top of the house door.

• In midnight, between 12 and 1 o’clock, people eat soup with meat (liver, viscera etc.). In the end they break reds eggs they have made from Good Thursday.

• In Easter Sunday, many people go to festivities in their villages, they eat meat (after too many days without meat; it was a feast), they dance, they sing and some people break red eggs again.

However, there are many unique customs and

differences about the way each place celebrates Easter Customs:

For example:• LEONIDIO (PELOPONNESUS). The most impressive custom of

the area is that the night of the Resurrection, the sky is full of bright aerostats.

• KITHNOS (CYCLADES). The most impressive custom of the area is the custom of “Kounia” (swing). Sunday of Easter, in the central square of the island, a swing is set in which boys and girls are swinged and are dressed in traditional costumes. The person who will swing someone has to get married the person they swing.

• PAROS. People go the Epitaph (the place where Jesus Christ is) round the town and they stop in 15 different places. In every stop, a part of the mountain is lighted and there is a representation of scenes from the entrance in Jerusalem, the prayer in Mount of Olives, the martyrdom of Crucifixion and the Resurrection. The representations are done by children. In midnight, the island is full of lights and the sky full of fireworks.

• RHODES (IALYSSOS). Saturday of Lazarus, children sing “Lazarus” (Easter carols).This day, housewives make “Lazarakia” which are crooked pretzels and symbolize the body of Lazarus.

• RHODES (IALYSSOS). Saturday of Lazarus, children sing “Lazarus” (Easter carols).This day, housewives make “Lazarakia” which are crooked pretzels and symbolize the body of Lazarus.

• CHIOS. The fights with cannons are very usual in Chios. The spectacle of the cannons in the sky the night of the Resurrection is unique and many people visit Chios to see it. People who take part in the fights have been increased and over the years, the cannons have been bigger and in many types. For example an improvised “cannon” can be made from paper or metal and gunpowder. The latest years, measures of protection have been taken and by this way this custom can be continued.

• LEFKADA. The night of Good Friday, there is the Epitaph which goes round the town. The Good Saturday, Philharmonic Orchestra play jolly songs at the road and housewives break pottery which they have at their house.

• CRETE. Before the Resurrection, in Gagales in Heraklion (the capital of Crete), all the children of the village collect woods and anything that can be burnt and they leave them in the yard of the church. In Resurrection eve, they make a small mountain with the woods and at the top, they put a scarecrow dressed in old clothes who symbolize Judas (the man who betrayed Jesus Christ). When the priest says “Christ is raised”, children burn the woods. The gong rings all the time and fireworks are flashing in the sky.

ARGYRO SKOYLAAFRODITE PETROYTSOY

EVA PATRIKALAKI

4th Junior High School of Heraklion, in Greece.