2008-08-29Greek Easter by Faith Katerelos
Nothing quite beats the magic of the Greek Easter commencing with the carnival period where it is almost obligatory to dress up the weirdest and most wonderful of fancy dress costumes right up until the last Sunday before Lent for the final fling amidst streamers, plastic bats and other accessories!
The next day is Clean Monday or rather the beginning of Lent which is a great excuse for the whole population of Greece to make for the beaches/mountains for dancing, drinking and supposedly fasting but always ends up in a massive feast consisting of lahana (flat bread covered in sesame), halvas (sesame seed sweetmeat), seafood (anything that doesn’t contain blood) and plenty of ouzo/wine! If you are anywhere in the proximity of Archangelos, you will be covered in black boot polish so be warned! Each of the villages have their own carnival procession but Archangelos gets highest votes for the wildest and most boisterous of events!!
During the forty day period of fasting where mother-in-law insists on not cooking meat or offering any dairy products for the whole period, the last week up to Easter is the strictest. Palm Sunday where crosses made from dried reeds are given out at church, is traditionally a day where fish is eaten and then starvation for one week! Here even oil is not allowed especially Wednesday and Good Friday, the most solemn day of the week. Church services are held morning and evening attended by the most devout. The majority of the population here in Greece are Orthodox and fairly religious especially the older generation hoping to reserve space in Paradise when the time eventually comes! Wednesday and Thursday are the days where the traditional Easter biscuits, tsoureki (sweet bread) and eggs are painted red. Friday morning the Epitaph is decorated by fresh flowers by young children in preparation for the evening procession of the Epitaph through the streets. Here in Rhodes, the Old Town is the place to be as the narrow back alleys are decorated with palm leaves over the arches and hoards of worshipers of all ages gather in anticipation for the release of the Epitaph from the church and then follow in flocks behind the priest and the Epitaph. Here you are guaranteed to be sprinkled by perfume from the bystanders! Strangely enough, by coincidence, who knows, but it is always overcast on this solemn day which really makes the atmosphere one of mourning.
Saturday is the day for final preparations for the great day! Supermarkets are packed with housewives busy filling their trolleys with anything edible to accompany the Pascal lamb on Sunday. Actually, you would think war had just been declared with the amount that is sold on this particular day! No-one, absolutely no-one must go hungry on Easter Day! The traditional kokoretsi (the insides of the lamb/goat) has to be thoroughly washed with lemon juice and skilfully wrapped around a spit which is the appetizer for the next day. The traditional magiritsa soup (also insides of lamb/goat) is prepared for the breaking of the fast right after midnight mass. A visit to the hairdresser is also a must for most Greek women so if you haven’t made an appointment at least one month in advance then forget it!
Saturday night is the night where the whole of Greece dresses in their very best and flock to the nearest church for midnight mass where it is declared that Christ has risen. Children can be seen clutching candles decorated with Barbie, Action Man or whatever is the most popular icon around at the time. It really is quite a daunting affair as once the Priest has said his piece at midnight, the candles are lit and Greece literally goes up in flames with fireworks, firecrackers, explosives etc. the louder the better!! My little one is always in tears and is quite rightly terrified of the whole procedure! Lanterns can be seen carrying the holy flame back home where a cross is made under the door frame to bless the home. Upon entering the home, a huge feast will be ready for the breaking of the fast and meat can finally be eaten again. The red eggs will be cracked with the traditional Easter greeting of ‘Christ has Risen’…’Truly Risen’. For those who don’t have an early start the next morning to get the fire lit for the roasting of the lamb, it’s off to the Bouzouki music halls or some bar until the wee hours for a night of celebration.
One is almost certainly awoken on Easter Day by the sound of music and the smell of barbequing. By eleven, Uncle will almost certainly be drunk and have eaten at least a leg from the Pascal creature whether it be lamb or goat! With spring in it’s full, Easter Day is spent outside amidst the still green grass and flowers in bloom. With dancing, non-stop eating and drinking, health warnings are issued for those with high cholesterol levels to be careful but most often ignored! It’s just for one day and that meat has to be eaten!! Make sure when you’re in Greece at Easter to be invited out for the day, you won’t regret it (or maybe you will the next day!)
