 The Christian Easter, especially the Resurrection of Christ is the greatest festival of the Christian Church year, celebrated the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox. Because of its importance, affects the church calendar of the Orthodox Church as 40 days before this ( Great Lent, Triodion) and 50 days after (period Pentecost). The sequences are the committed archaic (dating to the early centuries of Christianity as the touch of the Holy Light), solemnity and splendor, are described in detail in typical Church Folk traditions.

 The period of the Great Lent begins about 40 days before the Easter Sunday. During the Great Lent it’s not allowed to eat meat, fish, olive oil, milk, products of milk and eggs. This helps us to “clean” our body, and combined with pray, to “clean” our souls. The period of the Great Lent starts with Green Monday and ends in Palm Sunday. 

 Holy Week or Passion Week, or in more formal Great and Holy Week, named according to the Christian calendar of the next week of Lent. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday evening, which celebrated the Service of the Bridegroom, and ends on Holy Saturday and is dedicated to the Holy Passion of Jesus Christ. Called the Great from the remembrance of the events that take place during each of this days which are considered particularly important for the Christian religion.

Customs and Traditions during the Holy Week  On Holy Wednesday the housewives paint 3 eggs red.  On Maundy Thursday the housewives paint the rest of the eggs red, they make easter bread [tsoureki (:brioche) and lamprokouloura ]

 On Good Friday the women decorate the Epitaph with flower on the early morning hours. During the rest of the day many people visit churches to kneel to the Epitath.

Saturday of Lazarus The last Saturday of the Great Lent is called Saturday of Lazarus. Lazarus was a close friend of Jesus Christ, he lived in Bethany. While Jesus was far from Bethany, Lazarus became ill. Lazarus’ sisters informed Jesus about his situation, but Jesus deliberately delayed his trip back to Bethany. When he arrived home with his students, Lazarus was already dead for four days. But after Jesus prayed to the Father, raised him from the dead, saying "Lazarus, come forth." Lazarus came out of the tomb with tied legs and arms, and his face wrapped with soudaria (:towel, handkerchief). This miracle of Jesus was the reason to believe many of the Jews.

 Because of this miracle there is also a custom called Lazarakia. Children go from house to house singing a special song for that day and offer the homeowners a homemade sweet, which is only made on the Saturday of Lazarus.

 The morning of Holy Saturday,Vespers of the Resurrection is chanted, also called and the “First Resurrection”. At noon at the Holy Sepulchre takes place the touch of the Holy Fire which is distributed to all the Orthodox world and in the evening followed by the Ceremony of the Resurrection with “Come receive the light” and the “Risen Christ” accompanied by joyous sounds of the bell, the kisses of love and throwing fireworks.