The Orthodox Easter By Mimstoudis Iordanis

The beginning of the Great Lent The Great Lent starts with “Clear Monday”, as it’s called in Greece, the day that all Greeks fly a kite, if the wind allows it. It is a custom of every year. Hundreds of kites tear the blue sky. We, also, have to say that this Monday is the day that the fast, which lasts forty days and accompanies the Great Lent, begins.

The Passion Week During the Lent there aren’t any special customs. Simply, the believers can attend ceremonies in the church that don’t take place in any other period of the year. That’s why we have to focus on the Passion or Holy Week, which includes all traditional customs of Easter and the essence of this religious feast that happens to be the greatest and most important feast of Christians Orthodox.

Great and Holy Thursday During this day a lot of “secrets” about our tradition and our religion are revealed. Firstly, a beautiful and dear custom is the painting of eggs. At the day of Holy and Great Thursday, all housewives dye the eggs red with leaves of onions. Furthermore, this day’s great importance appears in the evening, because the Crucifixion of the Lord happens.

The Crucifixion of Christ

Great and Holy Friday On Holy and Great Friday, it is allowed to the believers not to eat even oil because of the mourning that prevails this day, provided that Christ is led to the tomb. This tomb, which is called “epitaphios”, is decorated with a variety of flowers. Each church has its own epitaphios that is carried during the tour of its parish.

Epitaphios

Great and Holy Saturday Holy and Great Saturday is following, the evening of which all Orthodox are assembled in the church of their parish expecting the Resurrection, which happens in the 12 midnight. Then, all the lights are extinguished, in order that the new Saint Light shines. Each believer holds a candle, which he turns on with the Saint Light that he transports to his house, in order to bring health.

Great and Holy Saturday Thus, everyone’s soul fills with optimism and force, because Christ accomplished to overcome death. When they return to the house, the established dinner is taking place. The whole family sits in the dining room, on the table of which lie: the red eggs, the tsoureki, a traditional preparation, and the traditional food of this day, “mageiritsa”, a soup that is made by intestines and liver of lamb, which is the characteristic animal of Easter.

The Resurrection of the Lord

Easter Sunday The Great Lent climaxes with Easter Sunday, at which the fast that accompanies this whole period finishes and the Resurrection of Christ is celebrated with joy. On this day of particular splendour, the lambs are roasted on the spit in the courtyards of the houses. Also, it is a great opportunity that all relatives meet each other to eat and celebrate.