Easter customs in Greece and their deep-rooted symbolism

Easter customs in Greece have deep roots, often in pre-Christian times, and are still celebrated in 2024 in many regions, even if these customs are not well known across the country.

Holy Week is a period of spiritual, physical and material preparation for Easter. Most people attend the Church services, fast and clean the house and make preparations for the Easter table, where dyed eggs play a central role.

In every corner of Greece, well-known or lesser-known customs come to life, from the beginning of Lent to the climax of the Divine Drama, the Resurrection and St. Thomas’ Sunday.

The roots of many Easter customs are deep and are still celebrated to this day without having lost their character over the years.

So it is of particular interest to look at some of the customs of Easter starting from the last days of the Passion Week until Easter Tuesday.

Easter Eggs

Dyed East eggs, simple or decorated, play an important role in the Greek East and are of highest symbolism.

On Maundy Thursday women dye eggs in the morning, put the first egg – in the past they made sure it was from a black hen – in the house corner where the icons are  and throw the one from the last year into the river. In the past they kept the old egg for seven years so that its yolk would become like amber, a talisman for pregnant women. Children were also crossed with the first egg when they were sick. They made sure that the number of eggs was fixed, that the container was new, and that the dyed water did not spill or leave the house.

They believed that the “evangelized” eggs, that is, those that remained in the church until the Resurrection, had special power. The shells from the evangelized eggs were placed in the garden, at the roots of the trees so that “all the fruits would catch”. The first egg was buried in the first furrow, when they began to sow, so that the wheat would be as clean as the egg, but also for the seed to germinate. Eggs were dyed with rice, onion leaves and other vegetables or plants. Today they are dyed with commercial paints and vinegar. They were embroidered or painted with leaves, onion leaves, dough, melted wax, etc.

 

Another tradition states that they are dyed red for the blood of Christ or for the joy of the Resurrection and the prevention from the Evil. For the same reason, red cloths are hung on the windows and balconies. The dyeing of the egg, a pre-Christian symbol of life, enhanced with the red color from the blood of Christ’s sacrifice, is essential for Easter. Only those who are grieving the recent death of a loved one do not dye eggs for Easter. But relatives and friends will also bring them dyed eggs and leave some of them on the grave of their loved one.

On the evening of Maundy Thursday people go to the church for the Twelve Gospels. The women remain in the church throughout the night to watch out of Jesus on the wooden Cross.

Epitaphios

At some point, they start to decorate the Epitaph with flowers of the season and say the well-known obituary of the Virgin Mary, which elsewhere is sung by children in homes for a tip. In Pelion, the boys go home and say the obituary of Panagia.

On Good Friday, they do not cook or sweep. They eat casually, food without oil due to Lent and go to the epitaph in the evening. The candles that burn above the epitaph are shared mainly by those who have a sailor as a talisman in the family. In Crete, Lesvos and elsewhere during the epitaph procession bonfires are lit, in which effigies of Judas are burned. In Lesvos, “the villagers used to come together to see who would light the biggest fire.” For the fires they use wood they have collected from house yards. They don’t jump over these fires. They throw incense and the village smells of musk.”

In North Macedonia, during the Epitaph procession, the women placed the image of the Crucified Jesus with flowers, candles and incense on the threshold. Next to it they placed a plate in which they had planted lentils or barley a few days ago and created grass. The custom is reminiscent of the ancient “Gardens of Adonis”. Adonis, symbol of spring, which quickly withers, was celebrated by displaying on a funeral bed an effigy adorned with flowers and greenery.

Jesus Resurrection

On Holy Saturday morning they decorate the Church with laurel branches and fill baskets with bay leaves. The priest saying “God bless you” scatters the laurel leaves, while the faithful stamp their feet on the pew, ring the bells, fire shots and generally make noise, to drive death away.

Crowds flock to churches at night to receive the Holy Fire f or Holy Light from the priest and carry it to their homes bringing the blessing of Resurrection.

On the night of Resurrection with the Risen Christ, bells are rung, eggs are cracked, barrels are thrown and generally noise is created again to drive away  death. In Koroni (Messinia) they break a pot and ring the bells. In Zakynthos and Corfu “every useless pot found is thrown from the windows “to the joy of Christ.”

In Corfu, women also fill a bucket with water and decorate it with greenery and flowers. Anyone passing by must drop a coin into the pot. And as soon as the Resurrection bells ring, take it unnero and wash their face and hands… At the same time the women bite on an iron object they find handy, a key for example,  saying “iron my head!”

On Holy Saturday, in some regions they knead the Easter buns, slaughter the lamb and visit cemeteries.

Godparents send the Easter gifts to their godchildren, usually a pair of shoes, a decorated Easter candle and a chocolate egg.

At Easter Sunday, the church is decorated with ribbons and rosemary. The faithful used to put out the fire in their homes and go to church with the ringing of the bell or the voice of the candlelighter. They also took red eggs with them to get blessed by the priest.

Churchgoers make noise to mark the victory of Life over Death and fire fireworks. On the island of Chios, residents of two villages in Vrontados launch a rocket war, often with injuries.

Breaking the Lent

After the Resurrection celebration at midnight Saturday, the first meal after the long Lent is light:

Mageiritsa, a soup from the intestines of the lamb with fresh herbs, dyed eggs and sweet Easter bread tsoureki and Easter cookies.

Early Easter Sunday, men start the fire for lamb and kokoretsi made of intestines wrapped around seasoned offal.

Alternatively, there is lamb in the oven, often stuffed with rice, pine nuts and raisins. The lamb is a ‘must’ in every home on Easter Sunday.

During the Second Resurrection which takes place on Sunday afternoon, in the past there was a blessing of fresh cheese, yogurt, etc. and distribution to churchgoers. This was followed by the ritual dances in which the priest dances first and the others follow according to gender and age.

Saint George

Directly connected to Easter and spring is the feast of St. George which usually coincides with the second day of Easter as well as the movable religious holidays that depend on Easter.

Saint George was considered the protector of the rural populations, since he presides over the shepherds’ facilities in the mountains, mainly of the Sarakatsans who consider him their saint par excellence, but also of the farmers since he protects the crops and helps them to grow. On the day of his celebration, all pastoral and agricultural agreements and labor contracts were made or renewed, the field guards, the shepherds, the shepherds and even the priests were hired.

However, apart from pastoral and agricultural populations, The Rider, Saint George, is considered a protector of the purity of drinking water, a dragon slayer, who according to tradition and the related song, killed the dragon of thirst.

On the days after Easter Sunday, celebrations continue with dances in chapels and in cemeteries, with processions of icons at the borders of settlements.

In Thessaly, three days after Easter, women in order of age dance in the villages singing Easter songs. In Megara, on Tuesday, they dance the dance of Trata, while in Karysto, on Thursday, the dance to a specific song to expel the North-wind  that blows strong in the area.

with information from academyofathens.gr, KTG, Greek internet