When in Greece… exchange Easter wishes like a Greek! Easter wishes are a bit complicated and depend on whether they are exchanged before or after Jesus Resurrection.
Remember that this year the Greek Orthodox Easter is on April 12 and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated in churches midnight on Holy Saturday.
In the average Greeks wish Καλό Πάσχα! Kalo Pascha! Happy Easter! from Palm Sunday until Good Wednesday or Good Thursday.
From Good Thursday noon until Good Saturday before Jesus Resurrection at midnight you will hear Καλή Ανάσταση! Kali Anastasi! Happy Resurrection!
On Resurrection Saturday, when the priests bring the Holy Fire out of the church at midnight and everybody has lit his own white candle, priests and the faithful chant in one voice “Χριστός Ανέστη εκ νεκρών! Christos Αnesti ek nekron! Christ is Risen from the dead!”.
Families, relatives and friends exchange kisses and the wish: Χριστός Ανέστη! Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen!
One replies either with Χριστός Ανέστη! or with Aληθώς Aνέστη! Alithos Anesti! Truly He is Risen!
These two wishes are valid also on Easter Sunday, Monday, week, in fact for 50 days
If all these wishes are too complicated to keep in mind or to speak out, just stay with the all occasions classic Greek wish:
Χρόνια Πολλά! Chronia Polla! Many Happy Returns! – but of course, after the Resurrection and not before!
If you’re foreigner, Greeks would appreciate your Greek efforts anyway.
Καλό Πάσχα! Καλή Ανάσταση! Χρόνια Πολλά!
Pro tip: if you want to start a theological debate with your relatives add a question mark to your reply. For example: Aληθώς Aνέστη?