Easter destinations and

traditions in Greece

In every corner of Greece people celebrate Easter in a

unique way. Customs and traditions take place in every
town in the biggest celebration of Christianity. Each
region, however, has its own way of celebrating both the
Passion and Resurrection.

In Arachova, the day of Passover starts with the

procession of the image of St. George, which is
accompanied by 500 people, all dressed in traditional
costumes. On Sunday starts the St. George Panigiraki,
as the locals call it, which lasts until Wednesday and
includes dances, songs and events, such as shot put,
wrestling and lifting stones.
Nafpaktos, the evening of Good Friday, crowds of people,
locals and visitors, followed by the procession of the
Epitaph pass through the port. There are torches, specially
mounted on plugs on the Castle. In the middle of the
harbor entrance torches form a large cross, light up the
harbor composing a spectacular image. The custom
combines religious ritual with the heroic efforts of captain
Anemoyiannis setting fire to the Turkish flagship in this
area.
Leonidion the evening of the Resurrection fills the sky with
bright balloons, which are raised by the faithful of each
parish. The balloons started being manufactured in the
village in the late 19th century and Leonidiotes continue
to make them until today. The custom has its roots in local
sailors who were impressed by a corresponding custom in
Asia and then carried it home.

In Kalamata, revives a tradition that stems from the

liberation war of 1821, the contest of bouloukia (groups
of players) or otherwise saitopolemos. According to legend
, the Messenians used shuttles full of explosives and
intercepted the Turkish cavalry, startling the horses and
proving once again that victory in a battle not only
requires numerical superiority. Contestants in traditional
costumes and armed with darts, ie cardboard tubes filled
with gunpowder, indulge in saitopolemo.
In Kythnos on Easter Sunday in the square of the island
boys and girls dressed in traditional costumes get on a
swing. He or she will wag a bound before God and man for
marriage. The evening of Holy Saturday is the custom
Forgive. All those who have dead relatives bring to the
church baked food, bread and wine, which has been
blessed by the priest and theb offer it to visitors and
residents of the island.
In Syros, Catholics and Orthodox celebrate both days of
Easter. The Epitaphs of Catholics in Ano Syros beginning of
the church of St. George. In Ermoypoli the epitaph Catholic
begins the church evangelists, epitaphs of Orthodox
parishes of St. Nicholas, and the Assumption Cathedral of
the Transfiguration.
In Paros, the procession of the Epitaph of Marpissas
makes fifteen stops. At each stop a point of the mountain
is illuminated and children dressed as Roman soldiers or
disciples of Christ, represent scenes from the entrance to
Jerusalem, the prayer on the Mount of Olives, the
Martyrdom of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. After the
end, the epitaph candles are not thrown away but they are
used during storms, rains or shines, so that the light can
get them through the storm.
On the island of the Apocalypse, Patmos the focus of
ceremonies is the basin. The Basin is adorned with
brilliant Valles and variety of spring flowers. Maundy
Thursday is the representation of the Last Supper of
the Basin in the central square of Chora , where the Abbot
washes 12 monks, as Jesus did with his disciples. On
Easter Sunday, the Monastery of Patmos during the
second resurrection, the Gospel of the Resurrection we can
be heard in seven languages ( Italian, Russian, French,
English, German, Serbian and ancient Homeric Greek).
In Chios, the most known rocketwar is an old
Vrondadiancustom that has its roots in the Turkish
occupation. From makeshift cannons, which were built by
parishioners, today they make rockets, sparklers, made
from nitro, sulfur and gunpowder. The preparation of the
rocket begins immediately after Easter to be ready the
next year. The quantities in recent years have reached a
few thousand and the spectacle created by the rockets on
the Vrontadous sky is impressive. Because accidents in
recent years, the authorities have taken steps to protect
bystanders and buildings, in order to save the custom.
In Corfu in the morning of Holy Saturday, after completion
of the first sequence in Resurrection Cathedral the bells of
the churches sound and from the windows of the houses
fall in the thousands clay pots filled with water (called
botides). This custom has its roots in a village of the
Gospel Thou Lord resurrect fiber crush them as utensils
potter. In Pinia and below the metal cone, revives the
custom of tubs, called by the locals Mastela. In the
middle of the sidewalk, they place a wooden barrel
decorated with myrtle and Verde filled with water. People
throw coins into the water and make a wish. When they
hear the bells, everyone runs to get into the barrel.
Anyone has a chance to get in, and the winner takes the
money.
In the majority of villages in Crete, before the resurrection,
all the children gather wood, and anything else that can
burn and leave them to the courtyards of churches. On the
eve of the Resurrection a mountain of wood is formed and
they place on top a Judah, a scarecrow made from an
old suit and when the priest says Christ is Risen they set
it on fire.
One of the customs that stands out in the villages
of Rhodes is the burning of Judas. During the Holy Week,
people in all churches gather large logs and wood where
they burn the effigy of Judas as a punishment for his
betrayal of Jesus. This custom is observed in almost all
villages of Rhodes for decades.
An important difference compared with most parts of the
country, is that in the Dodecanese on Easter Sunday the
lamb, which is called ovelias, kokoretsi and other related
specialties are not included in the menu. On Sunday they
traditionally prepare the Lampriati which is lamb or goat
in the oven stuffed with rice and offal, which in the villages
of Rhodes is called kapamas. On Lazarus Saturday, in all
houses the housewives make rolled cookies, Lazarakia,
symbolizing thereby the body of Lazarus who was
wrapped in a shroud.

On the island of Kalymnos, the Resurrection is very

impressive, as people throw improvised dynamite that
literally shakes the island.

In Kos children collect big keys, tie them with a rope and
sprinkle with gunpowder and put the nail in the key hole.
On the evening of the Resurrection day they bang it on the
wall to detonate. Others cut long strips of paper, add the
gunpowder and a wick roll them into cones, and set on fire
when the priest says Christos Anesti. On the morning of
Holy Saturday, the church is laid with small purple scented
flowers of the mountain called lampres.
In Karpathos, the Easter traditions that stand out are in
the village of Olympos, where residents follow the
traditions. The only time they dont wear their traditional
colorful costumes, is during Holy Week, when they
substitute them with mournful clothing. On Holy
Saturday, women prepare the lampriatiko ofto for the
next day, which is kid or lamb stuffed, mainly with rice. On
Easter Monday, women go to the ovens to bake Easter
pies with cheese and spices and then to the cemetery to
whiten and to decorate with flowers the graves. On the
third day of Easter the residents of Olympos decorate the
icons of the church with colored scarves and they carry
them in hands, heading back toward the cemetery.