ORTHODOX EASTER 2008

[PHILOXENIA]

GREEK ORTHODOX EASTER
© Georgios Paraskevopoulos

I decided to post this today because of the date differences of the Easter Celebration between Catholics and Orthodox Christians. This year the difference is 5 weeks. It happens every 4rth year.

The week dated 21-27 of April 2008 is the so called Long Week (Megali Evdomada), the Great Week, which is Easter Week for all Greek Orthodox people. Anyone that has spent this week in Greece will have noticed that it is the most important holiday of the year. This year the Good Friday is on the 25th of April and the Easter Sunday on the 27th of April 2008.

It is traditions to fast before Easter, meaning that we are not allowed to eat various foods such as meat, butter, milk as well as olive oil for the last few days. Then we will go to a priest for confession, and are so allowed to partake in the Holy Communion.

ΑΙΜΑ ΚΑΙ ΥΔΩΡ - BLOOD AND WATER

In Orthodoxy the Easter celebration begins on Good Friday. People go to the churches to see how the priests and monk's take down the icon of Christ off the cross, wrap it in linen and put it in a great casket covered in flowers symbolizing the tomb of Christ. Then the bier is taken through the town or village, with people lamenting the death of Christ.

A scene from "The Passion of the Christ." The film, produced, written and directed by Mel Gibson, depicts the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus Christ.

Click above

Late on Saturday evening everyone goes to church, carrying with them unlit candles. At midnight the priest announces the Resurrection of Christ ("Christos Anesti") and lets the people light their candles of the Holy Flame taken from Christ's nativity cave in Jerusalem. As everybody does this fireworks and crackers go off and the dark night is filled with light from the candles. After this, everybody goes home for a meal - the fast is over. If their candles are still burning, a cross is made in the doorway with the soot, to protect the house for the coming year.

On Easter Sunday friends and family gather in homes, eating lamb on the spit and dyed eggs. Before the red eggs are eaten, however, you must crack them against your neighbours and friends and whoever wins by having a whole egg at the end, will get all the luck.

HAPPY EASTER
Georgios