EASTER IN GREECE
On
Holy Friday, church bells tall all over the country. In the Friday evening the
women and children walk around the streets singing and decorating Epitaph with
flowers and a lot of roses. Late in the evening of Holy Saturday a lot of
people follow the service outside from the large microphones. Before the
midnight bells starts to tall fireworks go off leaving spirals of smoke and
this is the time we say ‘’ Christos Anestis ‘’. It is ready to eat the
Mayiritsa in the house. On Easter Sunday people early to cook lamb and
Kokoretsi. Loud music and singing complete a traditional Easter.
People
celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy week people stay away from
meat so that their soul is clean until Sunday the day of the resurrection.
Every day of this week has a special meaning. Especially on Thursday
traditional house wives dye the eggs in red color which symbolizes the rebirth
of the life self. And then comes the Easter Sunday when all the Greek put a
lamb to the spit or the oven.
The
second week of Easter is called Eater week and beginning with Easter Sunday.
The Christian Eater is a moveable feast. Also the meaning of love and a offer
of ourselves for the benefit of many. It is the celebration because Christ him
shelf was resounded the suffering of Christ. In the church read the 12 gospels
while at home make sweets Easter buns and cookies and red eggs. Holly Saturday
ends the fasting of Lent and returning home to eat the soup and click red eggs.
EASTER IN CYPRUS
Easter
is the greatest holiday in the Orthodox Church. At seaside preparations for
Palm Sunday can be seen from the previous Friday. In the coffee shops,
fisherman sit and plait intricate ‘’ vanes ‘’ palm leaf flowers holders witch
when finished, resemble little swallow nests perched on sticks. These and the
young children fill them with flowers and take them to church in Palm Sunday
when they follow the icon of Christ around the church a procession
commemorating , Christ’s entry into Jerusalem .On Thursday most women do their
Easter baking ‘’flounces’’ , a kind of cheese , egg and mint filling , formed
into triangular shapes. ’’Koulouris’’ ‘’Tyropites ‘’. Traditionally they are
dyed red with a special rood called ‘’ rizari ’’ , that is sold in bundles at
the market during these days . Good Friday begins with everyone talking flowers
to church so that the young girls can decorate the ‘’ Epitaph ‘’ Holy Sepulcher. This in our church is a four –
postured litter with a canopy which the icon of Christ is laid in state. At
lunch the Traditional ‘’Faki Xidaki ‘’ – vinegar and lentil soup - is eaten,
containing vinegar because it is said that when Christ asked for water on his
way Caralgy he was given vinegar instead. From early afternoon you will see
streams of cars and pedestrians going from church to church to play their last
respects to Christ.
In
the meantime along the ‘Epitaph’ will
pass in the solemn procession
later than night are being decorated
with colored lights .Saturday is
a quiet day ,all though
there is a sermon
towards lunchtime during
which the church
doors are banged and
candleholders shaken when
the news is brought
that Christ is no
longer in His grave. On Sunday
morning most people
who have not
taken Holy Communion during
the Holy Week take it now
and afterwards they go home, where red eggs are cracked, flounces
eaten and the fast broken.
In
many Usages it is also the custom on Easter Monday
The
young people celebrate by hanging up
(souses) swings for this purpose young men and girls hang ropes from trees and
white the girls swing ,they sing gay songs or love songs or teasing songs
called (Tchatismata) rhymes These rhymes
are made up at every festive occasion and there are even professionals who sing
them.
EASTER TRADITIONS IN CYPRUS
On
Holy Thursday flavones are bake. Flavones are made of short crust with cheese,
egg, raisins, and mint faying, formed into triangular and shapes.
On
Holy Thursday eggs are boiled and dyed red to symbolize .Christies blood from
the cross, with a special root called(rizari)
The
real sermon of ressurredion happens at midnight. Everybody goes to church and
celebrates the resurrection of Christ. During the midnight sermon, candles are
lit by the holy light and people are costumed to take the Holy Light at their
houses for blessing.
Judas,
the Christ’s traitor, is burned in the church yard. This is a traditional we
call ‘’ Lomratzia ‘’. Kinds collect wood
for weeks to set up an enormous burning spot for Judas.
After
the midnight sermon the whole family gathers together for a feast. People eat a
special kind of soup called ‘’ avgolemono ‘’
Holy
Sunday on Sunday, people crack eggs again. They eat roastedlamd ‘’flounces’’
and drink wine. As they sit at the table one person start creating arhyme for a
particular person either to tease him or to show his love to a woman at the
table and is obligated to get an answer back on that. This whole process is
called ‘’tchatis mat a’’.
On
Monday after Easter traditional games are played . Some of them are mentioned
below. ‘’Kamilos ‘’ Ziziros Racing .
