Greek Orthodox Easter Customs
In the Greek Orthodox culture, the time from just before the start of Lent through the Easter celebration (Resurrection Day) brings with it some very special traditions. Growing up in the Syrian culture and attending Greek Orthodox churches, I have learned and still use in my family the traditions of the Greek Orthodox for the celebrations of Lent, Holy Week and Easter.Below you will find these described and how they are practiced.
The celebration in the Greek Orthodox culture starts two months before Easter with celebrations and parades resembling Mardi Gras. This all wraps up on the Sunday prior to Ash Wednesday or Shrovetide Sunday with the burning of the carnival king this is usually a paper mache effigy of Judas who betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Lent then begins in Greek culture on Ash Monday (we celebrate Ash Wednesday) and families are beckoned to nature to fly kites and celebrate the changing of the seasons as the trees begin to blossom and grow.
Food during the Lenten season is comprised of varieties of fish dishes, bean salads and stews, and rolled grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat filling. Yeastless bread, unleavened in other parts of the world, round out the meals. This is also a time of fasting, so meals are simpler and less food is prepared as the Lenten season is a time for cleansing and preparing for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.
Holy Week is the culmination of the activities. Holy Week consists of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and finally blooming into the joyousness of Easter Sunday. On Holy Thursday families make hard boiled eggs and dye them a bright, deep red. This is in reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus, who dyed eggs this color to celebrate the Resurrection of her Son, and to celebrate new life. These eggs are prepared on Maundy Thursday and set aside until Resurrection Sunday.
On Good Friday, flags at homes and businesses are flown at half mast to mark the death of Jesus on the cross. Holy Saturday or the Easter Vigil is spent in anticipation and preparation through prayer of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. People begin to make their way to the churches carrying large white candles, and at midnight the candles are lit and the bells toll as the Resurrection Day dawns. Greek Orthodox greet each other with choruses of Christs Ansti...Christ is Risen!, and responses of Aliths Ansti - Truly He is risen!
The celebration is in full swing with people leaving the churches with their lit candles and carrying them to their homes. The main dish served is lamb, signifying the rising of the Lamb of God. The dyed eggs are placed on the table and a traditional game of each person taking an egg and "cracking" eggs with another to see whose egg can stand up to the cracking begins. The breaking of the eggs is symbolic of Jesus breaking free of the tomb.Other parts of the meal are traditional Easter bread, salads, seafood dishes and plenty of wine and ouzo.Easter is a great celebration in the Greek Orthodox tradition!
