PHILIPPI PRIMARY SCHOOL

GREECE

Easter is the greatest, most importantand richest in folklore traditionscelebration of christianity.The celebration of Easter was established by theJewish people. They named it “Pesah” which means“passage-transcendence” celebrating not only theadvent of spring but also their liberation from theEgyptians and their passage through the Red Sea.(Jewish Passover and Exodus).The equivalent greek word for Easter is “Lambri”which means bright, luminous, radiant (day)because Easter Sunday is a joyous day.

Saturday of Lazarus

The Holy Week virtually starts on Saturday of Lazarus when the resurrection of Lazarus

is celebrated, which is the herald of the resurrection of Christ.

In memory of Lazarus the woman make“lazarakia”. These are sweet, lenten pieces ofbread, kneaded with flour and sesame paste,shaped like little humans dressed in a longgarment and a turban around their head, withtheir arms across their chest and their bellystuffed with raisins, nuts and parched sesame.

Palm SundayThe great welcome of Christ in Jerusalem

with palm branches is celebrated on the first Sunday of the Holy Week. On that day, most churches are decorated with palm branches (laurel, willow or myrtle branches) and the priests give out to the people crosses made of these plants after the mass has finished.

According to the custom, Christians eat fish on Palm Sunday

Holy Monday

When the Holy Week starts, fasting is intensified. It is the week of mourning. People are dedicated

to the fulfilment of their religious duties, they attend the vespers in Church and their

occupational obligations.

Holy Tuesday

The Hymn of Cassiane constitutes a point of reference.

Holy Wednesday

The readings of the seven Gospels and the seven prayers dominate. The priests

perform the Sacrament of the Holy Unition by reading the Gospels and the

prayers so as to bless oil which cures psychological and physical illness.

Holy ThursdayThe drama of Jesus Christ reaches its

climax with His Crusifixion by the Romans. In the evening, which is

dedicated to the Last Supper, Christians listen devoutly to the Twelve Gospels

and the Crusifixion of Jesus is enacted. Women stay sleepless in the churches during the night of Holy Thursday and

lament the death of Christ.

The ladies of the house also dye the eggs red on that day. That’s

why Holy Thursday is often called Red Thursday.

Holy FridayIt constitutes a day of mourning for Christianity. There are many people who eat absolutely nothing or drink

vinegar as a manifestation of their love for Christ. The whole day is devoted to the deposition of Christ from the cross

and the Service of the Epitaph.

After the decoration of the Epitaph, Christians go to church to pay their respects. Women and children also

pass under the Epitaph “to be blessed”.

When it gets dark, the service and the procession of the

Epitaph start.

Resurrection

The Resurrection is performed at midnight when the priest chants “Come

receive Light”, inviting the believers to get the Holy Light and exits the Beautiful Gate

holding a candle.

After that, the people get out of the church, where the priest reads the Gospel of Resurrection. When he

finishes, he chants “Christ has risen…” and afterwards the sky is

inundated with fireworks.

The people, who try to keep their candles burning with the Holy Light,

make a cross on the lintel of the front door of their house when they

return. Then, they light a little oil lamp.

The night goes on with the consumption of a traditional lamb soup called “magiritsa”.

The cracking of eggs and the consumption of Easter sweets.

Easter Sunday

Almost all the people go to the countryside to spit a lamb which is eaten along with

“kokoretsi” (a dish consisting mainly of lamb or goat intestines). Before that, usually

people from provincial areas go to Church where the second Resurrection takes place. The lamb we eat on Easter Day symbolises

Christ who sacrifised himself for the salvation of mankind.

Happy Easter