RED EGGS!
According to age-old Greek tradition, Easter eggs are dyed red. The red color represents the blood of Jesus Christ, whose resurrection is celebrated on the holiday of holidays throughout the Greek world. The egg itself represents the sealed tomb of Jesus from which he emerged following his crucifixion.
According to tradition, Holy Thursday is the day that Greeks dye their eggs and red has been the traditional color. In the Western world, and even in Greece, the tradition has started to fade and bright colors, patterns, stickers are used to decorate Easter eggs.
The game of cracking— or “tsougrisma” as the Greeks call it symbolizes the breaking open of the tomb and Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. The custom takes place after the Resurrection (on Easter Saturday at midnight or the following day during the Easter feasts). Two people compete by holding their respective egg in their hand and tapping at each other’s egg. The goal is to crack the other player’s egg. The winner, then, uses the same end of the egg to tap the other, non cracked end of the opponent’s egg. The “winner” is the one, whose egg will crack the eggs of all the other players. When people knock their eggs together, they say ‘Christos anesti!’ meaning ‘Christ is risen!’
According to age-old Greek tradition, Easter eggs are dyed red. The red color represents the blood of Jesus Christ, whose resurrection is celebrated on the holiday of holidays throughout the Greek world. The egg itself represents the sealed tomb of Jesus from which he emerged following his crucifixion.
According to tradition, Holy Thursday is the day that Greeks dye their eggs and red has been the traditional color. In the Western world, and even in Greece, the tradition has started to fade and bright colors, patterns, stickers are used to decorate Easter eggs.
The game of cracking— or “tsougrisma” as the Greeks call it symbolizes the breaking open of the tomb and Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. The custom takes place after the Resurrection (on Easter Saturday at midnight or the following day during the Easter feasts). Two people compete by holding their respective egg in their hand and tapping at each other’s egg. The goal is to crack the other player’s egg. The winner, then, uses the same end of the egg to tap the other, non cracked end of the opponent’s egg. The “winner” is the one, whose egg will crack the eggs of all the other players. When people knock their eggs together, they say ‘Christos anesti!’ meaning ‘Christ is risen!’
Easter
Easter is by far the most important celebration for the Greeks, even Christmas comes second. The celebrations for Easter truly begin two months before, but Holy Week is the peak of these activities.
According to the Orthodox tradition, the symbolic red Easter eggs are dyed on Holy Thursday. Greeks believe that the Virgin Mother, Mary, dyed eggs this color (the color of blood) to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ and life. On Holy Thursday women are also busy baking kouloúria - dough cookies and tsouréki – the traditional Easter sweet bread. Godparents buy news shoes, clothes and a candle to the kids and, in villages, the exterior of the houses and the streets are whitewashed.
On Good Friday or Great Friday, flags at homes and government buildings are set at half mast to mark the sorrowful day. The Procession of the Epitáphios of Christ, the Epitaphio mourns the death of Christ on the Cross with the symbolic coffin, decorated with thousands of flowers, taken out of the church and carried through the streets by the faithful. At the cemetery everyone lights a candle for the dead; then the Epitaphio with its procession returns to the church where the believers kiss the image of the Christ.
During the night of the Holy Saturday (Megalo Savato), people, dressed in their formal attire, begin to gather in the churches by 11 p.m. for the Easter services, carrying large white candles, lampáda. Just before midnight, all of the churches’ lights are turned off, symbolizing the darkness and the silence of the tomb.
At midnight, the priest lights a candle from the Eternal Flame, sings “Christos Anesti” (Christ Arose) and offers the flame to light the candle to the people that are the closest to him. Everyone passes the flame one to another while the clergy sings the Byzantine Chant Christos Anesti. Then, everyone goes out of the church to the streets. The church’s bells ring continuously and people say one to another “Christos Anesti”, to which the reply is “Alithos Anesti” (Indeed He Has Risen).
Then the faithful go home or to the homes of relatives and friends to share the Resurrection Meal. The candles they carry are placed in each house and burn through the night to symbolize the Light’s return to the world. The cracking of eggs is a traditional game where challengers attempt to crack each others' eggs. The breaking of the eggs is meant to symbolize Christ breaking from the Tomb. The person whose egg lasts the longest is assured good luck for the rest of the year.
The following day, Easter Sunday, is spent again with family and friends. The Easter meal is truly a feast with loads of salads, vegetable and rice dishes, breads, cakes, cookies, and plenty of wines and ouzo.
The main dish at the Easter table, however, is roasted lamb, (often turned over open pits), and served in honor of the Lamb of God who was sacrificed and rose again on Easter.
Clean Monday (Kathari Deutera) is part of the Easter celebration and marks the first day of the season of Lent (Saracosti) during which families go for a picnic, fly kites, and feast at local taverns. For Greeks, Clean Monday is one of the most festive holidays of the year.
Why is Greek Easter held on a different day to “Australian” Easter?
"How is Greek Easter calculated?” The day is governed by these three main conditions:
It must be based on the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian calendar;
It must be after the Jewish holiday of Passover;
It must be on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, which for this purpose is fixed as March 21st, but which may occur on the 20th or 22nd.
Easter is by far the most important celebration for the Greeks, even Christmas comes second. The celebrations for Easter truly begin two months before, but Holy Week is the peak of these activities.
According to the Orthodox tradition, the symbolic red Easter eggs are dyed on Holy Thursday. Greeks believe that the Virgin Mother, Mary, dyed eggs this color (the color of blood) to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ and life. On Holy Thursday women are also busy baking kouloúria - dough cookies and tsouréki – the traditional Easter sweet bread. Godparents buy news shoes, clothes and a candle to the kids and, in villages, the exterior of the houses and the streets are whitewashed.
On Good Friday or Great Friday, flags at homes and government buildings are set at half mast to mark the sorrowful day. The Procession of the Epitáphios of Christ, the Epitaphio mourns the death of Christ on the Cross with the symbolic coffin, decorated with thousands of flowers, taken out of the church and carried through the streets by the faithful. At the cemetery everyone lights a candle for the dead; then the Epitaphio with its procession returns to the church where the believers kiss the image of the Christ.
During the night of the Holy Saturday (Megalo Savato), people, dressed in their formal attire, begin to gather in the churches by 11 p.m. for the Easter services, carrying large white candles, lampáda. Just before midnight, all of the churches’ lights are turned off, symbolizing the darkness and the silence of the tomb.
At midnight, the priest lights a candle from the Eternal Flame, sings “Christos Anesti” (Christ Arose) and offers the flame to light the candle to the people that are the closest to him. Everyone passes the flame one to another while the clergy sings the Byzantine Chant Christos Anesti. Then, everyone goes out of the church to the streets. The church’s bells ring continuously and people say one to another “Christos Anesti”, to which the reply is “Alithos Anesti” (Indeed He Has Risen).
Then the faithful go home or to the homes of relatives and friends to share the Resurrection Meal. The candles they carry are placed in each house and burn through the night to symbolize the Light’s return to the world. The cracking of eggs is a traditional game where challengers attempt to crack each others' eggs. The breaking of the eggs is meant to symbolize Christ breaking from the Tomb. The person whose egg lasts the longest is assured good luck for the rest of the year.
The following day, Easter Sunday, is spent again with family and friends. The Easter meal is truly a feast with loads of salads, vegetable and rice dishes, breads, cakes, cookies, and plenty of wines and ouzo.
The main dish at the Easter table, however, is roasted lamb, (often turned over open pits), and served in honor of the Lamb of God who was sacrificed and rose again on Easter.
Clean Monday (Kathari Deutera) is part of the Easter celebration and marks the first day of the season of Lent (Saracosti) during which families go for a picnic, fly kites, and feast at local taverns. For Greeks, Clean Monday is one of the most festive holidays of the year.
Why is Greek Easter held on a different day to “Australian” Easter?
"How is Greek Easter calculated?” The day is governed by these three main conditions:
It must be based on the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian calendar;
It must be after the Jewish holiday of Passover;
It must be on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, which for this purpose is fixed as March 21st, but which may occur on the 20th or 22nd.