For Greeks, Easter is the most important religious holiday of the year. People fast for the whole of Easter Week and don’t even eat olives. Everything is boiled. However, on the Sunday of the Resurrection, the feasting begins.
At midnight on Easter Saturday everybody meets up in churches or at monasteries. Everybody carries candles which are lit by a flame passed around and then they strike eggs painted red to symbolise the blood of Christ. The person whose egg remains undamaged will have luck for the whole of the year. After these celebrations the skies are lit up by fireworks. At home a celebratory meal is eaten; “kreato”, a lamb soup or tripe.
On Easter Sunday morning everyone sets up a spit in front of their homes to roast lambs. The roasting takes 7-8 hours, but after about 4 hours half the meat is almost gone because every passer-by must try some. When the ouzo comes out and music is played the feasting can go on into the early hours.
I haven’t been to Greece for Easter in 15 years, although here in my Polish home we also strike eggs painted red. I also prepare lamb cooked in the oven as outside it’s too cold. We have rye in a pot and Easter cake prepared by my mother-in-law. I’m still getting used to Polish traditions and I still miss Easter in Greece. In any case I have 100 Greek TV channels. When I switch on the live church service at midnight I feel as though I’m there in person.
The Easter Hare has not reached Greece but our tradition is that every godchild brings their godparents “cureki” which is similar to Polish plait. On the top there is a red egg (still in its shell) and it is decorated with almonds.