By Olga Militsi Easter is celebrated around the world, but Greeks usually observe it later (see why here) and it’s actually called Pascha, the word which means Passover. There is something really unique about the Greek Easter though. What makes it so special? Here we ‘ll list only five (+1) reasons, but help us fill up the list with your personal Greek Easter experiences on our comments section below. 1. Our villages have real Easter bunnies Going to the countryside and visiting the “horio” (village) can be like opening the door to a whole different world. Open space, local traditions, animals running around freely and happy people following their own pace in life. Actually, that’s where the real Easter bunny lives and we have proof! 2. Participating in the Holy week rituals. The whole country is a big community united by the Easter celebrations. There is a whole week of church relevant customs leading to up to Easter Sunday making the Holy week truly unique. Dying red eggs, the big meeting of the local churches at the centre of the city on great Friday (Epitaphios), the big celebration of resurrection (Anastasi) on Saturday night and so many more. 3. Getting surprised by the weather Experience snow and sun at the same time. The sun might be strong enough to get us tempted for a dive in the sea, or, cold enough to send us skiing and make us want to cuddle next to the fireplace. Sometimes, you get both; sun and warmth in the city and snow on the mountains. Where else can you experience such a strong antithesis of seasons in April? 4. Enjoying nature at its best: Everything smells like spring with an unbelievable plethora of colors! Nothing compares to the full and elegant scent of the flowers and the beautiful colours are a treat to the eyes. Even in Athens, the bitter orange (nerantzies) and lemon trees lined across the pavements are full of delicate white flowers and juicy fruits. 5. Joining the biggest celebration of the year Easter Sunday rocks! An all-day feast where the whole family comes together, roasting the lamb, eating, drinking, dancing, and celebrating till the sun goes down. No health and safety law telling us we can’t grill a whole lamb in our garden and freaked out neighbors calling the police to report suspicious, cannibalistic activity (veganism and Greeks are as far as it gets). +1. It’s a global Greek celebration (Hollywood Stars included) And while celebrating Greek Easter in Greece is an amazing experience, the eight million Greeks of Diaspora, including their Greek-by-affiliation friends, celebrate Pascha the exact same way all around the world. Greeks in the US, Australia, Canada, Africa and even as far as Korea and Japan are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ and keep their Greek tradition and culture alive. Even many Hollywood Stars celebrate Greek Easter, in fact Tom Hanks often carries the Epitaphios at the Saint Sophia Church in Los Angeles on Holy Friday! -Happy Easter! Kali Anastasi! And don’t forget to share your Greek Easter experiences in our comments section below.
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