Greek Easter
Zanneio Experimental Hgh School of Piraeus
Indroduction Greek Easter, the most important religious holiday in Greece Easter is the most important holiday of the year for the people of Greece. Easter is always in Spring and nature is most beautiful at that time. The weather is good, neither cold or too hot and it is perfect time for hiking or traveling around. Perhaps it is not the best time of the year for spending a day at the beach but you will experience the wonderful Greek Easter customs and religious ceremonies. Easter = Pascha in Greek In the Orthodox Church the feast of Easter is officially called Pascha, the word which means the Passover. It is the eternal Passover from death to life and from earth to heaven. Easter (Pascha) begins on the Saturday of Lazarus (the Saturday before Palm Sunday) with children and their teachers being very happy because they will spend two weeks far from school. The Christian symbolism of Easter was first underlined by the Apostle Paul. When the Christians began to celebrate Easter, they retained some of the features of the Jewish Passover, while at the same time adding others. This can be seen from the paschal lamb and the red eggs. People gather in church every evening throughout Holy Week, especially on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and on Holy Saturday, the night of the Resurrection. Holy Thursday is the day for dyeing eggs red. The egg, is a symbol of life, while red is the color of life. In the evening, after the reading of the 12 Gospel, the girls undertake the decoration of the Bier of Christ (epitaphios) with garlands of flowers, so that in the morning of Good Friday it is ready to receive the image of the body of Christ when He is taken down from the Cross. Flowers of various colors are used but in Crete it is common to use the flowers of the lemon tree.
Holy Week Traditions
Preparations for Easter start on “Clean Monday�, seven weeks before Easter Sunday when the Greek people start to fast for lent. During these forty days, the Greek diet consists of seafood, pickles and meals without oil. Meat, fish, eggs and dairy products are also excluded from the diet. Although the Holy week leading up to the Easter weekend is quieter and the atmosphere in communities is somewhat subdued; after the resurrection of Christ, Easter celebrations in Greece become lively and loud.
Easter eggs decorated using the ’’leaf technique’’
Easter eggs decorated with coloured threads
HOLY THURSDAY Holy Thursday is a day of baking and the dyeing of dozens of boiled eggs bright red to symbolize the blood of Christ and the renewal of life. Young children delight in joining their mothers and grandmothers in the preparation of making the “Koulourakia”, the special Easter biscuits and there is always the lingering aroma of newly baked “Tsoureki”, the sweet bread that is actually eaten all year round. Holy Thursday is the saddest day of the Easter celebrations as it marks the day of Christ’s crucifixion. People visit their churches to light candles and to sit and say a private prayer. It’s a day of mourning and church services are held throughout the country in the evenings. Many of the Greek people can be seen shedding a tear and some will keep a constant vigil next to the cross bearing a figure of Christ in the church.
HOLY FRIDAY On Holy Friday, church bells toll all over the country and are a poignant reminder of Christ’s crucifixion. Flags fly at half mast and a great sadness is felt in communities. During this period of mourning, afternoon church services are held and after a re-enactment of the crucifixion, the figure of Christ is removed from the cross and placed in a shrine decorated by women and children with carnations and roses. In the evening, the shrine representing Christ’s tomb is carried through the neighborhood in a somber funeral procession and the silent congregation follow behind showing their grief and their mourning for Christ. When the shrine has returned to the church, members of the congregation can take a flower away with them.
HOLY SATURDAY Holy Saturday is all hustle and bustle as Greek families shop and make their last minute preparations for Easter Sunday. The forty days of fasting will come to an end at midnight when the Greek soup, Mayiritsa, made with lamb offal is served after the church service and the resurrection of Christ. During the day, homes become filled with decorated candles, candies and brightly wrapped gifts, while the excitement of younger members of the family gradually begins to take hold. Late in the evening, crowds of people arrive at every church in the country, leaving no room inside for many of the congregation. Hundreds of people follow the service outside from the large microphones. Shortly before midnight, lights in the church go out and bells start to toll to announce Christ’s resurrection. Loud fireworks go off leaving spirals of smoke and the priest appears to share the eternal flame from his own candle among the congregation. “Christos Anesti�, Christ has risen, the crowds shout amongst themselves. The Eternal flame is then carefully carried home by everyone to mark a black cross with the smoke over the doorstep. This tradition is believed to bless the home and bring it good luck. After that, it is time for the Mayiritas soup and to crack the red boiled eggs with an opponent before eating and drinking wine until the early hours of the morning.
EASTER SUNDAY Surprisingly, on Easter Sunday, people are up as early as the break of dawn to prepare the lamb or goat ready to be roasted on a spit. The lamb is cooked along with the “Kokeretsi�, a favorite Greek dish of wrapped seasoned lamb offal. There is a smell of barbecued meat all across the country, while families and their friends prepare to enjoy a very large feast. Loud music and singing complete the highspirited celebrations of a very traditional Greek Easter.
Easter Greek Customs
Falling always on a different date, Easter signals the end of the cold days of winter and the beginning of the sunny and warm days of summer. But not every place in Greece celebrates Easter in the same way‌
The Corfiot Easter The celebration of Easter in Corfu is a unique experience, completely different from anywhere else in Greece, and particularly impressive for firsttime visitors to the island. It is a huge festival, in which various components come together harmoniously: the Orthodox Christian faith, pagan traditions, the powerful presence of Saint Spiridon, the Roman Catholic community, the Venetian influence, genuine Corfiot humor, the music of the philharmonic bands and of course, the spring atmosphere. Friday is the day of the Epitaphios, the funeral of Christ. All over the island, as all over Greece, every church brings out its own funeral bier and parades it around the parish. In Corfu however, the attendant philharmonic orchestras and choirs, the presence of thousands of Corfiots as well as foreign visitors, give another dimension to the gravity of the occasion. On Holy Saturday at 11am, the First Resurrection and the “Pot Throwing� custom take place, with local people throwing pots out of their windows, smashing them onto the streets below to exorcise death and the evil spirits. In the evening, before the Orthodox ceremony takes place, the Catholic service at the Duomo Cathedral takes place. With the participation of all Church officials, the Resurrection service finishes at 11pm to permit the clergy time to prepare themselves for the Orthodox service. In the town of Corfu, the service is held in the Upper Espianada Square, starting at the Church of Agia Paraskevi, with the participation of the Bishop, the philharmonic orchestras and thousands of people. The Resurrection is seen with a roll of drums and an impressive fireworks display. When this ends, the bands traverse the streets of the town at a great pace playing cheerful music, with people running behind them singing. The Resurrection is celebrated and the Lenten fast is broken with chilikourda (the local Easter soup of magiritsa – lamb intestines), red eggs, fogatsa (brioche), columbines (a special bread of Venetian origin, baked in the form of a dove) and lots of wine. On Easter Sunday morning, churches in town that possess an icon of the Resurrection parade it around the central streets, something well worth seeing. - See more at: http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/13/eastertraditions-across-greece/#sthash.UNkUqvmV.dpuf
The Rocket War of Chios Vordados village, also called Vrontada, is a village located about 5 km north of Chios Town. It is in the center of the Municipality of Homeroupolis. Every year on the evening before Easter, the night sky gets lit up with thousands of flashes. Rouketopolemos, or Rocket-War, is the name of this unique local traditional event held annually at Easter. In a variation of the Greek habit of throwing fireworks during the celebration of the midnight service before Easter Sunday, two rival church congregations in the town perform a rocket war by firing tens of thousands of home-made rockets across town, with the objective of hitting the other church’s bell tower. The rockets are wooden sticks loaded with an explosive mixture containing gunpowder and launched from grooved platforms. The two rival parishes are St. Mark’s and Panaghia Ereithiani, the respective churches built on two hilltops about 400 meters away from each other. Direct hits on each belfry are supposedly counted on the next day to determine the winner, but each parish invariably claims victory over the other. The result of this apparent disagreement is that both parishes agree to settle the score next year, and the rivalry is perpetuated. The church buildings themselves and the nearby buildings have to be extensively boarded up and protected with metal sheets and mesh for the occasion. The origin of this event is unclear, but local tradition holds that it goes back to the Ottoman era. According to local lore it was earlier performed with real cannons, until Ottoman authorities prohibited their use in 1889.
The Arachova St. George Fest The small mountain village of Arachova is not only popular for its winter attractions but hosts a unique custom for the Easter time. The icon of the local protector, St. George, is carried the second day after Easter Sunday throughout the village, and a three day fest is organized to honor the Greek Orthodox saint. During the fest, some 500 locals wear traditional costumes and gather at the courtyard of the Holy Church of Saint George. The elder people then dance the “Panigyraki� (small fest) traditional dance to the of the bagpipes and the snare drums. Then, the young and the old inhabitants of Arachova participate in an uphill race towards the headquarters of Mustafa Bey. The winning prize is a living lamb.
The Saitopolemos of Kalamata The town of the Prefecture of Messinia is well known for its “Saitopolemos� custom dating back to the revolution fights of 1821, when the people of Kalamata used the Saitas (a type of firework that makes loud noise) to startle the horses of the invading Turkish army, and thus, win the battle. The Saitas are hand-made of filled up paper tubes and powder. On Easter, a group of men wearing traditional costumes carry the Saitas and detonate them while they are in their hands.
The Burning of Judas in Metres Every Holy Thursday, in the small town of Metres in Thrace, the children walk from door to door asking for sticks to build the wooden model of Judas. The model will burn the following day after the Epitaphios is over and the priest reads the relevant chapter from the gospel. The locals will then light a fire, “burn Judas,” and scatter a handful of ashes on the tombs. On Holy Saturday, the entire community attends church to chant the Christos Anesti and watch the fireworks’ display.
The Easter dances of Ierissos In the village of Ierissos in Chalkidiki, locals gather on the third day after Easter at the homonymous hills to relive the custom of “The Field of the Doomed Youth” (Tou mavrou yiou t’ aloni). The elderly people start dancing and then everyone is invited to join hands in a dancing circle extending for some 400 meters. The Easter songs continue throughout the day and the custom comes to an end with the “Kageleftos” Dance, which represents the slaughter of 400 locals by the Ottomans during the 1821 revolution. The dancers pass under an arch made of laurel leafs and the raised swords of two young men. In the middle of the dance, the performers change their steps in order to look at each other for the final greeting. The local traditional “zografitikos” coffee boiling in a large cauldron, tsourekia and red eggs complement the day. The dance is repeated again in the afternoon in the central square of the village. - See more at: http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/13/ea ster-traditions-acrossgreece/#sthash.UNkUqvmV.dpuf
Greek Easter Foods
On Easter Sunday proper, the meal is an all-day feast, one that has taken days to prepare for. In traditional Greek homes, the eggs are dyed and the breads and cookies are prepared on Holy Thursday. Holy Saturday is for making mageiritsa.
Lamb and Goat Specialties
Whole, spit-roasted lamb or goat may be the most popular way to prepare the main course, but it is really a tradition that belongs to the center of the country, to Thessaly and Roumeli. Elsewhere, the Easter meat specialties are different. For example, goat is the meat of choice on many Aegean islands, because goats are more prevalent than lambs. Local cooks prefer to stuff them and roast them whole, often in the village bread-baker’s oven. The stuffings vary from place to place. On some islands, rice and herbs such as dill and fennel, go into the stuffed goat or lamb. Pine nuts, raisins, cinnamon and almonds are also popular, as is, of course, offal. In some places the stuffing also contains cheese.
Offal Nothing is wasted on the Easter table, and so Greeks have long savored plenty of offal as part of the traditional feast. The best known offal dish is the kokkoretsi, a kind of large sausage usually roasted on a spit but sometimes oven-roasted. There are countless recipes for sautĂŠed liver and for various skewered offal dishes.
Spring Cheeses Fresh whey cheeses are a seasonal delicacy all over the Aegean and they often find their way onto the Easter table in both savory and sweet dishes. All over the Aegean, for example, sweet cheese tartlets in varying shapes are customary. Some are seasoned with mastic or mahlepi, others with orange blossom water and/or cinnamon. Combinations of lamb or goat and cheese are also popular. One of the most delicious dishes comes from western Crete, where local cooks make an Easter pie with cheese and lamb seasoned with a little cinnamon.
Breads- Sweets Greek Easter bread is a fluffy plaited loaf enriched with eggs and decorated with dyed red eggs. It is called tsoureki. The braids symbolize the Holy Trinity and the red eggs the blood of Christ. The most common sweet are the cookies called koulourakia, which, like the Easter bread, are also usually twisted or braided, then brushed with egg and baked.
Traditional Greek Easter Recipes
1.Kleftiko 2.Mageiritsa 3.Stuffed Eggs 4.Tsoureki 5.Koulourakia 6.Kalitsounia
Kleftiko (Lamb
Cooked in Baking Paper)
Kleftiko (Lamb Cooked in Baking Paper)
Ingredients • • • • • • •
A whole lamb the lamb's skin salt pepper 3 green garlics thyme 10 logs
Directions • Season the lamb with salt and pepper inside out. • Place a handful of thyme and garlic cut in pieces, in the belly. • Score the legs, season with salt and pepper and a piece of garlic. • Place the lamb in its skin and wrap well. • Dig a pit in the ground of about 30 cm depth, 1,5 m width and place the skin with the lamb in it. • Cover with a little soil. • Place the logs on top and build a fire. • Wait for the fire to die out (about 4 hours). • Take the skin out of the ground
Mageiritsa
(Easter Soup)
Directions • Clean and wash the offal thoroughly as well as whichever other piece of lamb you chose. Wash the intestines especially carefully, by turning them inside out. Blach everything and then discard the water. Chop them into fine pieces and boil them in fresh water. • Sauté the onions and the herbs in a pan and then add the tomato. Let it boil for a while. • When the meat is well boiled, add the sauce with the herbs (the water in the pot shouldn't be too much. If it is, we take out as much as is necessary). • Let everything boil for a while and when the soup is ready, add the egg and lemon sauce.
Mageiritsa (Easter Soup)
Ingredients • • • • • • •
1 offal intestines, tripe, trotters of a lamb 1 cup spring onions, finely chopped 1 cup of various herbs like: parsley, spearmint, fresh oregano, fennel 1 cup tomato juice 2 eggs juice of 1 lemon
Stuffed
Eggs
Stuffed Eggs
Ingredients
8 large eggs 1/3 cup minced reduced-fat ham 1 tablespoon minced green onions 1 tablespoon minced parsley 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise 1 teaspoon mustard 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 (1-ounce) slices white bread, torn into large pieces • Cooking spray • Fresh thyme leaves (optional) • • • • • • • • • •
Directions • Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover with water to 1 inch above eggs; bring just to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 12 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold running water until cool. • Peel eggs; slice in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; discard 4 yolks. Place remaining 4 yolks in a medium bowl. Add ham and next 7 ingredients (through pepper); stir until combined. • Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 cup. • Spoon about 1 teaspoon yolk mixture into each egg white half. Top each half with 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs. Coat breadcrumbs with cooking spray. • Preheat broiler. • Place eggs on a baking sheet; broil 1 minute or until breadcrumbs are toasted. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.
Tsoureki Easter
(Traditional Greek Sweet Bread)
Directions • Warm the milk and dissolve the yeast in it, add about 500 gr of flour to make a batter and let it stand for 2 1/2-3 hours so that it rises well (you can also do that from the previous evening, you save a lot of time and they are more traditional this way). • Put the rest of the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs beaten with the sugar, 1 shot of the water with the mahlab, the mastic, the zest and the leaven and knead starting from the edges to the center. • Add the warm butter last and knead till it is incorporated with the rest of the ingredients. • Let the dough rise for 2 1/2-3 and then knead thoroughly once more. • Let it rise once more, press it lightly to deflate and form the tsourekia in the shape that you desire. Place them on a buttered tray and let them rise well. • Preheat the oven at 180 degrees, brush the tsourekia with the egg yolks and sprinkle with the almonds. • Bake for 30’-40’, depending on their size.
Tsoureki (Traditional Greek Easter Sweet Bread)
Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • •
2 kg strong flour 600 g sugar 500 g fresh butter 9 eggs 1 1/2 package of ground mastic (12 g) 1 package mahlab boiled in 1/2 cup of water (8 g) 200 g fresh yeast 400 ml milk zest of 1 orange 2 egg yolks thinned with a bit of water slivered almonds
Koulourakia
(Easter Cookies)
Directions • Cream butter and sugar. • Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the milk, the orange juice and the zest. • In another bowl, combine all solid ingredients with half of the flour and then pour the flour mixture in the butter mixture. Add as much flour as it is needed, so as to have a soft, non-sticky dough. • Let the dough rest for 15 minutes, then shape the cookies as desired and bake them, 180°C for 10 to 20 minutes (it depends on their size).
Koulourakia (Easter Cookies)
Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • •
2 cups sugar 4 eggs 250 g butter 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup orange juice grated zest of one orange 1 kg flour 4 tsp baking powder 2 tsp vanilla essence 1/2 tsp soda 1/2 tsp salt
Kalitsounia Cheese
(Cretan Sweet Pies)
Kalitsounia (Cretan Sweet Cheese Pies)
Ingredients • • • • •
• • • • • •
500 g flour 1 tbsp oil 1 egg 1 tbsp sugar enough water to make a soft dough FILLING 700 g sweet mizithra 2 eggs 1 cup honey 1/2 tsp ground mastic cinnamon
Directions 1. Prepare a soft dough (you may need a bit more extra flour) 2. Crumble the cheese with a fork and add the rest of the filling ingredients. 3. Roll out the dough and cut it into circles. Place one tsp of filling into the centre of each and pinch the sides of the dough around the filling making a small tart. 4. Sprinkle with honey and bake in a medium oven.
Resources • http://www.explorecrete.com/traditions/ greek-easter.html • Blog Greek Eastern and Traditions • Greek Reporter • The Food of Greek Easter • http://www.myrecipes.com/ • http://www.greektastes.com/ • https://www.cooklikegreeks.com
Zanneio Experimental High School of Piraeus
Wishing you a very Happy Easter that is filled with plenty of love and happiness!