Easter and its meaning

Easter is a holiday that Christians celebrate. It is a holiday to celebrate when Christians believe that Jesus Christ returned from the death. Easter is the holiest day in the year. It is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon, following the first day of spring. Large dinners are usually held on Easter afternoon too.
The week of Easter begins on Palm Sunday and there are church services everyday commemorating the last week in the life of Jesus Christ. Easter preparations begin on Holy Thursday when the traditional Easter bread, tsoureki, is baked, and eggs are dyed red as well as a representation of the blood of Christ. The holiest day of Holy Week is Holy Friday. It is a day of mourning, not of work. It is also the only day during the year when the Divine Liturgy is not read. Flags are hung and church bells ring all day. This day also, some people carry the epitaphios, which is a large piece of cloth with the image of Christ which has been decorated with flowers. The epitaphios is taken from the church and it is carried through the streets. On the morning of Holy Saturday, preparations begin for the next day’s Easter feast. Dishes are prepared and in advance the traditional mayiritsa soup which will be eaten after the midnight. Special candles made for Easter are called “labatha” and are often given as gifts to children from their parents or God-parents. On the night of the Holy Saturday everybody goes to the church with his family holding his candles and at twelve o’clock, when the priest says<> all the candles are lighten up by the holy flame. Then, every family gathers at a home and makes a cross on the door. Then, they celebrate Easter with the traditional foods they have prepared and with traditional dances. They also clink the red eggs. On Sunday, which is the Easter Day, Greeks have dinners at their homes and they invite the whole family. They eat lamb, mayiritsa, Easter bread, Easter biscuits, Greek salad and whatever they like.
Greek Easter is one of the greatest Easters because of all those customs and traditional foods and it is a great time to visit Greece.
CREATED BY: KRILI SOPHIA AND KRILI ELPIDA