Easter celebrations are not quite over, as members of Eastern Orthodox Church are preparing to celebrate Greek Easter on Sunday, April 8. The two holidays commemorate the resurrection of Jesus on different dates because they are based on two different calendars. Western Christians celebrate Easter based on the Gregorian calendar, while Eastern Christians use the old Julian calendar.
Occasionally the two dates on both calendars coincide. Preparations for Easter begin on Holy Thursday, when Easter bread, or tsoureki , is made and eggs are dyed red as a symbol of the blood of Christ. A period of mourning begins during church services on the evening of Holy Thursday and continue throughout Good Friday.
During Good Friday, Eastern Christians will mourn, fast and not work. We break it down below. Greek Easter can sometimes occur on the same day as Western Easter, as it did back in Eastern Christianity recognises a different date for Easter because they follow the Julian calendar, as opposed to the Gregorian calendar which is widely used by most countries today.
The Julian Calendar was proposed by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, in which the year consisted of days, every fourth year having days. Russia — as well as other Balkan, Middle Eastern and former Soviet countries — also observe the Julian calendar and celebrate a later Easter. According to the Apostle John, Jesus is the Lamb of God so eating lamb on this day honours his sacrificial death. Church is obviously an important part of the celebrations and many Greeks attend services, starting from Good Friday.
Many buy candles which they take home. Greek Orthodox Easter is probably the biggest celebration of the year for most Greeks, with a lot of special traditions and family gatherings. So, how do Greeks celebrate Easter? In this article you will read about the traditions that are followed in every region of Greece….
For 20 years in a row, the Omilo-team was celebrating Easter together with the students, during our Easter Course — Greek Language and Culture. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, in and we could not welcome students during Easter, neither organize our Easter course in Nafplion.
We hope corona will leave us in peace soon, and we will celebrate Easter again together with our students in Greek Easter is a very special and holy time indeed!
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