Easter on Crete - Apokries / Clean Monday / Holy Week

Easter Video : Elounda, Crete 2005 - provided by Elounda77.net / makeITcrete.com

Good Friday - Church (1.4MB .ASF) - Fireworks (1.4MB .ASF) - Procession (4.5MB .ASF)

Easter (or Paska / Pascha) is by far the most important festival in the Greek Orthodox Year. Its place in the calendar can be up to 5 weeks different from that of the Roman celebrations in the Protestant and Catholic world. Good Friday of the year 2005 fell on April 29th, whereas Roman celebrations had been at the end of March.

The Church in Crete has always been a strong focal point for the scattered communities of the island. Over the centuries it has unified, and always been associated with, the Cretan struggle against invaders and oppression. Priests identify with their pastoral flocks; often married with families, living and working amongst them they share the everyday problems of their community. Although today's younger generations don't always share the devout faith of their parents, this sense of unity and identification with a church that fought for their survival, brings everyone back into the fold at this time and unites every islander in a common cause again.

Traditionally, there are 3 weeks of festivals and carnivals leading up to Lent (Apokries). 'Clean Monday' (Kathari Dheftera) follows this period of celebration. It signifies the end of festivities and is the precursor to Lent, the period of abstinence and self-discipline. It is party-day across the island with dads and kids flying thousands of fantastically colourful and elaborate kites which yearly fill the skies on this day.

For the more devout the dietary restraints of Lent become ever more rigorous as Easter itself approaches. By Holy Week they are resticted to a diet based on vegetables, pasta and bread, with even oil and wine forbidden. On Good Friday (Megali Paraskevi) blood from slaughtered lambs (which will be eaten on the Sunday) can be seen marking some roadsides and the funeral bier (epitafios) of Jesus processes through the streets along with the crowds of followers.

At midnight mass on the Saturday evening the priest pronounces that Christ is risen, (Christos anesti) and candles and firecrackers are lit as the congregation chants 'Christos anesti' to the accompaniment of tolling bells. In remoter areas of the island the sound of gunfire can still be heard announcing Christ's resurrection. Outside some churches effigies of Judas Iscariot are burned on bonfires or a symbolic floral wreath hangs from gallows or burns on a pyre. Villagers meeting in the streets greet each other with, "Christos Anesti!" and are answered with "Alithos Anesti!" (Truly Risen!) People then head home to share a traditional offal soup with other members of the family.

On Easter Sunday family meals become parties with food and drink, music, song and dance becoming the order of the day. The menu is one based around a spit roast lamb. It is also the day of the 'red eggs' - hardboiled eggs, dyed red, are handed out and traditionally 'contestants' will pair off. Each participant shelters their egg within their fist, presenting just one end towards the opponent who, using their own egg similarly held, has to crack the shell of the egg without breaking their own.