Our Easter and that of the Orthodox Church rarely coincide. Last year the two were as far apart as could be with Orthodox Easter on 27/4, so the time seemed right to fulfil our wish to experience Greek Easter at first hand. We booked independently to return to a quiet seaside village on the Peloponnese which we visited the previous year.Throughout the ‘Great Week’ (Holy Week to us) one TV channel continuously broadcast religious programmes and the services and celebrations were the main news items on other channels. On ‘Great Thursday’ we were in the old town of Navplion. After dinner, strolling through the narrow streets, we were attracted by the sound of chanting. We found the source - loudspeakers outside a church! The church was packed with people of all ages (most standing - chairs only for the infirm!) and more people arrived by the minute. We inserted ourselves into a side door to observe the service. Two cantors were singing the Passion Gospel and at times the priest emerged from behind the Iconostasis (Altar Screen) to sing part of this. Then a huge icon cross was carried round the church interior, the congregation parting then kneeling to allow this re-enactment of the procession to Calvary. Next an unseen choir in the west gallery sang for some while before the cantors took over again. At this point we decided to leave as the service would clearly last a while yet (we were told 3 hours is common!)
On ‘Great Friday’ we were in another small seaside resort and around 9p.m. went up the hill to the church just below the ruined castle. A ‘funeral procession for Christ’ was setting off down the hill, preceded by a uniformed band of teenagers, alternating with a small choir, in funereal music. Four men carried a huge ‘coffin’ - the ‘Epitaphion’ covered in flowers and candles. This procession was followed by some 1000 candle-bearing inhabitants. At the main square by the harbour they stopped for prayers and to relight the candles before setting off back up the hill via the main shopping street.
On Easter Eve just before midnight we were directed by our hosts to our own little village church, new and still being completed. Many people were outside blocking the main road and at midnight the priest came out, everyone’s candles were lit and the Resurrection Gospel sung from the church steps. At midnight the priest called out ‘Christos Anesti!’ - ‘Christ is Risen!’ which was the prelude to a cacophony of bells and fireworks! We followed the priest back into church for a short while, but were told once again that the service would probably go on until 2a.m. so returned home. However, we were not allowed to go to bed! Our hosts, their family and friends were breaking the Lent Fast with a midnight feast and we were invited. Eventually around 2a.m. we got to bed feeling rather full.
Easter morning the men of the apartment block were up early, setting up three huge barbecues to spit-roast whole lambs for the traditional Easter Dinner. Once again we were invited. Although Jennifer speaks reasonable Greek we were glad of our hosts’ daughter who teaches English and kept us abreast of the many arguments that the Greeks love to indulge in!
Lasting impressions? How much the Orthodox Church (virtually the only church in Greece) still touches everyone’s lives, the antiquity of the services, and the hospitality of the Greeks, especially if you take only a little interest in them and their wonderful country. Roll on our next (21st) visit to Greece!
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