Greek Easter in Greece: Candles, Lamb and a Country That Stays Up All Night

Easter is the holiest time of the year in Greece. Because the Eastern Orthodox churches set its date by the older Julian calendar, it often falls later than Western Easter. Its high point comes at midnight on Saturday, when churches go dark, a single flame spreads through the crowd and fireworks crack overhead. The week rewards visitors who book early and plan their days around the church calendar, as the whole country turns toward family, villages and the lamb on the spit.

When is Greek Easter, and why is it different?

Greek Orthodox Easter follows its own calendar and lands on a different Sunday each year, so check the date for your travel year before you book. The date moves every year. It usually differs from Western Easter, though the two matched in 2014 and 2017.

The difference goes back to 1582, when Pope Gregory introduced the Gregorian calendar as a revision of the Julian calendar. Western Easter is calculated with the newer calendar. The Greek Orthodox Church kept the old method, which follows the moon. Once the spring equinox has passed, it waits for the first full moon, and Easter is the Sunday after.

What happens during Holy Week?

Evening services tend to be the busiest, though on Wednesday the Holy Unction service takes place in the afternoon. The Hymn of Kassiani, sung on Holy Tuesday, is a highlight. From Thursday to Sunday, churches stay open almost around the clock, and worshippers stream in and out. Standing is part of Orthodox prayer, with men traditionally on one side of the aisle and women on the other, so expect to be on your feet.

Holy Thursday is for preparation. Families dye hard-boiled eggs deep red for the blood of Christ. They also bake tsoureki, a braided sweet bread similar to challah, and koulourakia, feather-light biscuits, from recipes passed down for generations. During the week, children often visit their godparents and help dye the eggs. The long Thursday evening service includes twelve gospel readings, and the bells ring as a figure of Christ on the cross is carried in and set up.

Good Friday is the day of mourning. Flags drop to half-staff, bells toll slowly, and women cover a wooden bier with fresh flowers to stand in for Christ's tomb. Many families keep the strictest fast of the year, often with a lentil soup made without olive oil. In the evening comes the Epitaphios, the funeral procession. The faithful carry beeswax candles and follow the priest and the bearers of the bier through the streets, singing a slow Byzantine hymn of the Virgin Mary's sorrow. Mourners in black line up to kiss the bier, and processions from neighboring churches sometimes merge on the way. On Hydra the procession goes into the sea at Kamini.

Saturday brings the longest service of the Orthodox year. The priest trades black vestments for white and tosses dried petals over the congregation, and the mood turns from grief to anticipation.

What is the midnight service like?

The flame at the heart of the night comes from Jerusalem. On Saturday it is brought out of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, flown to Athens and sent on to churches across the country. Crowds dressed in their finest fill each church well before midnight, and more gather outside as the hour nears. Many worshippers hold a candle as the flame is shared around the church. Children carry lambades, special candles decorated with ribbons, a gift from their godparents. Arrive early if you want a place inside.

As midnight approaches, the lights go out. The priest lights his candle from the holy flame and announces "Christos Anesti," Christ is risen. The flame passes from person to person with the same words, and the reply is "Alithos Anesti," truly He is risen. Slowly the dark church fills with a glow. Bells ring, fireworks burst, and firecrackers drown out the Easter hymn. In port towns, ships sound their sirens. Say "Christos Anesti" to the person beside you; it is the greeting of the night.

Afterward, people walk home with their candles still lit and trace a cross three times above the front door to bless the house.

What do Greeks eat at Easter?

The first meal after the 40-day Lenten fast comes right after the midnight service. For many it brings the first meat since Lent began. The dish is magiritsa, a soup built on the innards of the lamb to be eaten the next day, with spring onions, dill and rice, then finished with beaten egg and a squeeze of lemon. It eases the stomach back toward meat before the feast.

Then comes the egg game, tsougrisma. Diners each choose a red egg and knock it against someone else's, tip to tip. Whoever ends up with an uncracked egg is said to have good luck for the year.

Easter Sunday belongs to lamb on a spit. Men start a charcoal fire early in the morning and turn the whole animal slowly over the coals for hours. Meanwhile the women set out salads, meze and a bowl of red eggs, and tsoureki comes to the table. Kokoretsi, which is lamb or goat intestines wound around seasoned offal, is another Easter favorite. Families without a garden roast the lamb and kokoretsi in the oven, and in Athens you may see women carrying full baking trays to the local bakery. Lunch runs well past sunset, with wine and often dancing.

Where is the best place to spend Greek Easter?

Athens is a rewarding choice. Many residents leave for villages and islands, so the streets go quiet, and the hills around the Acropolis turn green with grass and wildflowers. In the days before Easter, the Central Market fills with lambs, and farmers from Naxos sell their goods at the Lamb and Cheese Market in Psiri. The Byzantine churches of Plaka and downtown hold services all week, and Agia Irini on Aiolou Street, near Monastiraki, is known for its choir. The church of Agioi Anargyroi on Erechtheos Street in Plaka is where the Holy Fire is taken after it reaches Athens by plane. From there the flame goes to the Metropolitan Cathedral and out across Attica.

At midnight, fireworks burst above the Acropolis. The church of Agios Georgios at the top of Lycabettus Hill is a dramatic place to watch the candlelit processions, and the parade of candles winding down the steep hill afterward is just as striking. Restaurants serve Easter meals, from tripe soup after the midnight service to full Sunday lunches. On Sunday, many Athenians head up Mount Parnitha or into the surrounding countryside to roast their lamb.

Islands and villages bring more local color, so choose by what you want to see. Arachova and Livadeia turn Easter Sunday into a village-wide celebration, with lambs roasting in rows on the square. On Skiathos and Zakynthos, the Epitaphios procession sets out in the early hours of Saturday morning, so plan on a night with little sleep. On Kea, three congregations take different routes through Ioulida and meet in the square. In Monemvasia, Rhodes, Hydra, Halkidiki and Koroni, an effigy of Judas or Barabbas goes up in flames. On Syros and Karpathos, people shoot at Judas. In southern Messenia, men hold rockets without sticks, and the blasts make them jump as if dancing. The custom is said to date back to the War of Independence.

How does Easter affect travel plans?

Easter week is usually the second busiest holiday week in Greece, after the August 15 feast of the Virgin Mary. In the days before, islanders paint restaurants and shops and whitewash houses. Many island hotels fill up for the Easter weekend, and ferries and flights book up too, so reserve well in advance. By Thursday, ferries, flights and roads out of Athens are packed. On Easter Sunday, ferry crews are often at home with their families, so service is thin. Some popular islands may have just one boat that day, with a few more running to the Saronic islands. From Monday to Wednesday, seats on flights and ferries back from the islands are very hard to find, and the roads fill with returning Athenians.

If you stay in Athens through Easter Sunday and then want to celebrate in the countryside, plan to drive. Greek law requires visitors to carry a valid U.S. driver's license, and insurance companies may require an international driver’s permit. Thieves in Greece seek out rental cars to steal passports, valuables and luggage, so take your belongings with you whenever you can. Strikes are common in Greece, and demonstrations can start with little notice. Both can disrupt airports, seaports, taxis and public transportation. Check timetables closely for Thursday, Easter Sunday and the Monday to Wednesday that follow.

What should Americans know before going?

U.S. citizens can enter Greece without a visa for stays of up to 90 days. Your passport should have at least three months of validity beyond your planned departure date. A passport reported lost or stolen will not get you in, and you may be sent back to where you departed. Be ready to show proof of sufficient funds and a return ticket if asked. The U.S. State Department describes Greece as a generally safe destination. Petty crime is common in tourist areas, and pickpockets work public transportation, especially the metro, so keep a close eye on your bag in crowded processions and packed Easter transit. Carry your passport or a photo ID at all times.