Welcome to the second month of our Int'l Bloggers Club Challenge, where a group of four bloggers from different parts of the world get together and compare notes. Last month we had Valentine's breakfasts. Καλώς ήρθατε στο δεύτερο μήνα του Διεθνές Bloggers Club, όπου μια ομάδα τεσσάρων μπλογκερ από διαφορετικά μέρη του κόσμου συναντιούνται και συγκρίνουν τα έθιμα τους. Τον περασμένο μήνα είχαμε το πρωινό του Αγίου Βαλεντίνου. This month our theme is Easter. It is the most important religious holiday in my country. Now the interesting thing is that we are celebrating this year on May 1st. I am Greek Orthodox Christian and our Easter coincides with the Catholic Easter once every four years. Well this year we have practically gone into summer-beach territory. Αυτό το μήνα το θέμα μας είναι το Πάσχα. Είναι η σημαντικότερη θρησκευτική γιορτή στη χώρα μου, που γιορτάζουμε φέτος στις 1η του Μάη. Είμαι Ορθόδοξη Χριστιανική και το Πάσχα μας συμπίπτει με το Καθολικό Πάσχα μία φορά κάθε τέσσερα χρόνια. This week we celebrate "Grilled Meat" Thursday whereby the whole country smells of barbecued meat. This is a big blow out to end the Carnival celebrations. The following week is Clean Monday and the start of lent. Αυτή την εβδομάδα γιορτάζουμε "Τσικνοπέμπτη" σύμφωνα με την οποία το σύνολο της χώρας μυρίζει ψητό κρέας στα κάρβουνα. Είναι μια μεγάλη λήξη για το τέλος της Αποκριάς. Την επόμενη εβδομάδα ερχεται η Καθαρά Δευτέρα και η έναρξη της Σαρακοστής. This all leads up to Holy Week. We bake biscuits, make cakes and of course dye the eggs. The churches are opened all day and night with liturgies taking place and culminating on Good Friday where a procession of the Epitafio (Christ's tomb) goes around the town. Όλα αυτά μέχρι την Μεγάλη Εβδομάδα. Εμείς φτιάχνουμε κουλούρια, τσουρέκια και φυσικά βάφουμε τα αυγά. Οι εκκλησίες ανοίγουν όλη ημέρα και νύχτα με αποκορύφωμα τη Μεγάλη Παρασκευή, όπου ο Επιτάφιος κάνει την περιφορά γύρω από την πόλη. On Saturday right before Easter Sunday we all go to church at midnight. It is here that we receive the holy light straight from the holy tomb of Jesus in Jerusalem. We each have our own very special candles that we take to church with us. Το Σάββατο πριν από την Κυριακή του Πάσχα, όλοι πηγαίνουν στην εκκλησία τα μεσάνυχτα. Εδώ παίρνουμε το Άγιο Φως κατευθείαν από το ιερό τάφο του Ιησού στην Ιερουσαλήμ. Ο καθένας μας, έχει την δική του πολύ ιδιαίτερη λαμπάδα που παίρνουμε στην εκκλησία μαζί μας. These candles are given as gifts from godparents to their godchildren and come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The younger the godchild the more decorated is the candle. Οι λαμπάδες δίνονται ως δώρα στα βαφτιστήρια και κατασκευάζονται σε πολλά είδη. Όσο πιο νέο σε ηλικία είναι το βαφτιστήρι τόσο πιο διακοσμημένη είναι η λαμπάδα. Often we add gifts to the candle, In this case if it is a girl we can add costume jewelry. The more decorated it is, the better. Συχνά αγοράζουμε δώρα μαζί με την λαμπάδα, Σε αυτή την περίπτωση, αν είναι κορίτσι μπορούμε να προσθέσουμε κοσμήματα. Όσο πιο διακοσμημένα είναι, τόσο το καλύτερο. If the recipient is a child the candle is decorated with toys and the children also receive new shoes for Easter. Αν ο παραλήπτης είναι παιδί η λαμπάδα είναι διακοσμημένη με παιχνίδια και λαμβάνει καινούργια παπούτσια για το Πάσχα. We light the candles and take them home to light the gas stoves with. in this way the holy light stays with us all year. Ανάβουμε την λαμπάδα και την μεταφέρουμε στο σπίτι, με αυτόν τον τρόπο το άγιο φως μένει μαζί μας όλο το χρόνο. Once home, usually at 2 in the morning, we have Magiritsa, a traditional lamb soup, and the red eggs are cracked. The person whose egg remains intact will have good luck throughout the year. Μόλις στο σπίτι, συνήθως στις 2 το πρωί, έχουμε μαγειρίτσα, και σπάμε τα κόκκινα αυγά. Το πρόσωπο του οποίου το αυγό παραμένει άθικτο, θα έχει καλή τύχη όλο το χρόνο. And the great feast is on Easter Sunday. The barbecuing of the lambs en masse. Και την Κυριακή του Πάσχα συμβαίνει αυτό. We eat lamb, crack the eggs and the children play with the toys that they recieved for Easter. Τρώμε το αρνί, σπάμε τα αυγά και τα παιδάκια παιζουν με τα παιχνίδια τους. I am looking forward to celebrating Easter as I do every year. Now join my friends and see what they do in their respective countries for Easter. Ανυπομονώ να τον εορτασμό του Πάσχα, όπως κάνω κάθε χρόνο. Τώρα επισκεφθείτε τις φίλες μου για να δείτε τι κάνουν στις χώρες τους για το Πάσχα. If you like what you see, share it with your friends, or save it on Pinterest. If you really like what you see subscribe to my blog and get my adventures twice a week in your mailbox. Αν σας αρέσει αυτό που βλέπετε, να το μοιραστείτε με τους φίλους σας, ή να το αποθηκεύσετε στο Pinterest. Επισεις μπορείτε να εγγραφείτε στο blog μου και να λαμβάνετε τις περιπέτειες μου δύο φορές την εβδομάδα στο e-mail σας. The Int'l Bloggers Club: Easter
Tο Διεθνές Μπλόγκερ Κλαμπ: Το Πασχα
70 Comments
Mary, your tradition looks fun!! I would love to receive one of those pretty candles with all the gifts and accessories!! I am not to keen about going to church but wait for me to taste that lamb!! I can smell it from here!! Your Easter is quite late, by the way. Why do you have different times every four years? At least here it is related to Carnival so each year is more or less the same
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Mary
3/3/2016 05:51:02 pm
We have the best time during the Easter celebrations Pili. Even church is fun because they reenact everything, and we go in and out all day long. We celebrate at different times because the Catholics follow the Gregorian calender while we use the Julian calender but only for Easter. For all the other religious holidays we follow Gregorian. Also we have to have Easter afer the Jewish passover. So we are always later.
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I love your Easter candle tradition! That is such a fun thing for the kids (and adults!) to take part in. The symbolism of lighting the stove with the candles is really neat. I always enjoy learning about your country and traditions, Mary. It's always interesting to see how things are done in other places!
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Mary
3/3/2016 05:52:29 pm
Celeste, it was quite an eye opener for me too. While Ilived in the States I didn't really undersand a lot of what was going on. Now, here it is at a whole other level.
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2/29/2016 06:44:08 am
Good Morning Mary...Another lovely tour of your country and its traditions. The candles and the symbolism that surrounds them are such a lovely tradition. Lighting your gas stove and keeping that light all year..what an uplifting and reassuring imagery. I would imagine on your down days, you can look at that pilot light and take some measure of solace.
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Mary
3/3/2016 05:56:38 pm
Thank you Lynn, there is so much symbolism in all religions. And it is also that this holiday is during the Spring when everything is renewed and reawakened. The tomb which you see in the above picture is decorated with flowers that the church goers bring and the church smells wonderful from the fragrance. The church is also infused with incense.
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Mary, decorating candles with presents sounds lovely!! Your candles look beautiful!! That's also sweet that children's candles are the most decorated!! Having a huge barbecue would be awesome!! I'm coming over for a visit!! Thank you from sharing your Easter tradition!!
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:05:17 pm
Keri you are welcome to come over any time of the year. We have so many traditions at Easter time because this is the big one for us. I especially love going to church and sitting upstairs in the ladies section and listening to the hymns. There is an abundance of those during holy week. I also have a little book where I follow along. But that is another story and I'm getting carried away.
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:07:09 pm
Everyone celebrates but in their own way. Here in Greece it is the main holiday of the year and we get very involved in it. And yes the meat is the feast after 40 days of lent.
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2/29/2016 12:15:12 pm
Πολύ όμορφη η αναδρομή σου στα έθιμα μας για το Πάσχα κι έτσι θα ξέρουν και οι φίλοι εκτός Ελλάδας τι κάνουμε. Καλή σου εβδομάδα Μαίρη μου!
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:10:28 pm
Εγώ λέω να με προσλάβουν για να αναπτύξω τον τουρισμό. Νομίζω εμείς οι μπλογκερ θα κάναμε καλύτερη δουλεια από τους επίσημους. Γιατί γράφουμε από την καρδιά έτσι δεν ειναι Χριστινα μου;
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:11:23 pm
Thank you Marilyn, we thought it would be fun to share our unique perspecitives.
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2/29/2016 05:26:30 pm
Mary, I love this installment, like the last, I really enjoy learning how other countries do things. Easter sounds so meaningful in Greece. I really love the idea of taking the candle to church and then using the light through the rest of the year in our home.
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:18:07 pm
It's all about the light. They even have tv coverage of the light being flown in from Jerusalem on the eve of Easter and then it is distributed all over the country. We have very rich traditions going back thousands of years. And some of our churches are really old. (but that has to be another post).
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3/4/2016 04:15:01 pm
Wow! They fly it from Jerusalem? That is so awesome!!! 2/29/2016 08:12:28 pm
Thank you for sharing your Easter traditions. The and less are lovely.
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:19:14 pm
Thank you Debra for your sweet words. Our culture is rich with tradition for this particular holiday.
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2/29/2016 09:08:58 pm
Thank you for sharing your holiday traditions! I always enjoy reading about them. Beautifully written!
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:20:21 pm
Thank you Wendi. It is really fun to be able to compare traditions with my blogging friends.
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:21:58 pm
The candles are a big deal. Sometimes the godparents take the kids to the stores and let them choose the candles themselves, and of course the toy that is attached.
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3/1/2016 08:55:34 pm
I said this last month and I'll say it again, I LOVE THIS SERIES! I love your tradition of keeping the light all year round. How fun to decorate the source of that light for the recipient.
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:25:47 pm
The kids love the candle tradition especially when it is accompanied by a toy. It's like thier birthday all over again. And during holy week we have all sorts of preparations for the big day.
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:27:50 pm
Thank you Ntina. I want to convey the magic that takes place during this special time of the year. And I want all of my readers to understand how unique everything is.
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3/2/2016 08:52:46 am
what a fun tradition! I love anything creative and to create and give a gift with such meaning is wonderful. I like both but lean towards purple (of course!). Hope your week and Easter are awesome!
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:29:25 pm
Millie, some buy the candles but others prefer to craft them and give them as gifts. These of course are much more fun. Don't rush me we still have to get through the Carnival before we can talk about Easter. ;)
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:37:15 pm
It is a tradition that is done in the Orthodox faith because light plays such an important part here. But I'm sure most faiths have the lighting of the candles in their ceremonies.
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3/2/2016 01:06:18 pm
Mary, I love those beautiful candles to make with children so they can learn about Easter! What a special tradition!
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:30:59 pm
The giving of the candles shows that the godparents are helping the children with their religious education. Of course, it has become a bit commercial lately, but we still hold on to enough of our old traditions.
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3/2/2016 07:59:55 pm
I love your candle tradition. Such a neat thing, especially for the kids. We also crack eggs and the person with the egg still intact gets to keep the other egg. My uncle was orthodox christian and I remember loving to celebrate two Christmases and two Easters. My daughter wants two gifts for her birthday because it's on orthodox Christmas. Tell me when I talk too much :)
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:39:47 pm
Lucky you Jas, two Christmases and two Easters. I would be so fat I'd be unable to fit in the door. You know as Greeks we are very big on food and all of that. We plan for the least a week before. And you do not talk enough, I'd be happy to listen all day! :)
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:42:23 pm
Carol, I am also learning much from my dear friends. in this series. As for the lambs, we have very few vegetarians here in Greece. And the animals are raised for that purpose.
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3/3/2016 11:18:55 am
This is such a great read Mary. I honestly had no idea about these traditions and I love how I learn about all these great Greek traditions through your blog.
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:43:35 pm
Thank you Ilka. It is really interesting to see how things are done in each country or how things can vary from region to region.
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3/3/2016 05:28:42 pm
I love that you have so many traditions to make Easter meaningful and special. I can imagine how important those children's toys are to keeping them occupied through the celebrations.
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Mary
3/3/2016 06:47:02 pm
Stella, Easter is THE major holiday for us here. We have all sorts of traditions and activities leading up to the big day.
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3/3/2016 10:29:51 pm
This was a fascinating insider peek into another country's Easter traditions! I had no idea it was so huge! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday!
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Mary
3/4/2016 05:50:34 am
We decide to do this series so that we could all share our country's traditions and learn all about the differences but also the similarities we all have as humans. Thanks for stopping by Megan!
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3/4/2016 10:03:31 am
I think your description covers everything! I loved your Easter candles and you gave me a lot of inspiration to make my own for this year! I leave you now to read the other interesting traditions!
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Mary
3/4/2016 02:20:59 pm
I'm so happy Katerina that I was able to inspire! Looking forward to this year's Easter as every year, it is so rich and full of tradition here.
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3/5/2016 10:43:10 am
Well done, Beautiful article :) Thank you for sharing with us!
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Mary
3/5/2016 12:28:24 pm
Thank you Khadija for visiting and getting a taste of our traditions.
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Mary
3/6/2016 07:38:04 pm
Thank you Betty for visiting.
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Mary
3/6/2016 07:32:47 pm
Laurie, as always thank you for dropping by. We really go out for this our most important holiday.
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3/6/2016 05:07:05 pm
I love the sound of your traditions. Sounds like you have a lot of fun at the same time as celebrating something really important. It was really interesting to read about them. I hope you have the most wonderful Easter.
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Mary
3/6/2016 07:36:48 pm
Thank you Sally, it really is a very special time of the year for us.
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Mary
3/9/2016 05:44:38 am
Beverly this is the big one for us here in Greece. We pull out all the stops!
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Wow! That is a huge celebration that I never knew about until now. I learned something new today:) You really go all out and I love that part of that tradition is to give decorated candles to your godchildren. That's pretty awesome! Thanks so much for sharing your tradition with me at #manicmonday
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Mary
3/9/2016 05:46:43 am
Michelle, this is the big one for us, even bigger than Christmas. We go all out and really enjoy ourselves after all that fasting... well at least for those who do. Thanks for your comment.
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Mary
3/10/2016 05:51:54 pm
Thank you Mimi, it is the best time of the year.
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Mary
3/10/2016 05:53:35 pm
We have some pretty amazing traditons that are full of light and hope, and I always look forward to this time of the year. Especially in Greece where it is taken to another level altogether.
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Mary
3/31/2017 01:40:22 pm
Easter is the most important religious celebration for us Julie. And so we go all out for this holy day.
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Amber Harrop
3/26/2017 05:07:22 pm
I love hearing about your traditions Mary , I love the candles they are so pretty.
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Mary
3/31/2017 01:44:48 pm
We just bought some more to decorate for this year! :)
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Mary
3/31/2017 01:42:19 pm
Leanna there is so much symbolism in everything we do for this holiday especially! Thank you.
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Mary
3/31/2017 01:44:09 pm
Thank you Debbie!
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Katie
4/14/2017 10:03:12 am
Thanks for sharing these traditions. So fun to read all about Easter in Greece. I love the candles. So cute. Thanks for sharing at Monday Social.
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I'm Mary and I recently moved to New York from beautiful Greece. I like to re-purpose and up-cycle anything that is old or looks like junk. Join me as we use our creativity to spark some life into old things. And do it frugally! You will also see lots of photography of my Greece and New York. Follow me
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