- We decorate the λαμπάδα (labada)
Along with the more international chocolate egg, for Easter Greek children receive a coloured candle from their godfathers and godmothers, the λαμπάδα, often decorated with toys or accessories but also simply with ribbons and beads.The candle is a powerful symbol: the λαμπάδες are used on Good Friday during the procession of the Holy Epitaph (a representation of Christ's tomb) to symbolize sorrow for Christ's passion and death while on Holy Saturday they celebrate the resurrection and, in broadest sense, the light that illuminates the world. It is customary to take the candle home with you to bless your homes with a sign of the cross in front of the door.
- Lazarakia, tsoureki and koulourakia... It's time to knead!
On the Saturday preceding the Holy Week, the Orthodox Church celebrates the miracle of Jesus resurrecting his friend Lazarus from the dead. Greek children make Lenten breads called "Lazarakia". They are sweet and spicy, shaped like a child with arms folded across their chests and eyes usually made with cloves. You can prepare them by following the recipe below: https://akispetretzikis.com/recipe/3219/lazarakia. If you prefer instead to prepare a less spicy recipe, you could opt for a very soft tsoureki (https://akispetretzikis.com/en/recipe/3923/politiko-tsoyreki), to be decorated with red-dyed eggs, or for fragrant koulourakia for a tasty snack with tea (https://akispetretzikis.com/en/recipe/3199/klasika-paschalina-koyloyrakia). In short, there are no excuses, there is always a good reason to get to work in the kitchen!
- Weaving palm crosses
The Sunday before Easter is remembered when Jesus, entering Jerusalem seated on a donkey, was greeted by a crowd who joyfully waved palm leaves. In different parts of Greece, adults and children weave crosses with palm leaves which are then blessed and distributed to the faithful at religious services. Don't have any palm leaves? No problem, you can play a little with paper and scissors like we did: https://youtu.be/3VhPdJLRirg
- Dye the eggs
On the Thursday before Easter, it is traditional to dye eggs red, the colour of Christ's passion and resurrection. According to a very ancient tradition, when Mary Magdalene announced to the apostles that Christ had risen, Peter looked at her sceptically and stated that he would only believe her if the eggs in her basket had turned red. The miracle was accomplished and the custom of giving red decorated eggs at Easter spread among Christians. Even if red is the traditional colour, eggs of other bright colours are also found on tables today, decorated with stickers and drawings. We indulged ourselves in creating different colour combinations, a fun experiment for both creative children and little chemists! On Easter day we will use coloured eggs for the game called tsougrisma: everyone will have an egg to beat against the opponent's. The winner is whoever manages to crack other people's eggs before their own! The breaking of the shell symbolizes the opening of the Holy Sepulcher and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
- A walk to hang martaki on a tree
Easter coincides with the awakening of spring and a rediscovered pleasure in outdoor activities. If you have prepared and worn martakia with your children https://kefalonialiving.com/kefalonia-travel-blog/item/28-martakia-spring-in-greece) and you haven't taken them off yet, you could take advantage of a sunny day to take them, as per tradition, to the branches of a tree so that the birds can use them to make their nest.
With so many fun and engaging traditions and countless typical dishes to try, spending Easter in Greece is a must-do on your bucket list. We are waiting for you in Kefalonia!
