ΚΑΛΩΣ ΗΛΘΑΤΕ! Kalos ilthate! Welcome!
Welcome to the Global Greek World - a world of Greek-Somethings which stretches from Auckland to Zanzibar, from Aruba to Zimbabwe.
Wherever you are in the world, this is YOUR world!
Yesterday was Good Friday for all the Orthodox world, a solemn, mournful and moving day for us all marking the
Death of Christ.
The church services tell us the story of the Crucifixion, the death of Christ, and how Joseph of Arimathea secured the
body of Christ from Pontius Pilate, His removal from the cross, and His burial.
During the
service, the Body of Christ is removed from the cross, wrapped in a
white cloth (shroud) and brought into the sanctuary. Following the
reading, the priest carries the icon of the Epitafio through the church
and places it in the Sephulchre (the kouvouklion), which has been
decorated with the most beautiful of the spring flowers.
In the photos below, you can see our photos from some of these majestic and beautifully decorated Epitaphios in churches around Greece. Despite the economic crisis, people donate the money to buy the flowers for the Epitaphio and the ladies and young women take great pride in making their church Epitaphio the most beautiful.
In the video below, the funeral procession, Perifora tou Epitaphiou, takes place.
Followed by members of the congregation holding lit candles, parishioners and in the case of the Cathedral Epitaphio, soldiers, carry the decorated Epitaphio from each church to the main square of Sparta, where the people congregate and chant Ai Geneai Pasai...
a moving, haunting hymn, a moving and unique experience ...
The Holy Week Rituals and traditions are beautiful and unique - something everyone around the world should experience at least once in
their lifetime.
Today is Holy Wednesday (Megali Tetarti) and Greek people all over the world are preparing for the Orthodox Easter and all it entails! (Most of us had a break for the Western Easter holiday and we are now getting ready for our second Easter in a week. This was always, and still is, a bonus for those of us who live(d) outside Greece - it also meant we could buy up Easter goodies - chocolate eggs, rabbits and Hot Cross Buns, at discounted prices).
Greek Holy Week effectively started last Saturday with the Resurrection of Lazarus, followed by the Palm Sunday services. For a very good description of the Holy Week Services click here
The celebration of Easter in Greece is the most significant and symbolic of all the religious festivals and, because it is springtime in Greece, the whole country is ablaze with the beautiful colours of the season. Easter is traditionally a time when most people go to their villages or islands, to take part in these very traditional celebrations with their extended families and enjoy the peace and serenity of the countryside, dressed for the occasion in its magnificent spring clothes!
For those who remain in Athens or the big cities, the sights and sounds of Holy Week are pretty unique and a must to experience at least once in your lifetime. As you walk down the streets and go past the many churches, you can hear the bells toll mournfully or the melodious chanting of the hauntingly beautiful Holy Week hymns; you can see people going in to light a candle, to pray or just to sit and listen. If you are lucky and happen to be in Syntagma Square on Good Friday, you can watch the Epitaphio procession of all the churches in the near vicinity come together in the Square. A truly unique and magnificent sight!
For those of us who aren't fortunate enough to celebrate Easter in Greece, Easter wherever in the world we are is steeped in ritual and tradition and is very much part of our Greek heritage. Each Community's Church becomes the focal point of the community and the Holy Week services attract even those people who are not regular church-goers. Our homes are spruced up and readied for the family celebrations and the big feast after a period of fasting for Lent.
On Holy Wednesday we would put on our best and go to Church in the afternoon to be anointed with Holy Myrrh or Holy Unction. This was always interesting to us as children since we weren't quite sure what to do with the oil on our hands - we knew we shouldn't just wipe it off!
On Holy Thursday, we used to go for Holy Communion in the morning and in the evening everyone would go back for the Dodeka Evangelia service, waiting for the moment when the lights were dimmed and the Priest would come out bearing the cross of the Crucifixion and chanting the hymn of the Crucifixion
'Today He is Crucified...Σήμερα κρεμάται επί ξύλου'
Decorating the Epitaphio
under the watchful eye of Father Elias Economou
Evangelismos Tis Theotokou
Wellington New Zealand
Good Friday - 1959
On Good Friday it was time to take flowers to church and help decorate the Epitaphio before going back home to get ready for the Apokathilosi Service, where as children we loved to crawl under the Epitaphio, and then the Egkomia, some of us taking our places next to the Epitaphio as Myroforoi, holding baskets filled with sweet-smelling rose petals which we would later scatter over 'the Body of Christ' lying at rest.
As we grew older we could join the church choir and take part in the service, singing the beautifully worded verses of the Egkomia or the Lamentations. The young men of the Community were the altar boys and carried the crosses and banners (Ksapteryga) for the procession.
Church Choir - Good Friday
Evangelismos Greek Orthodox cathedral
Wellington, New Zealand
Evangelismos Tis Theotokou Father Elias Economou officiating
Wellington New Zealand
Good Friday - 1959
Evangelismos Tis Theotokou
Wellington New Zealand
Good Friday - 1991
Almost everyone attends the Good Friday (Epitaphio) Service, holding a candle and solemnly following the Epitaphio Procession as it is carried around the Church grounds or around the neighbourhood.
Ο Γλυκύ μου Έαρ The most beautiful of the Good Friday lamentations
The Midnight Resurrection (Anastasi) Service is also a must and everyone clambers to be the first to light his or her candle from the Fos, or the light from the Holy Sepulchre, at the stroke of Midnight as the Priest chants Defte Lavete Fos, enjoying the fireworks as we gather outside the Church for the Xristos Anesti!
On Easter Sunday (Kyriaki tou Pascha) we roast our lamb either in the oven or on the traditional spit and spend much of the day eating and drinking trying to see who will win in the traditional Tsougrisma of the Eggs! ( we have yet to find a good translation for this one...so we have left it in Grenglish).
Apart from the spiritual fulfillment and sense of renewal, once the services are over it is a wonderful opportunity to catch up with friends and be with family, to exchange kisses (always a good excuse if we rather liked someone but were too shy to tell them straight out) and wish each other 'Xristos Anesti' (Christ is Risen) and 'Alithos Anesti'! (Truly, He is Risen).
Listen to celebrated Global Greek Irene Papas sing her own unique version of Xristos Anesti (from the magnificent album 'ODES' in collaboration with Vangelis Papathanasiou )
It is interesting to note that many of our Greek communities around the world make the Anastasi and Easter Day celebrations a Community event so that all members can come, bringing their family and friends, both Greek and non-Greek, to join in the festivities.
These are special memories to hold on to and cherish - the traditional bonds of Church and Family which are timeless and hold strong in the Greek Orthodox Church and especially at these times of economic strife.
The ongoing
economic crisis in Greece means that most people have cut down on their
excessive spending of the past to the essentials so that our traditions are not lost. Those who can have donated goods and time to wonderful individual
voluntary initiatives such as Boroume, Oloi Mazi Boroume whilst the Church of Greece and other organisations have stepped in to help
the needy, the unemployed and the homeless so that their families don't
go without, especially at Easter.
To
all our Global Greek friends around the world who are in the process of
dyeing Eggs, baking Koulourakia and Tsourekia, planning for the
Mageiritsa and generally making preparations for this year's Holy
Week/Megali Evdomada, we would like to congratulate you for keeping our
wonderful traditions going and ensuring that the spiritual meaning and
message of the Resurrection and Easter is handed down from generation to
generation...
To each and everyone of you wherever you may be we wish you and your families
Yesterday was Palm Sunday, Κυριακή των Βαΐων, and the church celebrated the glorious and brilliant feast of the Entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem (John 12:1-18). Zechariah had prophesied the entrance of the Messiah into Jerusalem, saying:
“Rejoice greatly ... O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, the King comes unto Thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass”, Zech. 9:9.
The contemporary Jews associated this prophecy with the expected Messiah. This action of Christ testifies to His nature as Messiah, but with the definite declaration that His Kingdom was not of this world. The main road leading to Jerusalem was covered with palm trees.
The multitudes, with palm branches in their hands, spread their cloaks on the road as a show of respect, crying out
“Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.”
A custom of distributing branches of palms to the people in the Church prevails to this day.
During the remainder of Holy Week, the Church advances its liturgical life by about twelve hours, celebrating morning services the night before, and evening services in the morning.
On Palm Sunday evening, the Church celebrates the Orthros (Matins) of Holy Monday, in the first of four “Bridegroom Services.” Christ is called the “Bridegroom” because in His Passion, He gives His life for His Bride, the people of God, the Church, just as a husband will sacrifice everything for his wife and family. From Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday, some parishes celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the morning.
This very ancient Divine Liturgy is a Vespers Service, with the Holy Communion given from the sanctified gifts from the Liturgy on the previous Sunday. This Liturgy is very solemn, and spiritual, reflecting the grandeur and simplicity of the early Church.
In the Orthros of Holy Monday, the Church remembers the blessed and noble Joseph and the fig tree which was cursed and withered by the Lord.
In the Orthros of Holy Tuesday, celebrated this Holy Monday evening, the Church remembers the parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), who were waiting for the arrival of the Bridegroom at a wedding feast.
Ιδού, ο νυμφίος έρχεται εν τω μέσω της νυκτός και μακάριος ο δούλος ο ευρήσει γρηγορούνται, ανάξιος δε πάλιν, ον ευρήσει ραθυμούντα βλέπε ούν, ψυχή μου, μη τω ύπνω κατενεχθής ίνα μη τω θανάτω παραδοθής, και της βασιλείας έξω κλεισθής αλλά ανάνηψον κράζουσα άγιος, άγιος, άγιος ει ο θεός ημών, διά της θεοτόκου ελέησον ημάς.
Doing Tsiknopempti justice... Souvlakia, loukanika, pita bread, paidakia and some salad - straight from the grill!
Today is Tsiknopempti - literally, smokey Thursday - and as thisweek istraditionally the last meat-eating week before Lent, it has been named as the Thursday when everybody goes out on the town to eat traditionally grilled meat ...tsikna is the smell associated with meat being grilled!
Tavernas around Greece are generally jam packed on this day as most people go out and celebrate the carnival in style, whether they are in masquerade or not! Be sure to book wherever you may be going or you may be disappointed!
For those who aren't going out, and this year there will be a few and not just for economic reasons! In Athens it's one of those stay-home-and-get-cosy nights. It's been raining since noon, the roads are wet and you can easily fall into a man-sized puddle, so get together with family and friends, throw some souvlakia, steaks, chops and sausages on the grill-psistaria - Bar BQ, pour everyone a glass of wine or tsikoudia/raki, and enjoy the night!!!
