• Easter in Greece isthe biggest holidayof the year and iseven moreimportant thanChristmas,withweek-longcelebrations andtraditions.

• The GreekOrthodox Churchplays a large role inthe Greek Easter‘Paska’ or ‘pascha’ celebrations.

• Greek Orthodox Easterusually falls one to fiveweeks after the western(Protestant,Catholic)Easter, while approximatelyonce ever four years itfalls on the same date.

• In 2014 GreekOrthodox Easterusually falls on SundayApril 20th, the sameday as western Easter.

• Holy (or Great) Thursday

• Easter preparations begin on Holy .Thursdaywhen the traditional Easter bread,tsourki,isbaked, and eggs are dyed red (red is the color oflife as weel a representation of the blood ofChrist).

• From ancient times, the egg has been a symbolof the renewal of life, and the message of thered eggs is victory over death.In times goneby,supersitions grew into customs thst includedplacing the first-dyed red egg at the home’siconostasis (place where icons are displayed)toward off evil,and marking the heads and backsof small lambs with the red dye to protectthem.

• Holy Thursday evening, church services include a symbolic representation ofthe crucifixion,and theperiod of mourning begins. In many villages –and incities as well- women willsit in church throughout thenight, in traditionalmourning

TEAM :

Maria

Konstantina

Olympia

Dimitra