|
EASTER ON CORFU GREECE
The celebration
of Easter in Corfu a unique vexperience, completely different
from anywhere else in Greece and particularly impressive for first-time
visitors to the island. It if a huge festival, in which various
components come together harmoniously, the Orthodox Christian
faith, pagan traditions, the powerful presence of Saint Spiridon,
the Roman Catholic community, the Venetian influence, genuine
Corfiot humour, the muslc of the phtlharmonic bands and of course
the spring atmosphere.
Holy Week throughout Greece is characterised by its church services,
by fasting, and by the anticipation of the Resurrection. We recommend
that during Holy Week you leave the town and venture out to the
villages.
Wander in the countryside, that is moving into spring and the
season of fertility and renewal, and enjoy its perfumes.
After the dullness of winter, with its rains and cold weather,
the sunlight underscores the fresh colours of nature. |
|
|
The white,
yellow, mauve and green of the wild flowers, the blue of the sky
and the sea, form a backdrop to the grey stone walls of the monasteries
with their westernized wall-frescoes.
Good Friday is the day of the Epitaphios, the funeral of Christ.
All over the island, as all over Greece, every church brings out
its own funeral bier and parades it around the parish. In Corfu
however, the attendant philharmonic orchestras and choirs, the
presence of thousands of Corfiots as well as foreign visitors,
give another dimension to the gravity of the occasion. |
On Holy Saturday at
11 a.m. the First Resurrection and the "Pot Throwing"
custom take place, and the local people throw pots out of their
windows, smashing them onto the streets below.
In the evening, before the Orthodox ceremony takes place, you
may attend the Catholic service at the Duomo Cathedral. With the
participation of all Church officials, the Resurrection service
finishes here at 11 pm, to permit the clergy time to pre pare
themselves for the Orthodox service. |
All over
Greece the ceremony takes place on a platform outside the church.
In Corfu Town, the service is held in the Upper Esplanade Square,
starting at the Church of Agia Paraskevi, with the, participation
of the Bishop, the philharmonic orchestras, and thousands of people.
The Resurrection is seen in with a roll of drums and an impressive
firework display, and when this ends the bands traverse the streets
of the town at a great pace playing cheerful music, with people
running behind them singing. |
|
The party has only
just begun, and will last until dawn. The Resucrection is celebrated
and the Lenten fast is broken with chilihourda (the local Easter
soup), red eggs, fogatsa (brioche), columbines (a special bread
of Venetian origin, baked in the form of a dove) and of course
lots of wine.
Easter Sunday at 7 a.m. on Easter Sunday morning, churches in
town which possess an icon of the Resurrection parade it around
the central streets, something which is well worth seeing. The
parades finish at around 10 a.m. but the great Easter Celebration
is far from over. |
[About
Corfu] [Map of
Corfu] [History]
[Weather]
[Best Beaches]
[Corfu Websites]
[Easter in Corfu]
MALTEZOS HOTEL
Gouvia - Corfu - Greece
Tel: 0030-2661091667 and 2661090990 (winter)
Fax: 0030-2661090271
E-mail: info@hotelmaltezos.com
Website: www.hotelmaltezos.com
Gouvia Corfu Greece - All rights reserved ©
Maltezos Hotel |
|
