Weekend Festivities

Kalo Pascha! (Happy Easter!)

We celebrated Greek Orthodox Easter this weekend. On Thursday night, the crucifixion was reenacted. On Friday, there was a 3-hour ceremony with songs about the activities of the women after Jesus' death. Since this was a funeral service, people were dressed in black. A flower-adorned "tomb" was set up in the front of the church.

The thunderstorm on Friday evening caused a power shortage, which knocked out the lights, microphone, and air conditioner in St. Nicholas Church for the first 40 minutes of the service. Since there was dim emergency lighting in the church, the atmosphere was perfect for such a ceremony.

On Saturday morning, communion was offerred to those who were will willing to arrive at 6 am.
The Saturday night service began at 11:00 pm. At the end of the service, all the lights were intentionally turned off. A few minutes later, the priest dramatically emerged from the back, with one lighted candle. The choir and altar boys each lit one candle and brought their candles to light another of the parishioner's candles until all the candles in the church were lit. This continued as people left the church and waited outside. After a few words from the priest outside the church, everyone cheered, "Christos Anesti!" (Christ is risen!) Then the fireworks began and continued for about 20 minutes.

Easter day was spent with friends, and meat was served for the first time in 40 days.

Easter is the biggest holiday in the Greek Orthodox Church.

(this is reprinted from an article I wrote in 2006, since the festivities lacked fireworks this year)