Greek Easter

Dimitra lighting our candles at midnight Easter Eve

Agia Paraskevi

 Saturday, April 23 I met Dwain at the plateia at 11.30pm to participate in the beginning of the most important holiday in the Greek culture - Easter.  As I walked down the hill, I was among many others walking down with their spouses and families, each person holding their own Easter candle.  Some candles were plain white, others had ribbons wrapped around them while others had ribbons and things dangling from them.

Everyone gathered in front of the church on the square listening to the service which was being broadcasted from within the Greek Orthodox Church.  Then the doors open, people parted to let the priest and religious folk out and they continued and then ended the service from a raised platform in the plateia.  Those in the church lit someone else's candle who was standing outside and soon everyone around had their candles lit (though it was windy and the candles kept distinguishing) and from the roof of the church exploded with fireworks.

Then everyone parted ways trying to keep their candle lit all the way home and they were all off to the big midnight feast.

Kokoretsi being wrapped in intestines

Lamb and Kokoretsi being roasted for 4 hours

Sunday (Easter) I went over to the Confers about 11am - the lamb and kokoretsi had been on the grill since 9:30am.  Kokoretsi (Kokoretsi or kokoreç is a dish of the Balkans and Anatolia consisting mainly of lamb or goat intestines, often wrapping seasoned offal, including sweetbreads, hearts, lungs and/or kidneys. The intestines of suckling lambs are preferred.- Wikiipedia)

The lamb was really good.  However that is basically all we ate - lamb.  There were no side dishes, no sauce (except French's mustard) to dip the lamb into.  I had made my friend Jennifer's potato salad.  But no other veggies or sides or color to the meal.  There was some hard bread and some cheese.  It was the most random celebration meal.

Not to say I need materialist things, but there were no decorations, no color, no one dressed up for this special occasion.  I am glad I participated in it since I have lived in Greece for 3 years but I was kind of disappointed.