Easter is among the greatest religious feasts in the Orthodox Church. The solemnity of the Holy Week, the week before Easter, in the Orthodox Church ends with the commencement of Easter celebrations, where the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is glorified.
On Holy Wednesday, housewives make flaunes, the traditional Cypriot cheese Easter cakes, while Holy Thursday is the day for dyeing eggs.
On Good Friday morning, girls undertake the decoration of the bier of Christ (Epitaphios) with flowers, so that it is ready to receive the image of the body of Christ when He is taken down from the cross. Good Friday is a day of mourning. The drama of the death of Christ is followed with great devoutness.
On Holy Saturday evening, the Resurrection mass (Anastasi) takes place. The Midnight service is without a doubt the most important day on the calendar. At midnight all the lights are extinguished in the church and the priest comes from behind the doors on the altar carrying a candle. People light their candles and carefully take home their lighted candles with the holy light of the Resurrection.
A huge bonfire is lighted in the churchyard to burn Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus. On Easter Sunday, traditional entertainment events and games are organised all over Cyprus. Fasting has ended and huge dishes of souvla are enjoyed.
Photo: Stone eggs in the seafront promenade in Lemessos.
