Family

Easter Exodus


Number plates and licences confiscated over the last few months are being given back so everyone can leave the city.  This happens every year and shows how important it is that the average Greek can return to their village or island to take part in the diverse customs and rites  of their place of birth. Most importantly they make their mother happy by connecting with her first of all and then the extended family of which they are an integral part wherever they may live the rest of the year.

They don't go on holiday, they go home.

  Deep family roots.  When someone is asked where they come from here in Greece and they reply 'Athens' the next question will be, 'yes, but where are your roots'.  They will reply, 'well, my father came from this island and my mother from this village' and the 'asker' will say 'ahhhh, so you're a Poroioti' (from Poros) or whatever. 

Thousands leave the big cities for their small village wherever that may be.  There will extra buses, trains and ferries to carry them home and the outward lanes of the national highways are opened up to carry the extra traffic.  There will be one lane for incoming cars at the toll booths and 7 or 8 for departing cars, and vice versa as the week ends.

The church is an important part of their lives whether they attend church or not in the city.  Every evening service this week will have crowds at the churches, coming and going, lighting candles, greeting long lost friends and family and even listening to the priest and taking part of the service.

Holy Thursday today. More to come