Good Friday

 It was Good Friday yesterday in Orthodox Greece. And in Serbia. Tomorrow the Serbian branch of my NZ family will be celebrating in a similar way at the other end of of the world.

Good Friday evening there is a candlelight parade and each of the 4 big churches with their congregation meet in the main square.

The Epitafio of St Nikolas, the church at the Navy Base

Last night it was a parade without candles. It was blowing too hard to keep a candle lit. We went down to join the throng, hordes, invasion, to see Poppi carrying the Epitafio of our local church. This is a heavy wooden structure decorated by the church ladies in swathes of spring flowers. It is presumed to be the bier of Christ. 

Coming down the steps from the church of St George. In the narrow 'stairwell' the wind was blocked and candles stayed lit for a short while

We went down early to get parking but still ended up stuck in between 2 cars and only left with many manoeuvres . There must have been a few thousand people down in the square. I tried to take photos but all I could get were heads with hands holding phones aloft taking videos. We couldn't see Poppi but family sent photos and video. It was a great honour for her. It's rare to see a female holding the epitafio.

Our Poppi

Meanwhile at the big Cathedral in Central Athens grandson George was in the front line guarding the big Epitafio. They showed the whole ceremony, parade, and him, on TV but we missed that. Fortunately there were photos and videos taken of him as well. 

Our hearts swelled with pride. I spit on my grandchildren. Don't want any of them to suffer from an evil eye.

The big church on the waterfront brought their Epitafio along in a kaïki  (fishing boat) . 

On their return to the church the boat did a short trip around the harbour.

It was magical .

And now it's Saturday and we are preparing for Sunday. The offal soup which we eat at midnight is bubbling away. The lamb is waiting to be stuck on a spit. Hotcross buns are wafting their aroma through the house. 

And it's raining. 

We are supposed to be going to the midnight service but we may skip it and watch the Athens service on TV. 

At midnight, Christ Is Risen. Down town all hell let's loose, bells ringing, fireworks going off, ship horns blowing, thousands of people shouting greetings to friends, neighbours, family. I've done that many many times. 

The Holy Light was brought again from Jerusalem without incident.  The light arrives in Athens on the Presidential plane and is sent all through Greece, usually coming to Poros just before midnight. At midnight all the lights in the churches are turned off and the Priest emerges with his candle lit from the Holy Light. 

Everyone holds a candle and the light is passed from hand to hand to be taken home to make a cross over the front door and to be kept alight in a family lamp.

If we do attend the midnight service we will go to the Monastery. There are fewer people and no fireworks. We go on the top road through the hills and avoid the traffic jams elsewhere on the island. 

Till tomorrow...