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Traditionally the day to dye red eggs.
K boiled dozens of the buggers yesterday and very early this morning he was up dipping them into the saucepan with the dye mix and then polishing each egg with olive oil
Now most of them are safely stashed away into sturdy boxes to be handed out to friends and neighbours, and family. Anyone in fact who has slipped something over the garden gate this last month.
Yesterday he was busy rolling out over 100 koulourakia, the traditional easter biscuits. These have also been put into takeaway containers.
Thank goodness K has decided that only a traditional greek really knows how to make these traditional easter goodies, which I have made for over 35 years. I agreed whole heartedly with him. He can traditionally do it just the same way his traditional greek Mama used to, with my traditional foreign blessing
The first box went to elderly neighbour Vaso and her daughter and son in law who are sharing her isolation, and cramping her style. The second box went out to our wine and raki essential service provider.
These simple, elegantly decorated white candles are called lambathas and will be lit just before Saturday midnight when 'Christ is Risen'. My grandaughter Luli crafted these candles for us and hung them on the garden gate on a recent visit. A visit on her birthday. We couldn't go to her so she came to us and stood on the other side of the road. We exchanged air kisses and birthday sweets.
Holy Thursday in the Orthodox church
The evening service is very long with the reading of the 12 Gospels.
This year K is watching the service on TV, conducted from Istanbul by the Archbishop of Constantinople and Patriarch of the Greek church
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I love hearing about all the traditions. The biscuits do look good, though i think the ones your grandchildren made were the best ones, just don't tell your traditional Greek man that. I imagine he is finding all this social distancing, lack of contact and conversation very difficult - must drive you mad at times. The candles are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHi Elaine. I was thinking of you as I wrote about the koulourakia . You are right, his koulourakia are far too even sized and pretty. The kids made all sorts of original shapes.
DeleteHe spends a lot of time on the phone talking, discussing and ordering about, but yes, he misses terribly the social intercourse.
I'd love to hear that service.
ReplyDeleteAll I understand is amen and God have mercy yet I was thinking last night how familiar it all is. He's got the Good Friday service on now, next morning. Certainly sets the atmosphete
DeleteMy cousin who lived in Greece for about 20 years was doing the same over Easter.
ReplyDeleteEaster is the biggest festival of the year, much more than Christmas
DeleteI think he is quite right to keep all that hard work for a traditional person. You sit back and watch.
ReplyDeleteHe can show me how, all the things I don't already know! And he can't complain either
DeleteThank you. I love seeing those red eggs. Perhaps I'll try using olive oil on mine next time. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteYou just need a drop oil but they polish up beautifully
DeleteIt is great the way all the traditions are kept up. Reminded me of a book a flatmate had "back in the day" it was written by Maria von Trapp and covered the Christian year with all the festivals and food that went with them.
ReplyDeleteThat would be interesting to read. I would love a book like that on the greek festivals. The customs here are very different from those further north or on the other islands
DeleteLast week we had Catholic Church on the telly. I might try and find a greek service this week
ReplyDeleteIt’s usually on the radio
As for the eggs. No red eggs this year.
I’ll give double out next year There were no eggs at the supermarket
No eggs at the supermarket, heavens. Everyone's chooks are laying non stop here. It's the season for eggs of course but this year the number of eggs we have been given is just amazing. Fortunately the grandchildren are teenagers and eating non stop as well
DeleteHow lucky you are, that this year, your K is in need of things to keep him busy!!!! And so he is doing all these traditional things.
ReplyDeleteBet next year, when things are back to normal, bet he will be happy, to let you take over, again!!!! -grin-
A perk, of the pandemic!!!
Hey, gotta' find them, where we can!!!!!
🌱🌺🌹🌸🌱
Keeping him busy is an essential!
DeleteWhat do you use to dye the eggs? That's a beautiful deep red colour; I rather fancy doing some myself next year.
ReplyDeleteIt's commercial dye specially for eggs and found only at Easter. You can dye them with onion skins and a load of other natural stuff but nothing gives that bright red.
DeleteThose eggs are so beautiful! I am not doing them this year ~ I don't have the dye, nor did I save onion skins for the year :-)
ReplyDeleteI've made tsoureki but haven't tried koulourakia yet.
Christ is risen!
The red eggs look like Snooker balls.
ReplyDelete