Saturday 1 May 2021

Saturday

 Lots of work to do today. Easter bread to bake, red eggs and koulourakia to be passed around, all yesterday's washing to be hung out, a house to be arranged for tomorrow's company, chairs and tables set out and most importantly, offal to be chopped and cooked for the evening breaking of the Lenten fast.



Today is also May Day
Uusally I would be out gathering wild flowers to make a wreath.  This year was just too chaotic so I collected what I could from the garden and put together an artistic bouquet to hang on the gate.
There is a lemon, some oregano, rosemary, a chive flower, nasturtiums, rose geranium and red geranium.
We should let this dry out and keep it to be burnt on the fire of St John at the end of June.  Midsummer elsewhere.


The Easter soup is under way.  Offal and fresh onions.  Later I will add lettuce, dill, rice, lemon juice and egg to thicken

The Holy Light has arrived from Jerusalem and will be at our local churches by now.  Usually the Saturday service is at midnight and the light is brought out so everyone can light their fancy easter candles and take it home to make the mark of the cross over the doorway and light their family candle to keep the flame going in the home.  


Smokey crosses from years gone by

Because of the virus the service this year will be held at 9pm so everyone can be home by the 10pm curfew.  So at 9pm we will be saying ' Christ Is Risen', kissing each other, cracking red eggs and then eating mageritsa, the soup made with the offal of the lamb, liver, kidney, heart, spleen and intestine. 


Fancy candles for the Holy Light.
Handmade by grandaughters




12 comments:

  1. Easter here was 'celebrated' by eating a small bag of chocolate eggs, bought from the supermarket. How different we are!

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    1. A million miles away. I have seen a few chocolate eggs but not in any of our houses.

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  2. Chocolate eggs abound in the city's zaxaripoleio (excuse my spelling) and bakeries. Not keen on chocolate eggs (preferred the marshmellow ones we got as kids in NZ), and unfortunately not sold on the description of your soup. Panagiota tried to enthuse us about kokoretsi (another fail) and we saw loads of offal in the meat market yesterday. I think it is the lungs that are off-putting. Have a great Easter day. We've seen spitroasting lambs in abundance already.

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  3. Much as I like certain offal I dont think I could eat that soup at 9pm !! I do love those beautiful candles and your bouquet is lovely ! Kalo Pascha to you and your family.

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  4. Hope it has all gone well and you have had an enjoyable Easter Sunday. The spit roast lamb would go down very well here!

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  5. Lots of traditional days over Easter for you. Hope you all enjoyed it.

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  6. yum love the smell of fresh herbs

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  7. Wishing you all a happy Easter. Stay safe and have fun :)

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  8. There's never a dull moment on Poros. In such secular times it's good to see people still have faith and carry out traditions passed on by older generations.

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  9. I was too tired to eat the margeritsa that one of our parishioners generously provided, I drove home to go to bed! This was nearly 3 am, as we are lucky enough to not have any curfews..in fact, the limitations on how many people can attend was lifted, so as many people that wanted to come, could. We had our service outside, so we didn't have to worry about someone setting someone on fire with their candles either, haha.

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