Easter in Greece is much more than a religious holiday! Εaster is full of happy family moments, sunny days, flowers and of course… great food.
CUSTOMS
In Greece, we follow our Easter traditions faithfully and everyone in the family plays a part. But how much do we really know about Easter?
EASTER SUNDAY
The truth is that we don’t know exactly how the first members of the Christian church celebrated Easter Sunday, but our tradition is filled with family dinners and a lot of food!
HISTORY
Christian Easter, known as “Pascha”, is believed to have its roots in the Jewish Pesach, which means Passover. Passover is associated with the concept of liberation in the Jewish religion. The Jews celebrate their passage through the Red Sea and their liberation from Pharaonic slavery, while Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ and their deliverance from sin and death.
Orthodox versus Western
Orthodox and Western Easter are celebrated differently. The major difference between the two celebrations concerns the importance that the two churches give to death and resurrection. The Orthodox church places more emphasis on the Lord’s resurrection, while the Western tradition emphasizes the mourning of Christ’s death during Holy Week.
RESURRECTION
Resurrection, as we celebrate it, is a joyful midnight service that is followed by a hug and kisses on the cheeks between relatives. We then crack the traditional red eggs. After church, believers prepare a dinner of a traditional soup known as “mageiritsa”. This meal prepares us for the feast to come on Sunday which features an entire lamb on a spit. The all-day affair is a celebration of the resurrection.
THE CELEBRATION OF SPRING
Which holiday is more important? Easter or Christmas? This may divide some of us, but one sure thing is that Easter renews us, fills us with joy and is a holiday that celebrates nature and spring.
EASTER GIFTS
Coffee Island can be a part of your Easter celebration. We offer savory and sweet delicacies, amazing coffee blends and useful items from our gift combos for every Proud Coffee Maker.
EASTER SURPRISES
A Coffee Island Contest and a fun Quiz help to celebrate the holiday. Explore traditional flavors and learn all about how Easter is celebrated in every region in Greece. Claim Coffee Island gift combinations, simply by answering in the comment section of our daily contest posts. You may also be interested in participating our Easter edition Quiz, that will help you discover which gift combination suits you and gives you a 10% discount on purchase.
WE BRIDGE DISTANCES
Last but not least! This Easter, share moments full of joy and gifts with your loved one’s via Coffee Mates. Make your gift order from My Coffee Island APP + WEB, prepay it and the gift will arrive along with a personalized card that you will compose at the last stage of your order! Because distance should not keep you from celebrating with your loved ones!
