Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

Welcome Note for Our March Issue

Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

Ηρώων γη

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Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

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Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

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Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

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Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

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Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας

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Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

On Thursday evening, all of the Greeks prepare

for the Holy Weekend. Everybody makes the

delicious sweet Easter bread, called Tsoureki

This is eaten on Easter as the three braid of

the bread represent the Holy Trinity. Many

people even cut into the shape of a cross.

On Good Friday, there is a sombre

atmosphere and the church bells ring and

flags fly half mast, and in some villages a

shrine representing the tomb of Jesus is

carried in the streets. The church is dressed

in black in a mourning mode of the death of

Jesus and the Epitafio is dressed in flowers.

This sad mood is soon broken in true Greek

style, with lots of eating and singling and loud

noise.

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Easter is celebrated all over Cyprus and Greece the mainland and on the islands, it is a family celebration as well as being the most significant time in the Greek Orthodox

Church. For the church it is a celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ, and also dating from ancient times it marks the changing seasons and the arrival of

spring. The date of Easter in Greece is marked by the Grecian calendar and so does not fall at the same time as Easter in other European countries.

The Holy Week, or Easter week, including Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter

Monday are all public holidays in Cyprus and Greece. Families get together and people enjoy a holiday air, and there are many wonderful food traditions that Greeks follow

around Easter time.

https://www.bluevillascollection.com/blog/taste-the-blue/greek-life/item/245-mykonos-easter-traditionshttps://www.bluevillascollection.com/blog/taste-the-blue/greek-life/item/410-good-friday-paros

Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

Late on Saturday night, before midnight all the

people go to all the churches, which all seem

full to bursting. Then follows a festival of light

that is a true delight - at midnight the church

goes dark and the bells ring out to proclaim

the resurrection, and people start cheering

and letting off fireworks and crackers! The

Greeks young and old buy or make their own

Easter candles which they take to the church

on this night. The priest lights a candle

representing of Jesus’ eternal flame and

everyone lights their candle from this

one. People carefully carry their candle home

and make a black cross on their house with

the flame to bless themselves.

Eggs are usually dyed Red on Holy Thursday.

The colour symbolizes the blood of Jesus

when he was crucified in

Golgotha. Afterwards, they return to their

homes and the families sit together at the

table to have the festive dinner! They always

start with cracking the red eggs with each

other, which symbolizes the risen Christ’s

blood. Everyone selects one egg, carefully

choosing the one that seems the strongest.

Then the egg cracking begins! One cracks

their chosen egg on top of another’s chosen

eggs, saying “Christos Anesti” (meaning “Christ

has risen”). The other one responds, “Alithos

Anesti” (meaning “Indeed, he did!”). Each time

there is a winner and loser. Loser is obviously

the one with the cracked egg. The egg

cracking keeps on going, until there is only one

winner- the chosen one with the un-cracked

egg! The one with the strongest egg is said

the have good luck for the whole year.

Flaounes is the Cypriot Traditional Pastry that

all families make when its time to Celebrate

Easter. So this is what we found out about

them…

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Newsletter Greek School of Ayia Triada Birmingham

PASKAZW” … Is a typical Cypriot word arising from Easter Sunday’s food that means we are very happy, from the fact that we have eaten all the treats linked to Easter.”

Tradition, tradition, tradition a word you will often meet on this blog regarding the Cyprus kitchen, and “Flaounes” is not an exception since it is a special treat linked to the biggest celebration of the Christian Orthodox world, Easter!!

The “Flaounes” recipe is passed on (of course) from generation to generation in this not so small island of the Mediterranean and is one more tradition that gathers the whole family, who prepare and bake them. This should come as no surprise to you anymore!!! Then again what type of Christian Orthodox Easter (or any other celebration) would it be, without

the gathering of the Greek family either for the preparation, cooking and eating?