Thank you for your article, Claire. You have really captured the excitement of Greek Easter.
But I have a different take as my mother was Greek. From Chania, at the other end of the island.
For me, Greek Easter is about the midnight service. The crowded church, the chanting, the church plunged into darkness at midnight. The anticipation, as everyone waits for the priest to emerge from the back with a single candle. People's candles lit one by one from the priest's single candle. The church slowly filling with light as people pass the flame to each other. Then the excited shouts of 'Christo Anesti'! Christ is Risen!
Thank you Elysoun. Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for sharing your experience too. We were once at the airport in Heraklion late on Easter Saturday, which was full of priests. I mean, literally full. It was a priest convention! We couldn't understand it, until we realised that the holy flame was due to arrive by plane shortly, for all the priests to take back to their congregations. The sense of expectation and wonder for this single flame arriving was quite powerful, so I can imagine a single flame lighting up a darkened church as Easter arrives is wondrous!
Your comment about the Holy Flame arriving at Heraklion airport sent me to investigate. What a fascinating story!
You can read about the Ceremony of the Holy Fire and the Sacred Flame of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem at the following link. I skipped to the end of the video to watch the excitement of the flame appearing.
Wow, it sounds amazing in Agios Nikolaos! We were in Rethymno last year during the Easter celebrations. The processions on Good Friday were very interesting with what seemed like 4 or 5 smaller churches processing to the big church in the town centre. And the toll of the bells all day on Good Friday were strangely calming, especially since it was misty and drizzly that day, so we stayed inside for much of the day relaxing and reading until evening. We didn't experience the excitement of the Saturday night celebrations as it was thunder and lightening and pouring with rain that night - so quite dramatic anyway but certainly put bit of a damper on the celebrations. We were quite sad not to experience the spit lamb on Easter Sunday, as all restaurants were full to bursting. I reckon a larger tourist town is probably not the best place to experience a Greek Easter, and if we're ever back in Crete during the Easter period we would definitely stay where we know and love, in either Elounda or Agios Nikolaos! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Reservations are still recommended but Agios and our village Kritsa are beautifully, gloriously fantastic at Easter. Kritsa's Good Friday Epitafi are always so beautiful decked with flowers. I walked up to Kroustas on Easter Sunday expecting the coffee shop would be shut, but, as it was open, ended up with a great coffee and a glass of wine before I headed back to Kritsá for dinner!
I just spent my first Easter at our little village near Spili, and it was lovely, and very different from what I remember of my young childhood in Athens. In Athens, it was all about the candlelit procession, and trying not to set fire to the person in front of you. Here it was earlier in the evening, and more solemn, following the flower-bedecked epitafio, and later ducking under it, and a more social occasion as everyone had family who had returned to the village to be with family.
Thank you for your article, Claire. You have really captured the excitement of Greek Easter.
But I have a different take as my mother was Greek. From Chania, at the other end of the island.
For me, Greek Easter is about the midnight service. The crowded church, the chanting, the church plunged into darkness at midnight. The anticipation, as everyone waits for the priest to emerge from the back with a single candle. People's candles lit one by one from the priest's single candle. The church slowly filling with light as people pass the flame to each other. Then the excited shouts of 'Christo Anesti'! Christ is Risen!
Thank you Elysoun. Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for sharing your experience too. We were once at the airport in Heraklion late on Easter Saturday, which was full of priests. I mean, literally full. It was a priest convention! We couldn't understand it, until we realised that the holy flame was due to arrive by plane shortly, for all the priests to take back to their congregations. The sense of expectation and wonder for this single flame arriving was quite powerful, so I can imagine a single flame lighting up a darkened church as Easter arrives is wondrous!
Your comment about the Holy Flame arriving at Heraklion airport sent me to investigate. What a fascinating story!
You can read about the Ceremony of the Holy Fire and the Sacred Flame of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem at the following link. I skipped to the end of the video to watch the excitement of the flame appearing.
https://greekcitytimes.com/2025/04/19/orthodox-easter-the-ceremony-of-the-holy-fire/
Wow, it sounds amazing in Agios Nikolaos! We were in Rethymno last year during the Easter celebrations. The processions on Good Friday were very interesting with what seemed like 4 or 5 smaller churches processing to the big church in the town centre. And the toll of the bells all day on Good Friday were strangely calming, especially since it was misty and drizzly that day, so we stayed inside for much of the day relaxing and reading until evening. We didn't experience the excitement of the Saturday night celebrations as it was thunder and lightening and pouring with rain that night - so quite dramatic anyway but certainly put bit of a damper on the celebrations. We were quite sad not to experience the spit lamb on Easter Sunday, as all restaurants were full to bursting. I reckon a larger tourist town is probably not the best place to experience a Greek Easter, and if we're ever back in Crete during the Easter period we would definitely stay where we know and love, in either Elounda or Agios Nikolaos! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Reservations are still recommended but Agios and our village Kritsa are beautifully, gloriously fantastic at Easter. Kritsa's Good Friday Epitafi are always so beautiful decked with flowers. I walked up to Kroustas on Easter Sunday expecting the coffee shop would be shut, but, as it was open, ended up with a great coffee and a glass of wine before I headed back to Kritsá for dinner!
I just spent my first Easter at our little village near Spili, and it was lovely, and very different from what I remember of my young childhood in Athens. In Athens, it was all about the candlelit procession, and trying not to set fire to the person in front of you. Here it was earlier in the evening, and more solemn, following the flower-bedecked epitafio, and later ducking under it, and a more social occasion as everyone had family who had returned to the village to be with family.
Sounds wonderful. Yes, the villages here were full. It was like the end of olive season all over again! Everyone coming home to help or celebrate