Photos & Vibes

I won’t be home this Easter. But what I carry ever since I remember myself is the Greek Easter in the county.

The Easter in Greece is not just about religion. It’s not even about celebrating the coming of the spring and all these cliches…

It’s all about the gathering (yes, it is THE gathering) with your family. And when I say family i mean the broader family -grandparents, aunts, uncles, second cousins. From the eldest to youngest member of the family.
It’s very likely to meet long lost relatives that you’ve never met before and won’t see again.
All if you are lucky like me, you won’t be in the city. You’ll be in a small village in the middle of nowhere at the garden of a house on the top of the hill staring the mountains around you.

On Saturday at midnight you go to the church for the Resurrection and get the holy light.
Noisy Greeks… can’t hear anything from the fireworks; it reminds me the 5th of November celebration… Who cares? The Christ is Resurrected and have your family (and many other that you don’t really know) around you to hug and kiss.
Then back home to eat a disgusting soup that you keep wondering why(?) they cook something that none likes?

It’s Sunday morning and the men will wake up early to prepare the lunch. It’s heavy staff, it’s not for women.
The Sunday gathering means preparing lamb and goat on the grill (on the spit) while drinking homemade wine and making jokes, otherwise it’s not gonna be tasty. The music is loud (everything is loud), eat before the formal meal, singing and dancing Greek traditional music.

The neighbors come and go to wish Happy Easter. You do the same. You treat and being treat wine and meze. Hugs and kisses. Someone will squeeze your face to admire the fact that you’ve grown up and you look just like your mum. You know you don’t, but you don’t say anything; just smile. You’ve had too much wine, you don’t want to start talking. Let’s go dancing; a great excuse to escape…
It’s afternoon, you need a nap but the granny says you have to go to the church (again?!). You don’t take the nap, you’re having a coffee instead and chat with your sisters everything that you don’t tell to your mum.

The evening comes, see the Venus on the sky, want to relax. The voices are milder, there’s no music, just the owls and the turtle doves. You whisper, don’t want to spoil the moment. It’s magic. It’s probably because you were laughing and enjoying the day. I’m sure it is because you are surrounded by love.

Happy Easter!

Deni

image from http://www.greek-islands.us