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Traditionally a time of spiritual contemplation and austerity, friends, families and communities across the diaspora and the Orthodox world will join together in commemoration of the Passion of Christ
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As Pascha approaches and the Holy Week begins, Greeks the world round prepare with eager anticipation to take part in the traditions and age-old practices which illustrate the symbolic meaning of the period.
Traditionally a time of spiritual contemplation and austerity, friends, families and communities across the diaspora and the Orthodox world will join together in commemoration of the Passion of Christ.
Megali Evdomada or Holy Week stands as the most important week in the liturgical calendar of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Beginning on Palm Sunday, the faithful can be seen sporting woven palm crosses, traditionally made on the preceding Lazarus Saturday, as they commemorate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
These woven palm fronds, which also decorate our churches on Palm Sunday, harken back to the people of Jerusalem who greeted Jesus’ arrival in the Holy City with the waving of palm branches, laying them on the road as He entered the city.
The strict Lenten fast is relaxed on Palm Sunday to permit the consumption of fish, oil and wine, owing to the triumphant nature of the event the day commemorates.
As such it’s common for families to gather after services on Palm Sunday and share a seafood lunch feast, traditionally composed of fried salt cod with garlic-potato mash, Bakaliaros Skordalia.
In contrast to the joyous celebration which is Palm Sunday, the next three days of Holy Week see an atmosphere of mourning descend on congregations as they mark the days preceding Christ’s crucifixion.
Chandeliers and icons in churches are draped in black and purple banners, punctuating the austere mood.
Holy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday see the addition of special services known collectively as the ‘Services of the Bridegroom’ to the Daily Cycle of divine services.
These Orthros or dawn-services take place 12 hours ahead of the usual time, in order to encourage more active participation from parishioners.
At the same time, on the evening of Palm Sunday, priests will carry an icon of Christ the Bridegroom into the church in procession, where it will be placed in the middle of the church’s solea and remain until Holy Thursday.
Holy Monday’s special services commemorate Joseph the Patriarch, son of Jacob, a major Old Testament figure, whose story is told in the final chapters of the Book of Genesis.
Joseph is portrayed through ecclesiastical tradition, thanks to his exceptional qualities and remarkable life, as being Tipos Christou or a Type of Christ.
Holy Monday also sees faithful contemplate the cursing of the fig tree as described in the Gospel, seen as a manifestation of Jesus’ divine power and authority as well as a revelation of God’s judgment.
On Holy Tuesday, services focus on the remembrance of two parables, those of the Ten Virgins and the Talents, both relating to the Second Coming or Parousia and dealing with subjects of spiritual vigilance, stewardship, accountability and judgment.
And on Holy Wednesday the attention of services turns to the themes of freedom, sin, hell and repentance as told through the story of the woman who honorifically anointed Christ with perfume at the house of Simon the Leper in Bethany; contrasted with the agreement to betray Jesus made by Judas Iscariot.
On the evening of Holy Wednesday church goers are similarly anointed with holy oil in the mystery of the Holy Unction.
Come Holy Thursday, adherents commemorate the Last Supper, when Jesus shared the sacrament of Communion with His Disciples, as well as the Washing of the Saints’ Feet.
Congregants take part in the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, which concludes with the service of the Holy Eucharist to those taking part in communion.
It’s also traditionally the day when koulourakia are prepared and eggs dyed red in a symbolic representation of the blood of Christ.
Christ’s flagellation, crucifixion and death are then mourned on Good Friday, by far the most somber day of Holy Week; in Greece church bells will ring throughout the day.
The service of the Royal Hours is held, something which only occurs three times per year, which is followed in the afternoon with the Vespers of the Descent from the Cross.
Good Friday culminates in the procession of the Epitaphio, where at 9 pm people gather at their local churches in a solemn candlelit affair, carrying the icon around the local neighbourhood while stopping at times to chant psalms.
Symbolically, this procession also known as The Lamentation of the Tomb, represents Jesus’ descent into Hades in the period between His crucifixion and resurrection, to rescue the souls of the righteous.
And on Holy Saturday the Orthodox mark the burial and Resurrection of Christ. Following the morning’s Divine Liturgy, the Anastasi or Resurrection Mass takes place.
The faithful turn out in droves with candles and lanterns in hand to await the arrival of the Holy Flame.
Just before midnight, the Paschal troparion or Christos Anesti hymn will be heard and subsequently echoed by all present, their voices joining in an unmistakably Paschal choir.
When on the stroke of midnight, the priest declares, Christos anesti! (Christ is risen!) those assembled reply Alithos anesti! (Truly, He is risen!) or Alithos o Kyrios (Truly, the Lord.)
In a display of community unlike any other, churchgoers will pass the flame between one another as they stand vigil and exchange Paschal greetings, before returning home with the Holy Flame safely nestled in their candles and lanterns.
No doubt a traditional, nourishing and finally meaty meal awaits, be it the offal rich magiritsa for those with iron constitutions or simple a chicken avgolemono soup; in any case there will doubtless be ample tsoureki and dyed eggs for all to enjoy and finally break the fast.
And that’s before we even get to Sunday lunch…