Easter Celebrations in Corfu

Corfu is perhaps the most popular destination to celebrate Easter as the island turns into a colourful and lively place with many marching bands, religious customs and traditions!

Let’s take a look at what happens in Corfu during Easter!

Easter celebrations kick off on Palm Sunday. There on after, each day of the Holy Week carries a special meaning.

On Good Monday, the Greek locals, usually the wives, head for the shops in order to prepare for the week to come and get ingredients to bake the famed Easter specialities Mandolato and Fogatsa, which resemble macaroons and brioche. 

Each day, the locals fill the churches to listen to the special ecclesiastical services. On Good Tuesday, the church service includes hymned stories of the Mary Magdalene. The service is followed with poetry and music. Good Wednesday is known as the Holy Unction whereas Good Thursday, also referred to as Maundy Thursday, is where the church service includes the Holy Passion and the twelve gospels.

The traditional red Easter eggs are boiled and dyed using balsamic vinegar and onion skins on Holy Thursday. Dying the eggs is an important custom as they symbolise life. According to the bible, Emperor Tiberius was offered an egg by Mary Magdalene as she announced that Christ had risen.

Good Thursday is also the day where the locals bake the traditional Tsoureki. After it is baked the sweet cross-like bread is decorated with red Easter eggs.

Good Friday is the day Christ is mourned. As the tradition goes, the women and children gather at the church to decorate the ‘tomb’ of Christ. During the evening, a funeral procession takes place in the town. As the procession takes place the priests bless and purify the town. The walk is accompanied by music and a march.

Good Saturday is when the festivities begin. The entire Christian Orthodox world celebrates the first resurrection of Christ. In Corfu, the locals throw red painted pots and amphorae filled with water out the windows! The sound of sirens, bells and car horns fill the air as the locals hurl the pots out the windows.

The resurrection of Christ climaxes on Saturday at midnight. All the locals gather at the churches and everything is dark until the priest lights one candle taken from the Eternal Flame of Jerusalem. This act symbolises that Christ has resurrected! The priest calls out, ‘Christos Anesti’ meaning Christ has risen, and everyone lights their candles.

After the service, the locals usually walk back home holding their lit candles. As tradition has it, making the sign of the cross on the doors of their homes brings good luck.

After going home, families gather to eat a traditional soup named magiritsa and to watch the firework displays.

Easter Sunday is when families gather to have Easter lunch! The menu includes many Easter specialities such as roasted goat and lamb. This is when the locals crack their eggs. Apparently, the person whose egg remains intact will be lucky during the year.

Of course, no Greek Easter would be the same without lots of drinking, music and dancing!