Greek Easter traditions are deeply rooted in the Greek Orthodox Church and celebrated with great enthusiasm. From the 40 days of fasting to the Holy Week preparations, unique customs and practices mark this festive period. Let's explore some of the most intriguing and delightful Greek Orthodox Easter traditions that have been passed down over the years.
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As a Greek-Australian, I have the unique privilege of celebrating Easter twice yearly. One weekend brings the familiar chocolate eggs and hot cross buns of Western tradition.
At the same time, the following week unfolds into the rich tapestry of Greek Orthodox Easter celebrations. This dual heritage offers me a unique perspective on how traditions evolve yet remain faithful, even thousands of miles from their origin.
Jokes aside, Greek Orthodox Easter is not just another holiday. It's one of the most unique and vibrant celebrations in Greece, deeply rooted in the traditions of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Orthodox Easter dates
Did you know?
Unlike the Western Christian Easter, which follows the Gregorian calendar, Orthodox Easter is determined by the Julian calendar and often falls on a different date.
Full details here.
Greek Easter 2025
For 2025 Greek Orthodox Easter falls on Sunday the 20th of April.
Lent and Clean Monday
The Greek Easter season begins properly with Clean Monday (Καθαρά Δευτέρα), marking the start of the 40-day Lenten period. Despite its name suggesting austerity, Clean Monday features one of the most enjoyable feasts of the season.
Our family table on this day always includes lagana, a special sesame-covered flatbread made exclusively for this occasion. Alongside appears taramasalata, a delightfully creamy fish roe dip, and sweet halva made from semolina, olive oil, and aromatic spices. These dishes demonstrate the beautiful balance in Greek tradition—even fasting foods can be a celebration of flavour and heritage.
Fasting during Lent - the Greek way
When people ask whether I maintain the complete 40-day fast, I smile and respond candidly, "Well... kind of." The traditional guidelines include:
- Abstaining from meat and animal products
- Avoiding dairy foods
- Allowing seafood without backbones (like octopus and shellfish)
- Limiting olive oil (though many modern observers restrict this only on Clean Monday and Good Friday)
In my family, we respect these traditions while acknowledging contemporary life's realities. After all, the essence of the fast extends beyond dietary restrictions to encompass spiritual reflection and community connection.
Greek Lenten Recipes
If you're fasting - enjoy these delicious Greek Lenten recipes
Holy Week: A Time of Anticipation and Preparation
The week leading up to Easter Sunday is known as Holy Week - this also marks the final week of Lent.
Holy Week transforms our home into a hub of activity. The kitchen becomes the heart of our preparations, with traditional recipes emerging from well-worn family cookbooks and memories of watching my mother's skilled hands at work.
It begins with Palm Sunday. On this particular day fish is allowed to be consumed along with with wine.
A typical menu for Palm Sunday consists of fried cod (known in Greek as "bakaliaro") and this served with skordalia (greek garlic mashed potatoes) along with boiled beets and wild greens.
I tend to opt for a "psarosoupa" - a Greek fish soup.
Our Easter bread, tsoureki, is perhaps my favourite Holy Week creation. This beautifully braided sweet loaf, infused with the distinctive aromas of mahleb and mastic, requires patience and precision. I still remember learning to form the braids under my mother's watchful eye!
And let's remember the lamb!
It takes an army of Greek soldiers to prepare it (you must put your orders weeks in advance!)
Days before, it marinates in a secret herb mixture while waiting to be spit-roasted and enjoyed at Easter lunch.
If you're a carnivore, there's no better way to celebrate!
(I can't fit a spit in my apartment 🤣, but I have you covered with a traditional Greek roast lamb recipe and roasted Greek potatoes).
Making koulouriakia—those irresistible buttery cookie twists—always brings the family together. Each household guards its recipe with affectionate secrecy, though variations abound. Some use butter, others olive oil, and a few add a hint of ouzo for distinctive flavour.
These golden treats have become such a personal favourite that I make them throughout the year, unable to confine their enjoyment to the Easter season.
You'll know what I mean if you've ever grown up in a Greek family. For us Greeks, the lead-up to Easter is not just electrifying. It's a time filled with anticipation, excitement, and joy!
Holy Saturday: From Darkness to Illumination
The evening of Holy Saturday brings what I consider the most moving experience of the Easter season. As midnight approaches, we gather in the church, gradually falling into complete darkness.
Then, from a single flame representing the Holy Light, hundreds of candles illuminate the space as we share the light, proclaiming "Christos Anesti" (Christ is risen).
The journey home, carefully protecting our lit candles (lambades) from evening breezes, turns into a quiet, joyful procession.
Many of us make a small cross with the candle's smoke above our doorways; a tradition said to bless the home for the coming year.
Breaking the Fast with Traditional Flavours
It was then time to break the fast with "mageritsa" - a traditional soup made with lamb offal and intestines. (Yes, it sounds ghastly, but the offal is cleaned many times to remove any odour, cooked in a mixture of herbs and spices, and finished with avgolemono.)
Next, we would enjoy all the fruits of our mother's labour! It was time to taste the koulourakia, slice up the tsoureki, and play the "Greek Easter egg cracking" game!
It's hard to pick just one thing I like about this festive period, but if I had to choose, it would have to be the Greek version of Easter eggs.
Friends were often puzzled by these as they contained no chocolate!
Greek Easter eggs are a symbol of this festive season. Being springtime and following the Northern Hemisphere calendar, they were a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings. It is also believed that their colour is symbolic of the blood of Christ.
Eggs are boiled and dyed red, then polished with extra virgin olive oil to make them shine. Although people choose to dye their eggs in various colours and designs, red is always the proper colour for Easter - in my opinion.
We play a game where everyone cracks the red eggs against each other! It's a lot of fun, and the person who successfully cracks the eggs of the other players is declared the winner and, it is said, will have good luck during the year.
Oh, how I looked forward to this game! I thought there was a "secret" to it, but I have often been proven wrong.
The Easter Greeting
The exchange of the Easter greeting is not just a tradition; it's a defining moment of Greek Easter joy and fellowship. Following the Priest's proclamation of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the church bells chime loudly and people turn to one another to say "Christos anesti" (Christ is risen), to which the response is "Alithos anesti" (Truly He is risen).
Preserving Heritage While Embracing Change
What I value most about our Greek Easter traditions is their remarkable adaptability. Whether celebrated in a village in Greece or an apartment in Melbourne, the essential elements remain recognizable and meaningful.
Yes, I've had to adapt the traditional spit-roasting method to accommodate city living, but the spirit of celebrating continues undiminished.
These traditions connect me to my heritage while creating new memories to sustain future generations. They remind us that while circumstances evolve, the foundations of faith, family, and shared celebration remain constant.
We keep our cultural legacy alive and vibrant in every red egg we crack, every slice of tsoureki we share, and every "Christos Anesti" we exchange.
For me, Greek Easter isn't merely about observing ancient customs. It's about family, tradition, and making memories that will last a lifetime. And maybe, just maybe, eating way too many koulouriakia 🤣 – but hey, that's what traditions are for, right?
Would anyone like to crack eggs with me next Easter? I've been practicing my technique!
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