Easter in Greece is the biggest religious holiday of the year; even more important than Christmas. Throughout the Holy Week - i.e. the week leading up to Easter - churches hold services every day and traditionally people fast from meat, dairy products and on Good Friday, even oil.

On Holy Tuesday, people bake Easter biscuits with oil and eggs, to be eaten after the fast is over on Saturday. Holy Thursday is the day that households dye their eggs red to symbolise the blood of Christ; they also bake braided, sweet Easter bread – Tsoureki, which will be placed on the table to be eaten on Saturday at midnight.

The most sacred day of the Holy Week is Good Friday, a day of mourning. Church bells ring the death knell all day. Young people decorate the Epitaph - the funeral bier - and two services are held, one in the morning and one in the evening, for Christ's funeral. At dusk, the Epitaph is paraded through the village or town streets.

On Holy Saturday morning, priests read the first Resurrection passage of the gospel and the church is filled with flowers. The Resurrection service takes place on Saturday at midnight and is the culmination of the Holy Week. Fireworks are then let off in celebration. The people take their lit candles home and make the sign of a cross with the candle flame in the doorway of their homes before entering.

Fasting is over and celebration begins. People eat mageiritsa - a meat soup made of lamb offal, flavoured with onions, dill and lemon. A Greek Easter tradition is what is known as “tsougrisma” (knocking red eggs together). The last player to keep their egg intact is the winner.

On Easter Sunday, families and friends meet up for the roasting of lamb on a spit and a big their celebration party with food, wine, music and dancing all day long. Kalo Pascha! Happy Easter!