The Peloponnese, full of historical monuments, picturesque villages and beautiful beaches, is an ideal destination to spend Easter.
Rich religious traditions:
Tour of the Epitafion in the Peloponnese
The Peloponnese is famous for its rich religious traditions, which are reverently observed by the locals. In every village and town, you will find picturesque churches and monasteries, where you can attend religious services and experience the overwhelming atmosphere.
Easter customs:
In addition to religious services, in the Peloponnese you can experience various Easter customs. In many villages, on Good Friday the procession of the Epitaph takes place, while on Saturday night the Resurrection takes place with fireworks. On Sunday, following the service, families and friends gather to celebrate with traditional food and sweets.
Culinary delights:
The Peloponnese is famous for its rich culinary tradition. At Easter, housewives prepare various traditional foods, such as tsoureki, garritsa, kokoretsi and lamb in the oven. It is also worth trying the local sweets, such as pretzels, waffles and tsourekia.
Excursions and attractions:
Elafonisos, Peloponnese
In addition to religious events and traditional foods, in the Peloponnese you can also go on various excursions. You can visit archaeological sites, such as Olympia and Mycenae, picturesque villages, such as Monemvasia and Nafplio, or beautiful beaches, such as Elafonisos and Voidokoilia.
Suggestions for Easter in the Peloponnese:
Visit Monemvasia to watch the procession of the Epitaph in one of the most picturesque places in Greece.
Try the traditional stew and the lamb in the oven in one of the picturesque taverns of the Peloponnese.
Take a trip to Elafonisos to enjoy the crystal clear waters and fine sand.
Visit Nafplio to experience the overwhelming atmosphere of Holy Week and enjoy the Easter table in one of the picturesque restaurants of the city.
Easter customs in Western Greece and Peloponnese
The vesper of Love, the joyful and hopeful message of the first Resurrection, the procession of the epitaphs in heroic places, among the decorated monuments, but also in the sea, the lighting of the candles in chapels, as well as the litany on the second day of Easter, which concludes with a traditional feast, are just some of the customs that revive Holy Week and Easter in areas of Western Greece and the Peloponnese.
IN PATRA
In Patras, on the followingnoon of Easter Sunday, a large number of believers go to the holy church of the patron Saint Andrew, where the vesper of Love is celebrated with religious splendor.
During the vespers, the holy gospel is read in many foreign languages, so that the hope of the resurrection message is sent everywhere.
Then the litany of the image of the Resurrection takes place, while following the end of the litany the metropolitan of Patras, Chrysostomos, offers the faithful an Easter bun and egg.
One day earlier, on the morning of Holy Saturday, as soon as the church bells ring for the first Resurrection, the merchants of the historic center of Patras throw goods that can cause noise into the streets, wanting to send the joyful message in their own way .
At the same time, in the holy temple of Agios Dimitrios, in the upper city, the custom of boots is observed.
In particular, when the moment of the first Resurrection arrives, the priest comes out of the beautiful gate and immediately following throws the boots to break, while colorful flowers fall from the gyneconite.
On Good Friday, many believers go in the followingnoon to the two municipal cemeteries of Patras, to follow the procession of the epitaphs, next to the graves, following they have first left flowers and lit the candles.
In fact, representatives of the city authorities take part in the procession of the epitaphs, while the municipal band plays mournfully.
On Easter Monday, in Ano Kastritsi, a community located near Patras, the custom of “Leisis” is observed.
According to tradition, a religious prayer is held in the church followed by a litany, in order to protect the village from some kind of disaster.
The litany is preceded by the icon of the Resurrection and the holy gospel, followed by the icons and six wings held in the hands of the villagers. The litany ends in the central square, where a feast follows with the priest being the first to start the dance.
IN THE VILLAGES OF MANI
But also in the villages of Mani, the custom of the litany is observed on the Second Day of Easter. In the morning, the priests start from the churches and the faithful follow them, holding icons and crosses in their hands, while chanting resurrection tropes and supplications.
In many villages the procession goes to the cemeteries, where the relatives of the dead are waiting.
The censer, Easter buns and eggs are placed on the flower-decorated graves, while on the graves of the dead who passed away just before Easter, there are buns the size of a large village bread.
IN NAFPAKTO
In Nafpaktos, on the evening of Good Friday, the faithful follow the procession of the epitaphs of Agios Dimitrios and Agia Paraskevi, crossing the streets of the city.
The procession of epitaphs ends at the Venetian port, where lighted torches are placed on the castle caps, while in the middle of the port entrance the torches form a large cross, illuminating the entire coastal area.
According to tradition, the custom combines religious fervor with the heroic attempt of the prankster Anemoyiannis to set fire to the Turkish flagship.
IN KITRIES OF MESSINIA
Apart from Nafpaktos, the procession of the epitaph reaches the port and Kitries in Messinia. In fact, the procession starts at 24:00 with the faithful reaching the village square through the old cobblestones.
Then the fishermen place the epitaph in a boat and, accompanied by all the other boats, circle the Kitria bay. Immediately following, the epitaph returns to the port to continue its tour through the village.
IN LOUTRAKI
A similar custom is observed in Louraki, Corinthia. Specifically, when the epitaph of the church of Panagia Yatrissa reaches the coastal road, it is “welcomed” by boats.
Then follows his entry into the sea and his circumambulation in the water, while at the same time flares are lit.
AT ARCADIA CHEESE
But also in Tyros of Arcadia, the procession of the two epitaphs takes place on the coastal road, while they are accompanied from the sea by boats and boats of the visitors. From the early morning of Holy Saturday, the children of the village make sure to fill the bay with thousands of candles that light up the sea.
According to tradition, lit candles in the sea symbolize the souls of sailors and fishermen who have been lost.
At the time of the Resurrection, the “burning of Judas” takes place in the port, in a raft, and at the same time sparklers light up the sky.
AT ARGOLIDA TOLL
The custom of circling the epitaph in the sea is also observed in the coastal Tolo of Argolis. As soon as the procession reaches the beach, the young people carrying the epitaph enter the sea, while fishermen on their boats light colorful flares.
According to tradition, the custom has been observed since the years when the inhabitants of Crete moved to Tolo and want to honor the sea that has nourished them throughout time.
IN KALAMATA
In Kalamata, the “Xamonia” custom is revived on the evening of Maundy Thursday, following the Passion Procession. This specific custom is essentially a pilgrimage of the faithful to the chapels located on the north side of the city. The faithful first gather in the “Koufou Elies” area and throughout the night they visit the chapels and light the candles.
IN VONICA
In the city of Vonitsa, in Etoloakarnania, the custom of “Agrapnia” is revived during Holy Week.
In particular, the “vigilantes” gather every night near the sanctuary of the church of the Holy Apostles and set fire to a pile of wood. Then they “keep awake” singing chants that have to do with the divine drama, but also social events.
The Peloponnese is waiting for you to spend an unforgettable Easter full of religious experiences, traditional customs, culinary delights and beautiful landscapes!
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