The Passover is the most important religious holiday in Greece, combining deep Orthodox tradition with rich folk customs that are passed down from generation to generation. Each region of the country retains its own special rituals, which express the faith, the collectivity, and the joy of the Resurrection.

The special ritual in the Venetian harbour of Nafpaktos on the evening of Good Friday, the impressive and explosive copper war at the same time in the centre of Agrinio, the custom “At the icons of St. Thanasis” on Easter Sunday in Evinochori of Messolonghi and the “Donkey” in the Ascension of Thermos on Easter Monday are some of the customs that are revived.

In Nafpaktos

In recent years, Nafpaktos has emerged as a special and popular destination for Easter.

On the evening of Good Friday, the Venetian Port is transformed into a setting of rare beauty and emotion. The dozens of lit torches on the battlements of the walls and the burning cross at the entrance of the harbour create a special image, where tradition meets the thrill of the divine drama.

Earlier, the epitaphs of the two central parishes, the cathedral church of St Demetrios and the church of Agia Paraskevi, meet, forming a single procession and then head to the Venetian harbour. The lights go out, the people are silent, while the mournful sounds of the bells of the parishes are accompanied by the “Papacharalampeio” municipal philharmonic orchestra of Nafpaktos.

Before the arrival of the procession at the Venetian port, the mixed choir of Nafpaktos performs the popular oratorio “Hymns of Angels in Rhythms of Men” by Stavros Kougioumtzi, with lyrics by Dinos Christianopoulos and then performs the Good Friday Prayers, under the direction of the conductor Eleni Papadopoulou-Aravantinou. This year, the soloist tenor Antonis Koroneos, the musicians Elias Kaloudis and Giorgos Konis, as well as the Nafpaktos children’s and youth choir are expected to participate, while the actress Filareti Komninou will recite.

Filadora Konomonova will perform in the concert.
With the arrival of the procession, a common prayer of the two parishes will be performed by the Metropolitan of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios, Ierotheos, while the evening will culminate with dozens of fireworks illuminating the sky, announcing the joyful message of the Resurrection. The custom, which attracts a large number of visitors, began in the 1950s, when the fishermen of the area began to place lit torches on the warships of the harbour, while over the years, the custom has been embraced by the local community and the Municipality of Nafpaktia.

In Agrinio

At the same time, the custom of the copper war is revived in the city of Agrinio.

In the heart of the city, the hymn will be held in the ancient city of Kyiv.
Specifically, when the procession of the Epitaph of each parish is completed, the “halkounades” gather at the Republic Square to participate in the bronze war.

The preparation of the halcon begins at least two months before Easter. The halkunia are essentially improvised explosive devices, which consist of a large cylinder filled with a mixture of gunpowder and a wick at the end. During preparation, the halberdiers look for the right powder mixture, which is tested beforehand to ensure it is safe.

As for the history of the custom, it goes back to the years of the Turkish occupation, when the people of Agrinio lit the halkounia during the procession of the Epitaph, in order to drive away the Turks. However, they continued to make them even after the liberation of the country.

In Evinochori

In Evinochori, Messolonghi, the custom of “At the icons of St. Thanasis” is revived on Easter Sunday.

In particular, after the Liturgy of Love at St. Athanasius, the procession with all the icons of the Saint follows.

This custom has its roots in the late 1880s, when an epidemic of typhus had struck the area. At that time, the residents of Evinochori made a procession with all the icons of Saint Athanasius, praying that the epidemic would stop.

At the Ascension of Thermos

On Easter Monday in the square of the village of Analipsi in the Municipality of Thermos, men, women, and children dance and sing “Gaitanaki”, without the accompaniment of musical instruments.

It is a dance event, where the resurrection message of Love is sent through the “knitting” and “unknotting” of the hands, from which the dance takes its name. In fact, at the centre of the dance are the older dancers, as well as the “master of ceremonies”, who gives commands for the dancers’ movements.

“Gaitanaki” is danced in two parallel circles, where the men are in the outer circle and the women in the inner circle.

When the “Gaitanaki” is completed, a feast begins immediately afterwards, with traditional songs and dances.

The lighting of the snails in Varypatades in Corfu

The spring of Corfu of the Easter devotion, the philharmonic music, the “explosive” customs, is not only the city, but also the countryside, its traditional villages, which observe from generation to generation their own local, special, mourning and resurrection customs.

Just a few kilometers from the city, the village of Varypatades, a preserved settlement, an identity of the architecture of the Corfiot countryside, on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, keeps alive for more than 100 years the custom of “lighting the snails”. They light the ‘bobolos’, as they call the snails in the local idiom. They collect the small shells, hundreds of them in each neighbourhood, fill them with oil, put a wick, and light them. They place them in all the neighborhoods, in the alleys, on the stairs, outside the churches, and spread a soft, warm light in the night.

Ioanna Boua, president of the Cultural Association of Barypatades, tells APE-MPA that on Good Friday, in a climate of devotion and deep emotion, the light of the snails accompanies silence and prayer, creating a unique, almost magical atmosphere.

On Holy Saturday, just before the Resurrection, the same light becomes a symbol of hope and rebirth, uniting young and old in a tradition passed down from generation to generation.

The “Moiroloi of Panagia”, a thrilling custom in Kopani Dodoni

The simplicity of the melody and the authenticity of the emotions turn Good Friday in the Kopani of Dodoni into an experience that goes beyond the limits of simple re-enactment.

With respect to tradition and the deep religious devotion of the days, the settlement is preparing to welcome the “Moiroloi of Panagia” this year as well. It is a unique event, which is now part of the National Index of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece.

On Good Friday, immediately after the Deposition, the residents of Kopani, men, women, and children, wear the traditional costumes of their place and become partakers of a primordial mourning. The procession crosses the alleys and courtyards of the village, singing the mourning carols in the special, mournful way that characterizes the region.

“Today black sky, today black day…”, is the lament that everyone sings and narrates the martyr’s march, the Deposition and the burial of the Lord through the tragic feeling of the Mother of God,

Those who participate in the mourning procession visit the houses of the village, where the housewives welcome them by offering eggs and brioche, in a symbolic gesture of solidarity and common participation in the Divine Drama.

The custom has been revived systematically since 2005 on the initiative of the Filoprodos Kopani Movement, ensuring that the cultural identity of the village is passed on unchanged to younger generations.