Easter is a religious holiday of great importance and symbolism for Christianity and maybe one of the most important events for Eastern Orthodox Church, to which most of the Greek population belongs! Celebrating Easter in Greece uniquely combines grief and joy. This is due to the fact that the mourning for the death of Jesus Christ is succeeded by the euphoric and inspiring emotions that come along with his resurrection!
The great importance of Easter in the religious life of the Greek Orthodoxes, is the reason why there are so many Easter destinations in Greece, with beautiful customs and unique traditions! Maybe you are wondering which is the best place to visit during the Easter period and how you can make the most of your vacation experience, when you get there! Read this article and discover all you need to know about the top Easter destinations in Greece!
Corfu
Corfu is one of the most beautiful islands of the Ionian Sea! There, Easter is celebrated through a wide selection of local traditions! The most known and for sure the most impressive among them, is the throwing of big clay vases which are called “botides” by the locals!
This event takes place at the historic center of the island and it is always a big attraction for both locals and tourists! Throwing those huge colorful pots yelling Jesus “Christ is risen”, in combination with the music played by the local bands create a unique festive atmosphere that is definitely worth experiencing!
Patmos
For those who want to delve into the spiritual dimension of this great religious holiday, Patmos is definitely a great Easter destination in Greece! Patmos is the place where St. John the Evangelist wrote one of the most important pieces of the New Sentiment “The book of Revelation”. This fact has a huge effect on the atmosphere of the island, which is a great religious tourism destination! During the Easter period a lot of events of great symbolism take place on Patmos! Some of them are the “Washing of the Feet” ceremony in the center of the island, the reenactment of the Last Supper and the reading of the Gospel in seven different languages!
Messinia
Messinia is a destination of unique natural beauty and is also an extremely popular choice for tourists who visit Greece not only during summer but also during Easter holidays! One of the many reasons that make Messinia a great Easter destination is the tradition of “Rocket war”!
The custom of firing homemade rockets began as a way to scare away the Ottomans, who were once occupied Greece! Today, “Rocket war” is an impressive yet somewhat scary event, full of cheers, flashes and smoke, that takes place on Easter Sunday and attracts hordes of tourists!
Easter destinations in Northern Greece
Although celebrating Easter in various Greek destinations is a great experience, as each one of them has its unique traditions, celebrating Easter in Northern Greece can be equally or even more fascinating!
Zagorochoria
Zagorochoria is a complex of 46 villages in the imposing mountainous region of Epirus! Zagorochoria is an area of great tourism-led growth! There, you can find a lot of traditional stone-built guest houses, which compliment even more the nature which flourishes during Spring!
The region is the perfect place to celebrate a quiet and relaxing Easter, as the atmosphere there is rustic yet friendly and welcoming! Visitors can enjoy peaceful walks and take part in Easter rituals at one of the many traditional churches in the area. Another advantage of choosing Zagorochoria as your Easter destination is the scrumptious traditional dishes of the area, which you will definitely taste on Easter Sunday, as lamps are roasted almost everywhere in the region!
Ouranoupoli
Ouranoupoli settles a few kilometers away from the Holy Mount of Athos and is a great Easter destination, for those who want to experience Easter in a traditional and somewhat mystical way! The most impressive Easter related event in Ouranoupoli is the procession of Epitaphios! Epitaphios is a symbolic bier, so that the crowds can mourn the death of Jesus! In Ouranoupoli, Epitaphios has always complicated designs formed by thousands of flowers along with shiny pearls. Although the motifs change every year, they are always inspired from religious and cultural traditions of Mount Athos!
Taking part in the Procession of Epitaphios in Ouranoupoli is a unique religious experience that will fill you with emotions of reverence, before you celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus!
Those are only some of the many wonderful Easter destinations in Greece! We hope that we gave you some pretty good recommendations, as we covered a wide selection of tastes, considering Easter vacations in Greece!
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