Easter in Corfu

The Corfu Easter is a complex mix of Catholic and Orthodox Christian religious traditions with influences from Venetian standards and local cultural characteristics. Since the years of the Venetian rule, Easter has been co-celebrated by the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.
The Easter customs in Corfu start from Lazarus Saturday. Every year on the eve of Lazarus Saturday, after sunset in the village "Episkepsi" in the north of Corfu, the local choir, as well as a crowd of people, sing the "Carols of Lazarus" in all the neighborhoods of the village, while the housewives treat locals, lenten appetizers and local red wine.
On Lazarus Saturday, after the service held in the Church of "Saint Nicholas of the Elders" (San Nicolo dei Vecchi), which is located in the old town of Corfu in the "Kambielo" area, at 11.30 in the morning, choral ensembles of the island start a musical tour in various parts of the historic center of the city, singing the "Carols of Lazarus". Their final meeting takes place in "San Giaccomo", the old Town Hall of the City. This event is organized by "Carrier of Corfiot Expression". The carols recount the whole story of the Resurrection of Lazarus and are sung in the Corfu dialect. On Saturday afternoon, at the Municipal Theater of Corfu, a concert of religious music is usually held, by the municipal choir of Corfu "San Giacomo" in collaboration with the Symphony Orchestra of the "Philharmonic Society of Corfu".
Every year at 11:00 a.m. a procession of the Saint Spyridon's body is held in memory of the liberation of the island from the plague epidemic in 1630. According to the Christian religious tradition, on Palm Sunday 1630, following the miraculous intervention of Saint Spyridon, the island was saved from the deadly pestilence. So since then, the people of Corfu, attributing the saving of the island to a miracle of the Saint, carry out a great procession in his honor every year.
This is the longest procession of Saint Spyridon's body along the old Venetian walls of the city making several stops along the way.
All 18 Philharmonic Orchestras of Corfu participate in the procession and after the procession they parade in the Old Town of the island playing happy marches.
On Holy Monday the housewives of Corfu start the preparation of the traditional Corfu pastries, the "fogatsa" and the "colombina". Fogatsa is a traditional Corfu tsoureki, of Venetian origin and is called the "Easter bread of Corfu". It has a round shape and is based on a Venetian recipe. The ingredients consist of those of a simple bun, with the difference that the traditional Corfu kumquat liqueur is added to the recipe, as well as pieces of spoon sweets.
Colombina is made from the same materials but made in the shape of a braid and decorated with a red egg and a feather. It is a recipe influenced by the Venetians who used to make dove-shaped cakes at Easter.
Every year on Holy Monday, the Municipal Theater of Corfu hosts a concert by the "Mantzaros" Philharmonic with works inspired by the Holy Passions of religious music.
On Holy Tuesday, the "Troparium of Kassia" is sung in churches and outdoors by choirs of the island. Every year on the night of Holy Tuesday, the "Corfu Events Organization" organizes a Music and Poetry Evening on the Palace of St. Michael and St. George.
On Holy Wednesday the lights in the streets of the city, in Liston and the Palace of St. Michael and St. George are lit up in purple, as is the cross in the Old Fortess of the city, to emphasize the sadness that prevails from the Passion of Jesus.
After the end of the Euchelaio in the churches, a concert of Church Music and Holy Week Melodies by the Municipal Choir takes place in the Municipal Theatre.
On Holy Thursday in the Catholic Cathedral "Duomo", there is a representation of Jesus Maundy the Apostols feet. According to religious tradition, Jesus washed the feet of his 12 students. This revival is called the "Ceremony of the Maundy" and is represented by the Catholic Archbishop, who washes the feet of 12 believers.
During the procession of the Passion of Jesus, the custom of knitting the "gaitani" is revived in the villages of the island. The custom takes place inside the church. Women crochet the gaitani, which is a braided cord of silk threads. Knitting is done every time the Gospel is recited.
On Holy Friday, from 2:00 PM, the procession of Epitaphs begins in the cantons and squares of the city and lasts until 10 in the evening, when the procession of the Epitaph of the Μetropolitan Church will begin. There are 33 epitaphs, as many as the years of Jesus.
Each Epitaph is accompanied by a choir, philharmonic, large candles "tortses", towering banners and flambura "scoles". They are also accompanied by schools, scouts and Red Cross.
The Epitaph of the Metropolis is accompanied by the Holy Clergy and the Public Authorities of Corfu, all the Philharmonic Societies of Corfu, playing mournful dirges and choirs singing "E Gene Pase".
Early in the morning of Holy Saturday, at 6.00 am, in the Holy Church of "Virgin Mary of Foreigners", the custom of the earthquake is revived, which is caused by noise and shaking of all the altarpieces and candlesticks of the church. Worshipers hit the seats in order to cause an artificial earthquake and represent the earthquake that followed the Resurrection of Jesus, according to the Holy Bible.
At 9 a.m. from the Church of Saint Spyridon, the procession of the Saint begins, which was established in 1550, when Corfu was saved from famine. At the same time, the Epitaphion procession takes place, in contrast to the rest of Greece, where the epitaphs go out on Holy Friday. It is a custom that has been preserved since 1574. The Venetians, for security reasons, forbade the Orthodox to carry around Epitaphs on Holy Friday. They allowed only the procession of the Saint on Holy Saturday. Since then, the people of Corfu have been taking out the Epitaph of the church of Saint Spyridon together with the Saint's Shroud. The procession is followed by the three major Philharmonic Societies of Corfu.
The custom of Mastela takes place in the area of "Pinia", in the old commercial center of the city. According to custom, residents place a barrel filled with water and decorated with flowers and ribbons and invite passers-by to drop coins making a wish. At the time of the First Resurrection, someone drops in and collects the coins. A few centuries ago when the custom started, the inhabitants would catch a passer-by walking unsuspectingly in the city and throw him into the barrel to collect the coins.
At 11 in the morning, with the sign of the first Resurrection and when the Metropolitan Church chants "Anasta, o Theos krinon tin gin", the bells of all the churches of the city ring joyfully and the inhabitants from their balconies or their windows throw their pots. The pots are clay jugs, filled with water, with a narrow mouth and two handles on the side, tied with red ribbons. Balconies and windows are decorated with a red cloth. It is a custom that is celebrated only in Corfu and has roots from the Venetian years of occupation of the island. The Venetian Catholics at that time broke the old pots on New Year's Day, as a "tax" in the new year, in order to bring new goods to their homes. The Orthodox Corfu adopted the custom and transferred it to Easter, which the Venetians allowed them to celebrate only at noon. The breaking of the pots symbolizes the removal of bad luck, which is why to this day the pieces from the broken pots are taken home by the people of Corfu and many visitors to the island, in order to bring them good luck and prosperity.
And this custom is accompanied by the local philharmonics. As soon as the breaking of the pots is completed, the Philharmonic goes out again into the streets of the city playing the allegro march "Don't be afraid Greeks".
The reception of the Holy Light takes place in "Pentofanaro Sq." in the presence of Local Authorities and is transferred to the Church of "Saint Paraskevi" and the Resurrection Procession begins. Shortly before midnight, the Resurrection procession is moved to the Spianada Music Pavilion. There the Resurrection is celebrated and Paschal Troparion is sung, with the three Philharmonics of the city playing the encore "The Greeks are coming", the anthem of the Union of Eptanisa with Greece. This is followed by drumming, sparklers and fireworks.