Easter is the biggest celebration of the year for Greeks, with families often returning to their home village or town. Preparations begin with Clean Monday (a public holiday), 48 days before Easter Sunday and officially marking the start of Lent when you eat Lagana (a sesame seed-encrusted flatbread) and shellfish. The week before Easter (Holy Week) includes a series of church services, including the procession of Christ’s funeral bier on Good Friday and a midnight service on Saturday where people light lambades (candles) with the Holy Flame, representing Christ’s resurrection. They then break their fast with magiritsa (offal soup) before the big celebration of Easter Sunday, including tsoureki (a sweat, braided bread) for breakfast, cracking dyed eggs (traditionally red, representing the blood of Christ) and eating lamb roasted on a spit.