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Weather in Corfu today (Local Time)
3rd January 2008 Easyjet to fly direct to Corfu. See timetable here.
Updated flight and ferry schedules for 2008
Greek Name Days
Site last updated 3rd January 2008
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Castaway Travels Guide to Easter in Corfu
Easter in Corfu is unique. It has a mixture of East and West, and of ecclesiastical, civic and military pomp, which gives it a strongly individual flavour.
Easter in the Orthodox countries usually falls later than in the West so often brilliant sunshine, the new green of the trees and vibrant colours of spring flowers accentuate the splendour of the occasion. The handsome Venetian and Georgian buildings of the town make a stunning backdrop to the proceedings. (The Venetians occupied Corfu for 200 years, and it was under British protection for 50 years when it was the Capital of the small Ionian State) It all begins on Good Friday, when each church in the town holds its solemn procession in memory of the burial of Christ. These processions go round the town until late evening; each of them is watched and followed by great crowds. Thousands of visitors from Athens and other parts of Greece fill the narrow streets or parade on the great square known as the esplanade. The most splendid of Good Friday’s processions is that starting from the Cathedral, which is held after nightfall. First come bearers of tall candles and banners then one of the town bands, for Corfu has a long musical tradition. The bandsmen and women are glorious in scarlet and blue colours of the old Ionian State with gold helmets and flowing plumes, or in the Greek national colours of blue and white with silver helmets. The “Epitaphios” is the heart of the procession: it is a bier representing the body of Jesus Christ, beautifully decorated with spring flowers and born aloft by soldiers and sailors. The clergy of the town go before it, in splendid robes of blue, pink and purple and with the Bishop holding his gold mitre blessing the people as he passes. The representatives of the state follow next with the nomarch, the mayor, and the local heads of the armed forces.
On Holy Saturday there is a procession but this time it is the town’s miracle working patron saint that is taken around the streets. St Spiridon enshrined in a fine golden case is born upright so that his head is resting to one side and can be seen by bystanders. The saint is not a Corfiot, he was brought to Corfu in the 15th century from Constantinopolis and this procession commemorates the relief of the island from famine 400 years ago. The Corfiots credited this to their patron saint.
When this procession is over, the younger children wearied after marching round the town in slow tempo nearly a dozen times; there is a welcome interlude.
At 11 o'clock the main streets are cleared by the police, and people take cover, under the arcades and from the upper stories of the houses descends a shower of pottery old jugs, basins, anything which will break into a thousand pieces as they hit the ground to the delight of the townspeople and the bewilderment of the tourists. Nobody knows the exact origin of this custom, but the explanation is that it is a demonstration of anger at Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.
In the evening of Holy Saturday crowds again assemble and make their way to the Esplanade, for it is here that, exactly at midnight, the Bishop will announce the miracle of the Resurrection, chanting the traditional words "Christos Anesti”: "Christ is risen"
At a quarter to midnight, all is still, except for the subdued conversation of the huge crowd. Then slowly in silence and in almost complete darkness the Bishop and clergy arrive in slow procession, it is preceded once again by soldiers and sailors and followed by all the high civic officials. There is a short service - a passage from the gospel and some prayers - and then as the clock on the nearby fortress begins to strike twelve, the Bishop intones the words "Christos Anesti” for which everyone, through the weary weeks of Lent and the harsh fasting of Holy week has been waiting.
At these words, the atmosphere electric, the band bursts into an Easter hymn, cannons roar from the fortress, fireworks scream into the air, bells in the town start ringing, and the place is at once a blaze of light. Not only are hundreds of electric lights switched on but, at the Bishop's proclamation, everyone lights a candle and the houses around the great square are decorated with yet more candles, a wonderful sight that memories are made of. Slowly the people turn to go home, along streets many of them lined with troops gathered to do honour to the Risen Lord, each man with his lighted candle in his hand.
But the Easter celebrations have a more worldly side too. During the last few days of Holy Week the streets are full of people either leading or carrying a lamb for the Easter dinner, each lamb decorated with a red ribbon. Everyone, rich or poor MUST have this lamb and many are the sacrifices made by the poor that the old custom may be kept up, The lambs are slaughtered at the moment when the pots are thrown, which is known as the First Resurrection.
And while on the Easter morning families celebrate in their homes, the armed forces and police are "at home" to any and everyone. The fortresses are open to the public and visitors pour in to drink wine with the garrison and to watch the men dance the traditional Greek dances. The toast is always "Christos Anesti” to which in raising one's glass one replies, "He is risen indeed". Kalo Paska! Happy Easter!
(Information supplied by Sue at www.corfucastaway.com flights to Corfu for Easter can be seen here.
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(c) 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 - D. Sandford - All rights reserved. |
