Pascha Archives - Insights Greece

Best Greek Wines for Your Easter Table

Easter is nearly upon us once again and as with any holiday it sets new conundrums for wine pairing. It seems that no sooner has the dust of the busy Christmas and New Year period settled, we are again arranging for our Easter festivities and deciding on menus and most importantly, wine lists; just how are we going to pair these for our celebratory table?

During childhood, Christmas is easily everyone’s favorite season. And why not, there’s Santa Claus and gifts; traditional desserts, reindeer, and snowmen. But as one grows older and wiser, it dawns on every Christian that Easter is indeed the core event of the Christian experience.

The very foundation of Christianity revolves around the Holy Week (which starts on the Sunday preceding Easter). Unlike Christmas, which has become more about offering gifts than commemorating the humble incarnation of Christ, Easter still retains the very essence of the faith. After the 40-day period of Lent, which includes abstinence — from meat, fish, dairy, alcohol, and smoking — and days of fasting and prayer, Easter is celebrated with a feast.

Insights Greece - Best Greek Wines for Your Easter Table — Santorini of Argyros Estate

Lent fasting ends on Holy Saturday with the Resurrection where we all gather at home to crack each other’s red-dyed egg and enjoy a dish of the hearty, viscous and sweet-smelling magiritsa, which is a Greek traditional soup whose main characteristics are the aromas of fennel, dill and the sour taste, that match respectively to a glass of wine with good acidity and rich aromas.

Personally, I would choose an Assyrtiko from the beautiful island of Santorini, which affords some of the best and most notable versions of the grape. The “Santorini” of Argyros Estate with its full body and “aggressive” acidity, will penetrate the greasiness of the dish, refreshing the mouth and balancing at the same time the lemonish character of the soup. Alternatively, the “Santorini” of Sigalas Estate or the “34” of Karamolegos Winery will fit with our magiritsa ideally.

The lunch table on Easter Sunday consists mainly of lamb or goat cooked in the oven or grilled and kokoretsi. Kokoretsi consists of lamb or goat organ meats like intestines, lungs, liver and sweetbreads. All the above dishes call for wines with a rich body, intense acidity to break down the fattiness of the meat and noticeable tannins to bind to the protein.

“Chateau Julia Agiorgitiko” from Domaine Costa Lazaridi is a rich and elegant wine. There is cassis, sour cherry, chocolate, baking spices, and cedar on the nose. The palate is straight-up fruit with a sleek balance between flavor and feel. It is a carefully crafted medium-bodied wine with a long finish. It will match perfectly with the kokoretsi dishes.

The main dish of the Easter menu meal is the lamb of course either roasted in an oven or grilled on a charcoal barbecue. Lamb meat is juicy, fatty and spicy. The wine of choice to accompany it should be exuberant and full of aromas of fruits and spices, in order to match the intensity of the meat, as well as the spicy character of the entire dish. That would be a wine with intense tannins for spiciness and good acidity to balance its greasiness. The choices of Greek labels are countless and concern the personal taste of each one. From the red varieties, I would choose Xinomavro and Syrah while from white, nothing else than Assyrtiko.

A beautiful blend of 87% Xinomavro and 13% Syrah makes a very nice lamb pairing, no matter how you have chosen to cook it. “Diaporos” of Kir Yianni Estate is a classic example of the Naousa region, which is known for reds dominated by Xinomavro. This medium-bodied wine reveals a bright red fruit bouquet alongside flinty minerality and chewy, gripping tannin structure reflecting a profile similar to Italy’s Nebbiolo-based wines. Syrah adds some spicy notes. It cuts through the fattiness of the lamb, and the result of the combination is impressive and slightly rustic, highlighting the best of both.

If there is a white wine that pairs beautifully with lamb, it’s Assyrtiko. Assyrtiko’s traditional place of origin is Santorini, but vilifications are found all over Greece. This white grape has searing acidity that cuts through the high-fat savor of lamb. It also has plenty of lemon flavors to match the lamb roast with lemon potatoes. A full-bodied Assyrtiko, like those aged in oak barrels, is the best choice. “Nykteri” from Hatzidakis winery is an oaky full-bodied, creamy version of Assyrtiko expressing more elements of lemon custard, fresh pineapple, crème brûlée, and some baking spice. A complex wine that will pair nicely with our roast lamb.

Although the Easter table includes intense dishes in terms of flavor and fat, there is always room on it for a variety of desserts, mainly syrupy ones. One of my favorite sweet Greek wines is the “Muscat of Rio Patras” of the Parparousis winery. It has aromas of apricot, bergamot, lime, orange peel, honey and elegant notes of lily and jasmine. Concentrated and complex, in the mouth, but without tiring as it has enough acidity that gives it balance and elegance. It will fit ideally with cheese platters but also with sweets that contain syrup or are based on pastry, cream and fruits.

I leave you with my best wishes for a HAPPY EASTER HOLIDAY.

For more wonderful wine explorations, follow George on Instagram @george.winestories

7 Top Easter Destinations in Greece

After two years of lockdown, Easter 2022 is the perfect occasion for reconnecting with Greece’s traditional spirit. Lamb on the spit, folk music, free-flowing wine and plenty of good “parea” and “kefi” should do the trick. Add to that a beautiful location with interesting Easter traditions and you have yourself a wonderful trip to look forward to!

Here we take a look at some of the best Easter holiday destinations around the country that you really shouldn’t miss!

Patmos

Greece’s holiest island, where St John the Evangelist wrote The Apocalypse, is especially ideal at Easter for fans of Greek Orthodoxy. In the picturesque Chora you can see the local re-enactments of the Last Supper and Washing of the Disciples’ Feet; during the liturgy, a priest from the monastery of St John the Theologian, who re-enacts the role of Jesus, disperses water droplets on the legs of two monks, representing Christ’s disciples, after which there is a procession through the town. On Easter Sunday on the Dodecanese Island, it’s well worth attending the atmospherically rich Second Resurrection church service, during which the gospel is read in seven languages.

Insights Greece - 7 Top Easter Destinations in Greece

Leonidio

Leonidio, a seaside town in the eastern Peloponnese, carries out the unusual tradition of releasing hundreds of balloons into the sky at midnight on Holy Saturday, as soon as the priest chants ‘Christ has risen’ (Christos Anesti). The tradition, which began in the late 19th century, is vibrant and colourful, offering a unique experience that even schoolchildren are involved in preparing from the start of the year. The town’s Epitaphios (the funeral bier of Christ, containing a large icon depicting the burial of Christ and heavily decorated with flowers) processions are also very scenic, as locals decorate streets with thousands of bitter oranges (between 2-3,000) that have been hollowed out and lit from the inside with candles. On Easter Sunday Leonidio holds the Feast of Love ceremony in its main square with Tsakonian dances and more balloons released into the sky.

Monemvasia

Also in the Peloponnese is the magical seafront fortified town of Monemvasia, where on Good Friday the epitaphios procession passes through the medieval cobblestone roads past candle-lit chapels and houses, including the once governor’s mansion (during the Venetian era) Ardamis Guesthouse. Throughout the Easter period, in Monemvasia, you’ll hear the echoes of church liturgies echoing through the streets. On the afternoon of Easter Sunday, the town carries out a tradition of re-enacting the burning of Judas, usually in a captivating ambience.

Rhodes

The island of the Knights has an Easter tradition that involves tree stumps being gathered and stacked into a huge pile of wood that is set alight on Holy Saturday, a few hours ahead of the Insurrection ceremony. Called ‘Kalafunos’, this ritual represents the burning of Judas.

Kalamata

Not for the faint-hearted, Kalamata’s ‘Saitopolemos’, a ‘war’ of lit cardboard tubes filled with gunpowder- is famous Greece-wide for how loud it gets, how long it goes on, and how many people choose to participate despite annual accidents and even deaths. Thought to date back to the end of the Ottoman occupation and honouring Greeks who fought in the War of Independence, the event is certainly polemical. In Kalamata the burning of Judas tradition is actually a blowing up of Judas and takes place in the areas of Avramogiani and Rachi.

Corfu

Famous for their clay pot-breaking tradition, Corfu’s locals annually enjoy (often joined by Greek and foreign tourists) throwing their water-filled vessels, decorated with red ribbons, off balconies onto the street, where they smash into smithereens. The custom, thought to have begun during the Venetian occupation, is followed by a musical procession by the Ionian island’s brass bands, with a performance of a musical piece titled ‘Fear Not, Greeks’.

Hydra

One of the jewels of the Saronic Gulf, Hydra makes a great Easter getaway. The island enjoys a unique tradition of having the epitaph enter the sea on Good Friday in the fishing village of Kaminia, which is 10 minutes from the main port. This tradition is a way of blessing the waters and the seafarers. After the procession, people gather around to eat seafood in nearby tavernas and houses.

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Recipe & Tips for Red-Dyed Greek Easter Eggs

Red-dyed Greek Easter eggs are a symbol of Resurrection, with the colour red representing the blood of Christ and the egg symbolising the sealed Tomb from which Jesus Christ arose after His Crucifixion.

Traditionally dyed on Holy Thursday (along with the baking of homemade Tsoureki and homemade Koulourakia), they are cracked after midnight mass on Holy Saturday, representing Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead.

There are a few ways of dyeing red eggs, depending on the brand and you should always follow the instructions. This recipe is for a sachet where you boil the eggs first and then dip them into the red dye.

Ingredients

-10 gm x red egg dye

-500ml x boiling water

-3 x tablespoons vinegar

-12 x eggs

-pinch of salt

-olive oil (for polishing)

Method

–Wash eggs in cool water and place in a large saucepan filled with water and a pinch of salt.

-Boil the eggs on low heat for about 20 minutes or until they are hard-boiled.

-In the meantime, place red dye into a clean bowl and add vinegar.

-Boil 500 ml of water in a saucepan or kettle and add to red dye. Stir and set aside.

-When eggs are boiled and still hot, submerge the eggs in the dye and keep them in the dye for around 1 minute or until desired shade is achieved.

-Place about 2 x tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl and lightly dab paper towel with olive oil. Polish each egg with the paper towel evenly to give them a nice shine.

Top Tips for Dyeing Red Easter Eggs

-To achieve a vibrant red, use fresh, yellow eggs that are at room temperature before boiling.

-Always wash eggs before boiling to ensure the shell is clean.

-Make sure to add vinegar to the red dye.

-Always boil eggs on low heat, to avoid cracking.

– Make sure to polish each egg with olive oil for a complete shine.

Kali Anastasi to all those celebrating Pascha!

*Images by IN+SIGHTS GREECE © (Copyright)

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Homemade Koulourakia Recipe

Koulourakia are traditional Greek biscuits that can be eaten all year round, however, they are very popular during the Greek Easter period.

There are so many variations of Koulourakia and each region tends to have its own version. Today I share my favourite Koulourakia recipe, which belongs to my good friend’s late grandmother who was from Ptelomaida, a small town in Kozani, and she lovingly used to make these beautiful biscuits all the time.

I’m lucky to have been given her recipe, which I now use.

This is in honour of Yiayia Despina, who was by far one of the best Greek home cooks!

Ingredients

1.5 kilos x self-raising flour
7 x eggs (room temp)
300 gm x unsalted butter (room temp)
350gm x caster sugar
3 x tsp ground cinnamon
1 x tbsp vanilla sugar
3 x tsp baking powder
3 x oranges (rind and juice)
pinch of salt

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes or until they are light and fluffy.
Add juice and the rind of the oranges and mix for about 30 seconds.
One by one, add your eggs and beat well.
In a large bowl, sift flour and add baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix with a wooden spoon.
Take some of the flour and slowly add to the butter mixture. Once you have added around half the flour, remove it from the mixer and add all flour to the bowl. Knead until a smooth, dough forms- make sure not to overwork it.
Cover with cling wrap and allow to sit for about an hour.
Turn the dough on to the working surface. Rub your hands together with some olive oil, so that the dough mixture won’t stick to your hands, and using about one and a half tablespoons of dough, begin shaping your biscuits into your desired shape. (One method is to fold each log in half, then twist them together, pressing the ends together to seal).
Place biscuits on parchment paper-lined trays about 2 cm apart.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow to slightly cool and place in airtight containers until serving.

*Recipe and Image by IN+SIGHTS GREECE © (Copyright)

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Greek Customs and Traditions of Holy Week

Pascha is the biggest religious holiday of the year in Greece, which follows the Holy Week rites in commemoration of the Passion of Christ and the celebration of His Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Holy Week is the week just before Easter that extends from today, Palm Sunday, until Holy Saturday and marks the last week of Lent. It has been named “Holy,” due to the significant events that take place for Christianity in regard to the sufferings of Jesus Christ. During this week every year, believers prepare themselves for Jesus Christ’s Resurrection with special traditions.

Here we share some of these age-old traditions.

Palm Sunday

At the beginning of Holy Week, the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates one of its most joyous feasts of the year. Palm Sunday is the commemoration of the Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem following His glorious miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead.

Today, Greek Orthodox Christians mirror Jesus’ follower’s actions by carrying a small woven palm cross, which is given out during the Palm Sunday morning church service. While Palm Sunday still occurs during the Sarakosti (40 days of Lent), today the Greek Orthodox Church allows people to consume fish, oil, and wine and families gather after church to eat a seafood lunch.

Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday

From Holy Monday, the churches’ chandeliers and icons are covered in black and purple material, highlighting the atmosphere of mourning for the coming crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ. Church services typically take place in the morning and evening of Holy Week.

Holy Monday is dedicated to two events: The life of Joseph, son of Patriarch Jacob, and the adventures of whom reflect the life of Christ and his sufferings. It is also dedicated to the story of the fruitless fig tree that Christ dried, with the fig tree symbolizing the soul of every human who lacks virtue.

Holy Tuesday is dedicated to the parable of the ten virgins which aims to teach people to be full of faith and charity, as well as the parable of ‘Taladwn’, which aims to teach people to be hardworking and cultivate their spirituality.

Holy Wednesday is dedicated to Mary Magdalene, who regretted her life of sin, washed Christ’s feet with myrrh, and was forgiven because of her strong faith.

Insights Greece - Greek Customs and Traditions of Holy Week — Image @Souvlaki for the Soul

Holy Thursday

On Holy Thursday, Christianity celebrates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the twelve Apostles. In commemoration of this very important day, on Holy Thursday the preparations for Jesus Christ’s resurrection are underway in Greek households. According to tradition, people bake their koulourakia and lamprokouloura (Greek cookies), Tsourekia (Greek brioche), and traditional dye hard-boiled eggs, which symbolize the renewal of life since antiquity, while the colour red symbolizes Christ’s blood.

Good Friday

On Good Friday you will hear church bells ring all day for the funeral of Jesus Christ. The Bible said that He died in the ninth hour, and at nine o´clock in the evening, Greeks follow a symbolic funeral procession. Many people participate in the quiet procession while carrying candles and the experience overall is quite solemn. Each church carries an Epitaphios (a wooden canopied bier representing the tomb of Christ) covered with flowers of various colours. People follow along the streets of cities, towns, and villages listening to psalms being chanted. This is a day of mourning and the strictest day of fasting, with many people consuming very little food on Good Friday.

Holy Saturday

Many people receive their Holy Communion during Saturday morning’s church service. When they return home, preparations begin for the festive dinner that is served after the Resurrection Midnight Mass. Magiritsa soup is a traditional dish prepared in most Greek houses (made with offal and finished in a lemon sauce). Before midnight, people gather in church holding candles, which they light with the “Holy Light” offered by the priest. Children hold their Lambades (candles) traditionally given to them by their godparents during Holy Week and join in on the midnight service. The Resurrection of Christ is celebrated when the clock strikes Midnight with drum beats and fireworks lighting the skies as the church bells ring and chanters begin the hymn ‘Christos Anesti’ (Christ is Risen), this is also chanted by all who attend. People then return home to gather around the dinner table and break their fast; this is when they crack their red eggs and say “Christos Anesti”.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday is a huge celebration in Greece, as the Greek Orthodox Church commemorates Jesus rising from the dead. In many parts of the country, lamb is skewered and cooked over charcoal. In other regions, the meat for the Easter table is roasted in the oven. The atmosphere is festive and joyous and people listen and dance to local folk music. And if you are lucky enough to be in Greece during Easter, don’t miss one of the local festivals taking place, as this experience is unforgettable.

Easter celebrations take place all over Greece; some of the most famous destinations to celebrate Easter in Greece are Corfu, Patmos, Kalamata, and Kalymnos.

Main Image by IN+SIGHTS GREECE © (Copyright)

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Bringing Greek Easter into Your Home

On May 2, Greeks around the world will celebrate Greek Orthodox Easter, or Pascha.

In a year when home confinement continues to define our lives, we can enhance every moment from the communal joy of the Anastasi midnight mass of Holy Saturday to the egg-butting tradition on Easter Sunday, and everything in between, by brightening our homes with attractive traditional Greek decorations and flavours.

Fortunately, there are several wonderful options for Easter gifts you can make to others or to yourself with one simple click. Here, we have selected our favourite online shopping options.

Benaki Museum Decorative Eggs

These beautifully crafted and decorated ceramic eggs are items that brighten up any Easter table. Being pretty object d’art, including a special range inspired by the artworks of Nikos Hatzikyriakos Gikas they make the perfect gift that can last for many Easter celebrations to come. The lambades at this shop are also singular in their happy, springtime style.

Insights Greece - Bringing Greek Easter into Your Home

Leonidas Chocolate Gifts

These delicious Greek-owned, Belgian chocolates are enjoyable for people of any age. Who doesn’t like a lovely box of melt-in-your-mouth milk chocolate mouthfuls?

Naturally Greek Lambades & Gift Compilations

Stylish, creative and packed with modern taste, these gift boxes, baskets and individual items like pastel and earthy tone lambades (candles) make Easter all the more enjoyable and memorable. There are varieties to please everyone from children to your CEO.

Cycladic Art Museum Easter Presents

From a unique Easter Gift Kit with a Cycladic mirror (portraying the Cycladic head of the figurines), serving platters, ceramic egg and a candle with a decorative eye to Easter Egg necklaces and cheerful decorative items like a Dove pillow and Easter Chicken inspired by ancient creations, the Cycladic Art Museum offers a seasonal gift range that stands out.

Pure Gifts Food & Decorative Items Baskets

Creating compilations of Easter delights like tsoureki sweet bread, chocolate eggs, olive oil cookie bites and mastic liqueur with decorative bunny rabbits and lambades, Pure Gifts has something to gratify every member of the family or workplace this Easter.

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11 Best Places to Spend Easter in Greece

Greece is a wonderful Easter destination and even if you aren’t Orthodox Christian, a visit to one of these places during this period will be an experience that will stay with you forever. From the famous pottery smashing in Corfu to fireworks in Hydra, here are 11 Greek Easter destinations that you should add to your list.

Easter is a huge celebration throughout Greece, even more so than Christmas. It is during this time when Orthodox Christians throughout the world celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection. As a result, Greeks take Pascha very seriously and commemorations begin from the week beforehand.

Insights Greece - 11 Best Places to Spend Easter in Greece

Patmos

On the island where the Bible’s Book of Revelation was written, here visitors are welcomed to the historic monastery of St. John the Evangelist, which UNESCO has declared a world heritage site. The main festivities are the Washing of the Feet ceremony in the central square of Chora, the reenactment of the Last Supper, and the reading of the Gospel in seven languages and in Homeric hexameter. The very spiritual celebration of Easter on the island concludes with the procession of the monastery’s icons on the Tuesday after Easter Sunday.

Kalamata

During Greek Easter, on Easter Sunday, Saitopolemos takes place in Kalamata. This is where groups of people wearing traditional costumes hold and light long handmade tubes filled with powder. Each year, thousands of people visit Kalamata over Easter to witness this historical tradition dating back to the Ottoman period.

Syros

This Cycladic island is filled with many Orthodox and Catholic churches, the main being The Epitaphios of the Catholic Evangelistria, the Assumption of Panagia, the Transfiguration of the Savior, and Saint Nicholas, all meet at the main Miaouli Square and Easter services take place. Locals participate in the procession often carrying spears, or sponges, which is a clear reference to the passions of Christ.

Folegandros

This Cycladic island, located near Santorini and Milos, has its own Easter traditions, which honour Panagia (Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ). The annual tradition has it that locals clean and whitewash their houses in preparation for the passing of the icon of Panagia. Starting on Holy Saturday, the icon goes around the village, outside all the homes, which are given a blessing.

Corfu

Corfu is by far the most popular Easter destination in Greece. Each year thousands of local and international visitors arrive on the island to celebrate the resurrection with a variety of traditions, one of the most famous being the throwing of clay pitchers (botides). In the town’s historic centre, with thousands of people, locals throw ceramic pots off their balconies, yelling “Xristos Anesti” (Christ is Risen). Bands play music throughout the town, and everyone is outdoors (day and night) taking part in the festivities.

Kalymnos

On the Dodecanese island of Kalymnos, the anticipation for the Resurrection builds with the loud sound of dynamite exploding. This can be heard throughout the entire island, from the main port to the mountainous villages. After midnight mass on Easter Saturday, fireworks take place and the island celebrates with traditional local food and music.

Spetses

On the beautiful island of Spetses, the Epitaphios processions of each of the four main churches of the island come together on the main town square in front of the Poseidonion Hotel on the evening of Good Friday. Locals carry around the Epitaph, which is beautifully decorated and the city is lit with pretty lights and Easter candles.

Meteora

Meteora is by far one of the holiest sites in Greece and come Easter time, it is truly magical. During this time you will hear chanting Byzantine hymns and you will see glimpses of holy icons inside the 30 monasteries all lit up. After the midnight service visitors are welcome to head to Kalambaka or Kastraki towns nearby where the local taverns serve traditional Magiritsa soup. On Easter Sunday you can enjoy the local celebrations in the nearby town of Kalabaka.

Monemvasia

The Byzantine town of Monemvasia e is filled with flowers during Easter time and on Good Friday you can follow the Procession of the Epitaph through the narrow, cobbled alleyways of the town, alongside a band playing music. The entire Holy Week is filled with many commemorations and events that culminate on Easter Sunday.

Chania

Easter is a wonderful time to visit Chania, as you can experience local Cretan customs and traditions and visit many historical monasteries that invite guests to experience the true meaning of Pascha. At this time of year the town’s spring charm also comes to life and not only is it blossoming with flowers, but the sun is also shining and the warmer weather may even allow you to have a swim.

Nafplion

This is a very popular destination for Athenians to celebrate Easter, as it’s only a two-hour drive away from the Greek capital. Nafplion has special celebrations that take place throughout the entire Holy Week. On Good Friday, follow the procession of the Epitaph through the narrow streets and alleyways, and at the end of it, you will find all four Epitaphs of the various churches on the main town square in the centre of the city.

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Your Curated Guide to Greece

Best Greek Wines for Your Easter Table