EASTER IN CORFU

Easter is the time when Corfu island brings out to light all of its natural and cultural beauty, you will get to experience unique customs and traditions from the Eastern and the Western worlds. You will feel overwhelmed by the natural colours, the flowers , you will feel surprised by the lush green scenery, you will be taken away by music in the streets and certainly you will get unprecedented feelings by the religious and celebrating events that take place during Easter in Corfu. Perhaps it’s the only place on earth where you can experience such a unique Easter holiday.

The Easter festivities in Corfu commence on Palm Saturday but this unique cultural show begins on Holy Thursday where the whole Corfu town goes into mourning as the locals leave the church service and the bells ring mournfully symbolizing the death of Jesus Christ. The next day, Great Friday is when the Great epitaph (pronounced Epitafios in Greek) takes place, which is Jesus Christ’s symbolic funeral service. It all starts in the morning where the solemn toll of church bells wake up the locals, then in the afternoon, the main streets of Corfu town boast with epitaphs from the local Christian churches.

The last procession of the day starts at 10 in the evening, where the richly decorated Great epitaph takes the lead where the local philharmonic bands follow playing mournful music while locals and tourists hold a candle in their hands giving the scenery of the beautiful narrow streets of Corfu town a mournful feel. The following morning the whole scenery is transformed from mournful to joyous and is the time the true festivities begin!

At 11 in the morning, the churches announce that Jesus Christ has resurrected and all you can hear is the sound of ceramic pots getting smashed literally everywhere and joyous bells, the cheery crowds and singing choirs which create a joyous harmony all through Corfu town. The day though does not end just like that, during the night there is another service where all locals gather together along with priests and the local philharmonic bands at Pano Plateia in Corfu town. At exactly midnight, Jesus Christ’s resurrection is once again announced and all those attending light up candles (lambades) with the holy light. Celebrations continue well into the night with fireworks that illuminate the whole town and the sky.