Indeed. He is Risen. Those are the most important words spoken during the Easter period in Cyprus. As an acknowledgement and an affirmation that the Lord has made his passage up to Heaven after the somber period of forty days of fasting, and a rather austere time, the Orthodox Religion in Cyprus can perhaps be said to be a guiding light to its followers.
If one had to observe the actual Easter Day at a Cypriot’s house, they would be forgiven for thinking that the entire event is focused primarily on food. From the succulent roasted lamb, either on the spit or in the outdoor clay oven, to the plethora of traditional cheese breads, sweet pastries and an abundance of decorated dyed eggs, the day is indeed seen as one of immense feasting.
Like most religious events in Cyprus though, firstly, there is always a meaning behind everything and secondly, it is an occasion spent with family and friends as the people of the island are renowned for their commitment to being part of a familial community.
Like the rest of the followers of the Orthodox Faith in the world, the Cyprus Orthodox Church follows the Gregorian, rather than the Julian Calendar with the date always set on the first Sunday after the full moon, following the spring equinox.
Easter actually begins on Palm Sunday, when people take their olive branches into the church, symbolizing those held by the faithful of Jerusalem as they welcomed Jesus Christ into their city. Olive leaves are even taken into the church in pillowcases sometime before and are subsequently blessed after Palm Sunday; they will now be used as incense in Cypriot houses as a way of protecting the home against any negative feelings or intent.
Palm Sunday is considered the first service of the Holy Week, with sometimes up to three services a day until the actual day of Easter a week later. During the Palm Sunday evening service, the lights in the church are turned off and an icon of Christ, or a physical representation of Him, is carried into the church, with a wreath of thorns and bound hands, often symbolically bleeding.
The somber tone and atmosphere is kept throughout the Holy Week, with Easter Thursday seeing the chanting of the Divine Service in the morning. Once the morning service is over, the Cypriot women go home and clean their houses, literally from top to bottom. This act of cleansing is symbolic as a representation of the faithful cleaning themselves, especially during their fasting period of forty days leading up to Easter Sunday, where no food or drink from an animal is consumed at all. If you happen to be around any Cypriot homes on the Thursday, you will also be faced with the most delicious aromas of Flaounes, which is a traditional kind of cheese bread made from local cheeses, eggs and mint, and anyone involved in the baking process will tell you how very hard it is (perhaps an excellent example of testing their faith!) to be baking all these delicious breads while nearing the end of a very long fast.
Easter Thursday is a very busy day, as the evening service is most significant as well; this is when the liturgy of the Passion is chanted, when a physical re-enactment of Jesus’ crucifixion is carried out. It’s also a long service, as the entire twelve gospels are read out.
Good Friday morning sees the lowering of the Cross; the icon of Jesus is placed in the “Epitaphio” or Sepulchre, which is then decorated with fresh flowers by young girls of the island. This decoration is a very proud Cypriot tradition and often a source of subtle competition between different churches and villages and it is not unusual for people to visit other churches to surreptitiously assess and compare their efforts with their own.
In one of the truly most beautiful processions on the island, the tradition during the Good Friday evening service is to take the Sepulchre, decorated with its flowers, on a dark procession through the village or town streets, with bells ringing to symbolise the death of Jesus Christ.
The next day though, during the Easter Saturday morning service, the black shrouds which have been placed over the icons to mark the mourning of Christ are lifted. The morning service celebrations are called the “First Resurrection” and the black shrouds are quite a unique Easter tradition in Cyprus, as is the act of the priests placing bay and myrtle leaves and branches on the floors. Worshippers also bang their pews, church bells are rung with great gusto and there is generally a feeling of great love and excitement as symbolically, Jesus Christ has now risen from the dead.
It is during the evening service on the Saturday night though, that the Cypriot worshippers really let their passions erupt. At around midnight, when the priest officially announces that “Christ is Risen,” an enormous bonfire, which is built by the youth of the church in the courtyard is lit, bells are once again rung and children (and some exuberant adults) throw many firecrackers and set off explosive fireworks.
Once everyone gets home, the long forty day fast is broken and for some, this is the best part of the entire Easter tradition. Dyed eggs are cracked and the person with the strongest egg wins, while the long awaited Flaounes are finally eaten. A hearty soup called “Avgolemono” is eaten and if made properly, is really one of the tastiest and most nourishing soups that can be found in Cyprus. A combination of chicken broth, beaten eggs and rice, the trick is to get the froth the perfect consistency and not to let the eggs curdle. Another trick is to cut up pieces of the chicken boiled for the broth and to add them in the soup.
Of course, the main event for the Easter celebrations is when family and friends gather on the Sunday to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. For those living in the villages of Cyprus, the celebratory lunch is still sometimes held in the town square, with tables and chairs set out to accommodate the people of the village. Everyone tends to bring something and there are usually a few lambs roasting nicely on the spit. This is where you really see the true community spirit of Cyprus as people eat, drink and make merry together, forgetting about any personal grudges or trials and tribulations. Anyone, either Cypriot or foreign who lives in the village is welcome and just being a part of a tradition like this, basking in the joy and love of everyone around, perhaps gives proof that Jesus Christ truly is Risen.
Weight for me tomorrow. Paul
Paul Lambis is the author of “Where is Home?” – A journey of hilarious contrasts.
For more information on Paul Lambis, and to order his book online,
visit www.paul-lambis.com
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