Easter Easter is the most important festival of the Greek Orthodox Church. It starts 7 weeks before Easter Sunday and comes to its peak the Holy Week. This is when Services are held every evening in the churches. On Good Friday, a special celebration takes place when all the flowered tombs of the Christ (named Epitaphios) are gathered at the squares and make the tour of the towns. The peak of the Easter is on Good Saturday at midnight, when pilgrims go the church and get the Holy Light. At midnight exactly, the priest appears holding a lighted torch and shares the Holy Flame on the candles of near worshippers. Then, the worshippers share at their turn the Holy Light with their close neighbours until the entire church and the courtyard get it. It is a beautiful spectacle. Then, fireworks explode in the streets around the Church. Worshippers then bring the burning candles home and make with the black smoke of the candle the sign of a cross above their door. This custom is supposed to bring good fortune upon the house. After midnight, families and friends eat "magiritsa", a soup made from lamb tripe, rice, dill and lemon. The rest of the lamb is grilled on Sunday morning for lunch, accompanied by wines and dances. This festival is of great importance in all the regions of Greece but some places, such as the Greek islands of Corfu island and Chios island, are very famous for their Easter celebrations. In some towns, the Burning of Judas takes place on Easter Sunday in the evening. Source: www.greeka.com