Easter in Cyprus

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:48:11 +0000

Easter is the most important religious event in the Greek Orthodox calendar and if you are on holiday in Cyprus or out and about in your car, you will notice the huge effigies of rabbits, chicks and eggs that decorate most major roundabouts!

The season actually begins 50 days earlier on Green Monday, when Cypriot families head for the countryside to picnic on vegetarian food as they enter the period of fasting which will be broken at midnight on Easter Saturday. Green Monday, or as it’s also known, ‘Clean Monday’ also has a tradition for flying Kites…

Orthodox Easter, is a moveable feast, the same as the Christian Easter, however the date is always set on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox.

The concentration of activity occurs in Holy Week, when housewives bake seasonal specialities in preparation for the feast on Easter Day. The fasting enters an even stricter vegan phase during this week, when even olive oil is forbidden. Baking takes place with a strictly ‘no tasting’ rule which must be very hard indeed. The most favourite delicacy is ‘Flaounes’, a pastry filled with a special cheese, eggs and mint.

Spring cleaning is also rife during this week as everything must be made clean and new to celebrate the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Houses are whitewashed and scrubbed from top to bottom and new clothes and shoes are an absolute must!

During Holy Week, the general mood becomes more solemn, especially on Good Friday as the death of Christ is mourned. On this day, flowers are taken to the church to decorate the Holy Sepulcher. Late Saturday evening, church bells will call the congregation to Mass which everyone in the village will attend and all will carry an unlit candle. The priest will hold one lighted candle and deliver the sermon. At midnight it will be declared “Christos anesti” (Christ has risen) and the congregation will reply “Alitho anesti” (Indeed He has risen). Everyone then lights their candle from the priest’s and the celebrations begin. Usually a bonfire will be built in the church yard and fireworks will be let off. Hard boiled eggs that have been dyed red to represent the blood of Christ will be cracked open and eaten, but the real feasting begins on Sunday when souvla (skewered barbecued pork or chicken) and whole roast lamb or goat will be enjoyed. The celebrations generally continue for 3 days – yes, there is Easter Tuesday in Cyprus!

If you want to experience Cypriot Easter for yourself, head for a rural village where you can witness traditions and celebrations which haven’t changed much in hundreds of years…

Easter is certainly a great time to visit Cyprus on holiday, although certain shops and offices will be closed for the bank holidays, you will thoroughly enjoy the experience and want to return next year!

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN CYPRUS 2007 – 2008

admin — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 09:34:58 +0000

One of the great attractions of Cyprus is the acclaimed ‘laid back’ lifestyle. To the weary tourist enjoying some time away from the grinding routine of travelling to work in a stop-start traffic jam on one of Britain’s congested motorways, the prospect of putting your feet up and soaking up the sun along with a few Keo beers or sampling a Cyprus Meze is paradise on earth!In common with many other European countries – but unlike the UK – Cyprus is blessed with a judicious scattering of public holidays across the calendar. Some of the dates are very familiar – such as New Year’s Day and Christmas – but some holidays such as the (Greek Orthodox) Easter do not always occur on the same dates as similar celebrations in other countries.In Cyprus, public holidays tend to mean just that – most people either stop working and public services slow down, reduce or shut down completely. That way there is genuinely more leisure time for those who routinely live and work there to share with their friends and family. Of course, this can also mean that popular holiday resorts – and the hotels or rental apartments and villas in these places – can be heavily booked with Cypriot visitors. Make sure you have car hire sorted out well in advance too. In essence, if you are travelling for business or pleasure, it is always best to double-check if you are going to be in Cyprus during a public holiday – and make your travel and accommodation plans accordingly.

The 24 / 7 trading culture of the UK and its impact on everyday commerce has not quite reached Cyprus yet. Apart from half-day closing on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, which is part of the normal routine, banks and most large stores close on a public holiday in common with the vast number of smaller shops in the towns and villages. So, it pays to know how your plans might be affected by being ‘on island’ at any given time. There will be local variations – and towns such as Paphos, with a large indigenous population of British expats, seem to have created more of an ‘open all hours’ culture in some elements of the retail establishment.

The reason behind many public holidays is steeped in the very culture and being of Cyprus – be it the celebration of a religious festival or the commemoration of a major event in the island’s sometimes tragic but eventful history. Perhaps the relatively compact size and feeling of belonging which characterises Cyprus and its people makes the public holiday more than just an excuse to do nothing or go shopping, as it might be in other cultures. It is an occasion for coming together and sharing a common heritage and celebrating a common cause.

One part of Cypriot life which seems less affected by the lowering of the island’s commercial pulse rate are the innumerable restaurants, bars and cafes which seem to almost litter the landscape. After all, someone has to look after the recreational dining of visitors and the local population – there may be public holidays, but the public certainly know how to ‘holiday’!

You may wish to note the Public Holidays for August 2007 – December 2008.

2007
15 Aug Assumption.

1 Oct Cyprus Independence Day.

28 Oct Greek National Day (Ochi Day).

24-26 Dec Christmas.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.

6 Jan Epiphany.

10 Mar Green Monday.

25 Mar Greek Independence Day.

1 Apr Greek Cypriot National Day.

25 Apr Greek Orthodox Good Friday.

28 Apr Greek Orthodox Easter Monday.

1 May Labour Day.

16 Jun Pentecost (Kataklysmos).

15 Aug Assumption.

1 Oct Cyprus Independence Day.

28 Oct Greek National Day (Ochi Day).

24-26 Dec Christmas.

Hestia Homes Blog » Public Holidays 2007-2008

Easter in Cyprus

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN CYPRUS 2007 – 2008