Greek Easter time for family

By KARAN MINNIS, Guardian Lifestyles Reporter,
karan@nasguard.com


It was last month that other Christian denominations celebrated Easter, but members of the Greek Orthodox faith are in the midst of their Easter and Holy Week. "The Orthodox date for Easter is not chosen in the same manner as other denominations," explains Rev. Fr. Teodor Bita, the priest of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, West Street. "It is based on a decree of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, and according to the decree, Easter must be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon of the vernal equinox but always after the Hebrew Passover to maintain the biblical sequence of events of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection."

Easter, also known as Pascha, is the most sacred and holy time of the Orthodox Church's ecclesiastical year. Like other denominations they also believe that the remembrance of the events of the last week in the life of Jesus Christ has a practical appeal to the heart of the Christian believer.

"We believe that one's beliefs constitute his being. That the more our beliefs are true and firm, the more purposeful meaning life has. Therefore during this time of celebration, the resurrection of Christ in relation to His Crucifixion and mystic supper continues to be present in the mind of the believer as a fact, as well as the source of the power from above for which the believer prays. We also believe the assurance of a personal participation in the enactment of the same events in the life of Christ becomes an unfaded happiness for the Christian," he said.

Like other denominations, before Easter this church also celebrates the "Great Lent" when they prepare themselves to praise and glorify God as Lord and Savior.

"It is like a workshop where the character of the faithful is spiritually uplifted and strengthened. Where life is rededicated to the principles and ideals of the Gospel. Where the faith culminates in deep conviction of life; where apathy and disinterest turn into vigorous activities of faith and good works."

He said during Lent, the individual believer prepares himself to reach for, accept and attain the calling of his Savior. The deep intent of the believer during the Great Lent is forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.

"During the entire Lent the faithful try to practice and live the ideals and standards of this period in the light of Easter," he said. "This is why the Hymnology of the entire period of Lent, especially during Holy Week, refers to the Resurrection of Christ as the center of the Christian Faith.

"Each day of Holy Week is dedicated to the events and teachings of Christ during His last week on earth. The faithful who participate in the services of this week are more conscious of their duties to themselves and to their neighbors through fasting, praying, giving alms, forgiving the trespasses of others. In other words, participating, day by day, in the spirit of the Gospel of Christ. Holy Week will end with the Holy Sunday of Easter, where the life-giving Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be celebrated."

HOW TO CELEBRATE GREEK EASTER

* Find a Greek, Eastern or Orthodox Christian church near you and attend services during Holy Week, during which special ceremonies are performed to symbolize Christ's journey to the cross, his death and his ultimate resurrection.

* Invite your friends and family to join your Greek Easter celebration and start planning your menu accordingly. Traditionally, lamb is the main dish, eaten to symbolize the biblical sacrificial lamb.

* Serve appropriate accoutrements. Common side dishes may include Greek salad with feta cheese, roasted peppers and tomatoes with feta cheese, Greek Easter egg bread, margeiritsa soup, and wine, to name a few.

* Toast the gathering as you sit down at the dinner table. Ouzo, a Greek liqueur, usually accompanies this toast, but many people may find Champagne more to their liking.

* Pass a loaf of bread —Easter egg bread, if you prefer — from which everyone pulls off a piece for dinner. This symbolizes the original breaking of the bread that Jesus shared with his disciples.

* Give everyone a colored Easter egg after dinner. Have your guests tap their neighbors' eggs until everyone's egg is cracked; the person whose egg cracks last is said to be destined to receive good fortune for the coming year.

* Play Greek music and teach your relatives and friends a traditional Greek dance such as Tsamikos.

* Pray together. Giving thanks to God is an important part of any Greek Easter celebration.

* Have a good time and "Kalo Pascha!"

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