Easter Break

Here I am back after a hectic week which I thought it would never end! I had to finish typing the Second Term Reports, then fill them in and proof read. In addition, I had to finish marking homework so that I could give it back before the Easter break. The good thing is that I never work under stress and, as a result, I managed to finish everything on time.... which means that for the next two weeks I'll enjoy my Easter break without having any marking to do! I don't think I'll have the energy to bake flaounes and tsourekia for Easter, but I promise to give you the recipes. However, I will dye my easter eggs  on Thursday. I will also try to cook Magiritsa - our traditional Easter soup- for the first time! It happens to be Alkis' favourite soup and we eat it just after midnight on Easter Sunday. I know it is Easter Sunday today for many of you. I hope you are enjoying it with you and yours. How did the egg hunt go? Any Easter traditions you would like to share?

Comments

[lakisioannoui.blogspot.com]

Hi sugar. I always spend Easter with my family at my mother's village and we all enjoy it so much. My mother is soon 79, but she will still keep all our easter traditions. On Thursday she will dye the eggs - as many as the hens make on that day. She has 9 hens so they usually make a lot. She always dyes them red - no other colours. On the same day she will also make koulouria - our traditional village bread. She bakes about 4 dozen to give to friends and family and also keep some for herself. Of course on Friday she will bake the flaounes. She also bakes about 4-5 dozen to give away to friends and family as an easter gift. On Saturday we all go to the midnight Mass at the church of the village and after that we eat soupa avgolemono - not magiritsa and flaounes. On Easter Monday all the village goes to the games - the souses and other games like the egg-on-spoon competition and triappithkia (3-jumps competition). The winners always get a great prize. I hope you enjoy your holiday on your well-deserved Easter break.

[Jeff]

During the Easter week we paint the Easter eggs and then conduct egg hunts for the kids. Egg roll is another favorite game. I also fill a basket with jellybeans and chocolate bunnies for EVERYONE in the family - not just the kids.

[Constantinos]

The Resurrection (Anastasis) is quite spectacular in Crete by the lake of Agios Nikolaos. Thirty minutes before midnight the people of Agios Nikolaos start gathering around the lake of the town and they wait for the priests to arrive a few minutes before midnight. At exactly 00:00 a big fire is lit on the lake and hundreds of fireworks explode in the sky of Agios Nikolaos.

[Anastasia]

9 hens! Well that's a lot. And how wonderful to get fresh eggs right out of your own henhouse! But I suppose you are the one to attend to the Easter lamb!

[Anastasia]

No egg hunt over here, Jeff, but I must admit I'm not sure what this egg roll game is about.

[Anastasia]

I've never been to Agios Nicolaos at Easter. I've only been there twice but always in the summer. That sounds very spectacular indeed. I suppose the midnight Mass is held over there instead of at the church.

[stefanie-cy.blogspot.com]

Anastasia, this Easter I have promised myself that I will follow all our customs and traditions. On Holy Wednesday I am going to bake easter cookies (I have a special treat for you!). On Holy Thursday after the Holy Communion in the morning I will dye my eggs and in the afternoon I will make tsourekia. On Holy Friday, of course I will make flaounes (another special treat for you! I know you like them with raisins, right?)As for the games, I have organised some of our traditional ones that Lakis mentioned: souses, egg-and-spoon and long jump in ..three jumps! As you can see, I am in my very festive mood this week. I am also going to help decorate the Epitaphios on Friday.

[Laura]

In Britain,there's a small town called Olney where a pancake race is held on every Shrove Tuesday. This day is also called Pancake Tuesday. When the kids were younger, I'd always organise an egg hunt on Easter Day with maps and prizes, of course. We also decorate our churches with various spring flowers and usually place white lillies on the altar. In my family, our Easter lunch basically consists of hams and sausages, mashed potatoes and spring vegetables.

[christina-1977.livejournal.com]

What exactly is flaounes?

[Andy]

The Hocktide festival in Hungerford on the second Tuesday after Easter kicks off with the town’s police constable blowing his horn and calling all men to the Hocktide Court in the town hall. There, two Tutti-men are elected, who then carry a tall pole with an orange on top and a bunch of spring flowers (a tutti) tied to it with ribbons. They are led through the town by the Orangeman and give women oranges in return for kisses with women in the street!! Also, special Easter parades are held in Britain and the parade conducted at Battersea Park in London is a very popular one.

[Jeff]

In the United States, the Easter Egg Roll is an annual event, and is held on the White House lawn each Easter Monday for children and their parents.The Egg Roll itself is a race, where children push an egg through the grass with a long-handled spoon. Surrounding events include appearances by White House personalities in Easter Bunny costumes, speeches and book-reading by Cabinet secretaries, and exhibits of artistically-decorated eggs.

[Anastasia]

I've never heard of Olney before. I'm a great pancake lover , by the way! That must be fun and yummy!! White lillies on the altar - how very beautiful! This resembles a little our own Epitaphios - the flower-decorated bier which receives the body of Christ on Good Friday.

[Anastasia]

Oranges in return for kisses??? Such a pity for our men we don't have this tradition. We have so many orange trees! I suppose the lucky men get as many kisses as the oranges offered! Just one question: do the ladies eat the oranges after the kiss or during the kiss?

[Anastasia]

Hey g/f thanks for the special treats. As a matter of fact, yes, I like my flaounes slightly sweet with raisins! I'd love to bake tsourekia but...I must follow doctor's orders and rest my hand. As you know, tsourekia are best when hand-kneaded. The food processor will never give you the ideal tsoureki dough.

[stefanie-cy.blogspot.com]

Christina, flaounes is a traditional kind of Easter cheese pie made with halloumi cheese and a special yellow cheese for flaounes. But you can also use kaseri or cheddar. According to tradition in Cyprus , we bake the flaounes on Good Friday