A week different from others, dressed in traditional colours, which is a pleasant break from everyday life for young and old. Schools close and children now have plenty of time to rest and benefit, both educationally and creatively, from the traditions and customs that characterize these days. So why not learn more about them, and turn Easter preparations into a game!

Holy Monday

Holy Monday marks the beginning of Holy Week and the start of fasting for families who wish to take communion on Holy Saturday. If parents want to introduce their children to fasting, they can abstain from meat for a few days. In addition to fasting, young and old alike can give their home the feel of a traditional Greek village by whitewashing their yards and painting flowerpots red.

Holy Tuesday

Holy Tuesday is dedicated to house cleaning and preparations to welcome guests. It is an opportunity for parents to turn cleaning up into a game, so that children learn to like housework, and it becomes a pleasant habit for them.

Holy Wednesday

Holy Wednesday smells like Easter cookies! Parents can make baking creative and enjoyable by turning their kitchen into the sweetest pastry shop around. The kitchen Easter scene is composed of pots, pans and baking trays spread over every square inch of the kitchen countertops, and small, happy, flour-dusted faces giggling uncontrollably. The ultimate reward for these little pastry chefs is to enjoy their own sweet creations with their parents and friends.

Holy Thursday

On Holy Thursday, the dip in the world of sweets continues with the kneading of Greek Easter bread (“tsoureki”). Yet there is an even bigger surprise in store for the children, because the day to dye the Easter eggs red has finally arrived. Now is the perfect opportunity for kids to let their imaginations run wild and their artistic natures unfold! A creative activity that will teach them teamwork and fill the whole house with colours. Your little Picassos will showcase their talent, even if they do make a mess and smudge a little!

Good Friday

Good Friday is by nature a solemn day. Parents could potentially talk to their little ones about the importance of this day. Young and old can pay their respects to the flower-covered “Epitaph” (symbolic funeral bier) and take a few flowers, as in the past they were considered miraculous. In many parts of the country an effigy of Judas is created, which is then burned in a ritual fire after the procession of the Epitaph.

Holy Saturday

On Holy Saturday morning, kitchens are “ablaze” with family preparations for the Easter meal. If the children's godmother can’t bring them the traditional Easter candle that year, parents can help children decorate their own candle, using ribbons, markers and other craft materials. That way, on Easter Eve, they can proudly hold their own creation! After the midnight Resurrection celebration, it’s time for the most well-known and beloved custom of the children: the red Easter egg cracking competition, but also the delicious Easter soup (“magiritsa”) that you will enjoy with them!

Easter Sunday

The day that young and old have been waiting for has arrived! Lamb starts roasting on the spit early, mouthwatering scents waft across yards and balconies and the tables are ready, laid and decorated for the festive Easter meal. All that is left is to sit back and relax, and let your little ones enjoy this joyful day carefree and with all their hearts!

Happy Easter and as we say in Greece, “Christ is Risen”!