An Easter celebration, Cretan-style

Easter in Crete is a celebration like no other, every bit as important as Christmas in the UK. After the buildup of Holy Week, Easter Sunday – or ‘Pascha’ – is party time! The celebrations begin as soon as the priest announces the resurrection of Christ. Church bells ring out across the island (if you happen to pass by a church during this time, you can ring a bell) and preparations for the grand feast begin in every town and village. 

A traditional Cretan Easter feast is a meat-eating extravaganza. Spit-roasted lamb takes centre stage, accompanied by a roasted kid with coarse salt, kokoretsi (offal), paidakia (lamb chops), gardoumbakia (lamb offal) and various meat pies. These dishes are accompanied by the island’s iconic cheese pastries, kalitsounia (which are usually salty in Chania and sweet in Heraklion), as well as eggs and thick pasta with butter and – of course – plenty of pitchers of local marouvas and liatiko. As people start to sing and dance, the party continues late into the night. 

Easter in Crete is a time to come together to celebrate life, family and community. Witnessing it is an immersion into the unique culture and traditions of this beautiful island.