Post by janiemou on Apr 21, 2023 11:35:52 GMT 2
I know its a bit late but a short report about Easter Saturday in town. I, together with roughly 100K people crammed into the Liston and the streets around it for the pot throwing. There are a few barriers on the Liston but people know where to stand to avoid the pots and there is very little police presence, except for marshelling the traffic and the hundreds of busses that descend on the town. The pot throwoing is preceded by many marching bands and a parade of clergy and dignitaries, all adding to the excitement. It is such good fun, watching the pots ranging from tiny to massive filled with water, some highly decorated, being thrown from windows and balconies many decorated with deep red banners. In the side streets the people on the balconies enjoy splashing the crowds under them with water from water bottles. Then at 11am the streets magically clear and the pots thunder to the ground. After the last pot is thrown there is a scramble to find a shard to take home for good luck. I have mine on my window sill. Everyone then goes to a restaurant for family meals. They should be Lenten but There was a lot of meat being eaten. In the evening there were church services throughout the town, where at midnight a single candle, lit from one flown in from the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, is passed from candle to candle whilst saying 'Christ is risen' with the response 'Truely He is risen'. If possible the flame is carried home and the front door lintel has a cross burned into it. I even saw those crosses at the entrance to the operating theatres in the hospital. At midnight there was a magnificant firework display on the Liston. Sunday is a day for spit roast lamb and family gatherings.
Next year Orthodox Easter is May 5th, when we will have started the season. If you have a chance to be here then I highly recommend it. If you don't want to face the crowds practically every village and town have theri own parades, pot smashing and midnight festivities.
Next year Orthodox Easter is May 5th, when we will have started the season. If you have a chance to be here then I highly recommend it. If you don't want to face the crowds practically every village and town have theri own parades, pot smashing and midnight festivities.