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April 7, 1909. THE PRESBYTER]
Contributed
EASTER IN THE GREEK CHURCH.
By Mrs. I. M. Ritner.
There is, perhaps, 110 ecclesiastical body on the church
which abounds more in "Feasts," "Fasts," or "Saints
Days," than docs the Greek (Eastern) or The Orthodox
Church, as they, the Greeks, are pleased to term it.
Almost every day in the year is a "Holy-day," from
some cause or other and such are termed the "Minor"
and "Greater Festivals." Of these there are eighty
hve, all ot which are celebrated with more or less pomp,
splendor, ceremony, feasting or prayer, as the occasion
seems to demand. Under the influence of a soft, balmy
climate, nature putting on spring attire in February,
and never donning her richly variegated carpet of wild
flowers until in December, with a belief enervated by
the climate, yet bearing naturally an energy and vim.
unusual under such climatical influences, it is no wonder
they are easily tempted to indulge in this festal occasion,
or that they enter into them with great avidity.
Among the most celebrated of their feasts is Easter,
with its carnival, fast and Easter rejoicings. The carnival,
or as the Greeks say, "apokreas," means, liter
ally, "from meat," and the term is applied to the "two.
weeks," embracing three Sabbath days, immediately
preceding the forty days' fast and Lent.
But unlike the quiet, subdued, religious preparation,
seemingly so very fit for the "Lenten Season," this
"apokreas" in Greece is a season of riotous living; it
is as though they tried to take their fill of folly and
food, before the days of fasting and prayer begin. The
streets are filled all day with masqueraders decked,
some in gorgeous attire, others in rags and tatters,
some in the fresh skin of hogs, and many so filled with
wine that the inner, as well as the outer, man seems to
partake of this nature. Some ride on donkeys or mules,
a few in carriages, but most are on foot; some engage in
reveling, shouts and laughter, and the most terrific
music from inharmonious instruments and uncultivated
voices rends the air, while ever and anon a group, ridiculously
solemn in their sobriety and strikingly in contrast
with their-grotesque appearance, parade with slow
and measured tread this way of folly.
At night bonfires are kindled along the principal
streets, surrounded by groups of men and boys in masquerade
costume, the wine shops open with music, which
is torture to a cultivated car, but serves to attract a
crowd, and the reveling is kept up until 5 a. m., when
a symposium is indulged in, and the semi-intoxicated
participants sleep a few houis, only to refresh themselves
sufficiently to repeat the folly of the previous day.
1 hose taking part in these festivities are largely men
and boys, but young women often go out in masquerade
attire, generally in carriages during the day. The
grand winding up is on the Sabbath .day immediately
preceding the "fast." Chi -l??it \ll ihe possible
Monday issues in "Great Fast" of The Greek Orthodox
Church, but the revelry does not cease. On the
evening of that day immense crowds throng the fields
-and plains surrounding Athens, especially the old col
[AN OF THE SOUTH. f
umns of Jupiter Olympus, the Acropolis, the Temple
of Theseus, and other places of classic interest. Here
in groups they eat their first frugal meal, consisting of
bread and olives, bread and onions, or bread and grapes.
The "staff of life" is always there, and the condiment
is added as taste or means dictate, sometimes only a
little green lettuce or cucumber without salt.
They sit about in groups, always in families, that is,
the father, mother, and daughters remain together, the
young men forming separate companies, roam over the
fields and oluck the lovelv wild flowers, or o-nther on
the hill-tops and dance to the music of a primitive but
flute-like instrument.
This "Romaic" dance is entirely unlike anything
known in our land, but is probably much more akin
to the old "Pyrrhic" or war dance. It is performed
exclusively by men, five or six generally taking part,
holding each other by one hand and forming a sort of
semi-circle. The motion is graceful, and for the most
part slow and stately, though occasionally it becomes
rapid and even violent. In this way the hours of the
evening arc spent, and as the shadows lengthen and
twilight approaches, all return to their homes, and the
quiet of Lent succeeds to the noise and confusion of the
'Carnival."
During Lent the bells on the churches toll every
morning, our Greek servant said, "for the Death of
Christ," and there are some unusual and additional exercises
each day. On Thursday preceding: Easter Sun
clay begins a special service. On that evening "All of
the Twelve Gospels" are read in each of the churches,
which, being interpreted, means that all relating to the
de?.th of Christ in the four Gospels is arranged in twelve
lessons, called the "Twelve Evangeleans," which are
read that night.
On the evening of Good Friday the churches were
thrown open, and we, as Americans, were very much interested
in going from one to another. In each one
there was a picture of the Savior in death, as he was
a. _ i e * i ? ?
laKen irom me cross, some larger, and some smaller.
, ;s was placed in, or rather on, a box, perhaps five by
three or four, all being of the same size, but all made
to represent a coffin or bier, on which the picture was
laid, and covered usually with very thin lace or muslin,
and the whole very elaborately ornamented, and with
handles by which it could be carried. A BibVe, embossed
with silver and gold pictures, was laid near the
foot of the picture. This and the picture itself was
kissed many times by the worshippers, as they bent
over it making the sign of the cross. The book was
placed on a table with ornamental cloth hanging around.
All was decorated with flowers, and candles were burning
at the head and foot. Many persons, men, women
and children, were coming and going at the different
churches, and the object seemed to be to worship this
picture.
Just outside the door of every church, and also within
the church, were tables filled with wax tapers of various
sizes, for sale and being sold all the time. Then, too,
there were large baskets of flowers which the priests
weie selling in small bunches. We could not help thinking
that the house of God seemed literally a "House of