The celebration of Easter in Corfu is a unique experience and it is completely different from anywhere else in Greece. It is particularly impressive for first-time visitors to the island. It is a huge festival in which various components come together harmoniously…the Orthodox Christian faith, pagan traditions, the powerful presence of Saint Spiridon, the Roman Catholic community, the Venetian influence, genuine Corfiot humour, the music of the philharmonic bands and of course the spring atmosphere! So, if you happen to be on Corfu during the Easter period be assured that you will experience the most amazing Easter of your lives!

During The Holy Week there are various ceremonies that take place in the Old Town or in the various churches. On Good Friday, from the early afternoon onwards,

Good Friday is the day of the Epitaphios which is the funeral of Christ. All over the island as well as all over Greece, every church brings out its own funeral bier and parades it around the parish. In Corfu however; the attendant philharmonic orchestras and choirs and the presence of thousands of Corfiot’s, as well as foreign visitors, give another dimension to the gravity of the occasion. The bands of the philharmonic orchestras are separated into squads. They then accompany the epitaphs of the town's churches. Late in the afternoon the squads come together to form the whole band in order to accompany the epitaph of the metropolitan church, St. Spiridon.

On Holy Saturday at 11 a.m. the First Resurrection and the "Pot Throwing" custom take place. The philharmonic orchestras and the choirs of the town take part in the litany of the epitaph/funeral biers’ of the town’s patron saint, St. Spyridon, in procession with the Saint's relics. The litany is followed by the celebration of the "Early Resurrection" where balconies in the old town are decked in bright red pieces of cloth. Then the Corfiot’s throw down large clay pots (the co-called botides) that are full of water to smash on the street pavements. This is enacted in anticipation of the Resurrection of Jesus which is to be celebrated that same night when all people gather at the Esplanade to celebrate the Resurrection and enjoy the fireworks! From then on the whole island parties till late in the morning!

In the evening before the Orthodox ceremony takes place you are welcome to attend the Catholic service at the Duomo Cathedral. With the participation of all Church officials the Resurrection service finishes here at 11 p.m. This then permits the clergy time to prepare for the Orthodox service. All over Greece the ceremony takes place on a platform outside of the church.

In Corfu Town; the service is held in the upper part of the Esplanade Square. It starts at the Church of Agia Paraskevi with the participation of the Bishop, the philharmonic orchestras and thousands of people. The Resurrection is seen in with a roll of drums and an impressive firework display after the “Resurrection” at midnight. When this ends the bands traverse the streets of the town at a great pace playing cheerful music with people walking behind them singing.

The party has only just begun at this point and will last until dawn. The Resurrection is celebrated and the Lenten fast is broken with magiritsa (the local Easter soup), red eggs, fogatsa (brioche), columbines (a special bread of Venetian origin, baked in the form of a dove) and of course lots of wine. Easter Sunday at 7 a.m on Easter Sunday morning the churches in town which possess an icon of the Resurrection, parade it around the central streets, something which is well worth seeing. The parades finish at around 10 a.m; but the great Easter Celebration is far from over. People celebrate Ester Sunday with their families eating “lamb from the spear” and smashing red eggs; (they hold one egg and the smash with the egg of the other, if your egg doesn’t break, you win!). The

You will definitely love Easter on Corfu and we bet that you will be returning here again and again every Easter! The atmosphere is simply so special and unique that it become san addiction!