Written by the 2nd Grade Junior High School students, Athina Trantou and Kiriaki Pouliou write

One of the oldest Orthodox traditions is Easter. The Greek word of Easter comes from the Hebrew word Pesach (Pascha). Orthodox Christian celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s the greatest religious holiday of all. But how do Greeks prepare for it?

Forty days before Easter, Christians begin fasting. This period is called Lent. They fast from meat, fish, diary products, wine and oil. Children don’t fast from all. They usually only fast from meat on certain days. Although it’s the greatest fasting period of all, there are two religious holidays when we are allowed to consume fish. One is the 25^{t h} of March because it’s the Annunciation of Virgin Mary and the other is Palm Sunday.The Saturday before the Holy Week is Lazarus Saturday. On that day one of the greatest miracles happened. Lazarus was dead for four days. His family was devastated. When Jesus came to his tomb he ordered Lazarus to come out of his tomb. And so he did. Lazarus came back from the dead. There is a folk tradition in which we make small types of sweet bread that look like a dead person because they symbolize his dead body. It’s said that whoever doesn’t bake them will not have fresh bread at Easter.

Palm Sunday is the Sunday that follows Lazarus Saturday. It’s when Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey. The people of Jerusalem laid palm leaves and even their clothes so that the donkey can walk on them. They did this to show their respect. Nowadays on that Sunday all the floors in the Churches are filled with palm leaves. A tradition is to eat a fish called kolios.The week before Easter is called Holy week. Holly Monday is dedicated to Joseph the son of Jacob and the  fruitless fig tree that Jesus cursed. Holly Tuesday is a memorial to the day Jesus called  out   the   hypocrites  (Pharisees  and  the   scribes)   for   misleading  the  people. Holly Wednesday is when the  sinful  woman  repented  and washed Jesuses  feet. Also that’s when the Last Supper and Juda’s betrayal happened. Holly Thursday is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. That is also when we paint the red eggs. Holly Friday is the most mournful day for the Orthodox Christians. It’s the burial of Jesus and a memorial for all the sufferings of Christ. Holly Saturday is the only Saturday in the year that we fast from oil and wine. It’s when the myrrh-bearing women went to anoint the body of Jesus Christ with myrrh and saw that the door of His tomb was opened.

Last but not least, is Easter Sunday. That’s when Jesus was resurrected. On that day Orthodox people crack the red eggs on the family table. For most Orthodox it’s necessary for lamb to be present on the table. It’s a day that families reunite and the feast can last for many days.Even thought many years have pasted these tradition and memorials are still done. They might not be the same as the older traditions but they are an evolution of them.