The Greek Islands in the Spring

Life on the Greek islands revolves around the seasons and is punctuated by religious festivals or panegyric. Easter is the most important Orthodox festival of the year, but there are also lively carnival celebrations on some islands. Greeks know very well how to combine expressions of faith with enjoyment and they put in a great deal of enthusiasm in all of their celebrations, from the most notable to the smallest fair of a little hamlet. Some festivals have their origin in pagan traditions; others celebrate the different harvests -grapes, olives, corn- or recreate the victories of the Greeks in their long struggle for independence.

The beautiful Greek Islands Adorned by the Spring

In Greek, spring is called Anoixi (opening) and is the prelude to the island's tourist season. After spending winter in Athens or Rhodes, hoteliers head for the smaller Greek islands that are more beautiful than ever in the spring, strewn with poppies, chamomile, and cyclamen. Orthodox Easter, which follows the carnival season in late February or March, is the biggest event in the spring. If April rains fall on the northern Greek islands, the sun usually shines on Crete, the Dodecanese and the islands of the western Aegean.

Easter in Greece

Greek Orthodox Easter can take place up to three weeks before or after the Catholic Easter. It is the most important religious festival in Greece and the time when families tend to get together. It is also a good time to visit the country and take a tour of the Greek islands, see the processions, and the way of worshipping, and taste the food. Religious ceremony and symbolism are a direct association with the Byzantine past of Greece and even connect to more primitive beliefs. The festivities reach their culmination at midnight on Easter Saturday when the priests sing the Christ is Risen and the fireworks signal a Sunday full of parties, music, and dancing. Sunday roast meat ends the Lenten fast and reaffirms the belief in the renewed life that spring heralds. Particularly, they are worth mentioning the processions and night church services that take place on Good Friday and Holy Saturday in Olympos (Karpathos), Hydra, Patmos, and almost all the towns of Crete.

Visit the Greek Islands

As you can see, the Greek islands have a lot to offer. If you want to know more about them see the next article: The Greek islands season by season. Discover the Greek Islands with Greca and have an amazing adventure!