9781422271377

from any living being are eliminated from the diet. This includes meats, eggs, milk, cheese, butter, and fish. Some older Greek people still eliminate olive oil as well. The Orthodox Christian Church calculates the day Easter should be celebrated a little differently from other Christian denominations since the Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar. This is the same calendar that was officially implemented by Julius Caesar, an emperor of ancient Rome. It is believed to have been used between 45 BCE and 1582 CE. Other Christian denominations switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, but the Orthodox Church did not, hence the reason Easter usually falls on different Sundays. Blood Red The Greek people do not dye Easter eggs in several colors as other cultures do. Their custom is to only dye them in a deep blood-red color, which signifies the blood of Christ. They are dyed as a good luck token for the home they are being dyed in, and that can only take place on Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday. Any other day of the week, particularly Good Friday, is considered bad luck. Good Friday is chosen as the only day the Easter loaves of bread can be baked. These thick, round loaves include a bright red egg that is stuck in the dough and is also considered good luck. Both at home and in Greek bakeries in Athens and the Attica region, tiny loaves of bread with one egg are made for the children of the family. Crisp donut-shaped cookies, called koulourakia , are one of the favorites of the Greeks and are served to callers during Holy Week. Dry, crisp cakes covered with powdered sugar, known as kourambiedes , are also served at Easter time, especially if there is a male member of the family whose name day is celebrated on Easter. These would apply to those names derived from Anastasia, meaning the resurrection. Resurrection services are held at midnight at the Greek Orthodox Church on Easter Sunday before each family returns home to eat a special soup called magiritsa , which is made from the liver,

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