Holy Week

On the second day after Easter, according to the Orthodox tradition, the Bright Week begins - a time when the holy apostles and the Holy Virgin are glorified.

We celebrate one of the greatest Christian feast - the Resurrection of Christ. In the Christian religion of Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated on the third day after being crucified and buried. The empty tomb was seen by the women who were visiting the tomb. Then Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and to the apostles.

In Eastern Orthodoxy this day, known as Holy Saturday, is also called The Great Sabbath since it is on this day that Christ "rested" physically in the tomb. But it is also believed that it was on this day he performed in spirit the Harrowing of Hell and raised up to Paradise, having liberated those who had been held captive.

For Orthodox Christians, this is normally a time of reflection and communal mourning followed by joyful release, of centuries-old ceremonies steeped in symbolism and tradition.

But this year, Easter - by far the most significant religious holiday for the world's roughly 300 million Orthodox - has essentially been canceled.

Orthodox Christians are marking Good Friday, the day that commemorates the death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion.

Greece is preparing for a muted Orthodox Easter this year after the authorities strictly forbade the traditional spirited celebrations of mass church attendance, firecrackers and large family gatherings.

On April 16th the Orthodox Church marks Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries.

Maundy Thursday is the Christian feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. The day is preceded by Holy Wednesday and followed by Good Friday.

The gold-embroidered Epitaphios (liturgical vestment) dated to 1751 from the famous workshop of Mariora in Constantinople stands out among other exquisite works of art in a digital exhibition which draws on the collections of the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens.

As Greece enters Holy Week, the most sacred time of year for Orthodox Christians and traditionally a period of public gatherings and religious services, authorities will be watching carefully to ensure that the restrictions designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic are being upheld. 

The Holy Week for Orthodox Christians begins on Monday after Palm Sunday.

The last week of Lent is called the Holy Week because it is dedicated to the memories of the last days of the earthly life of the Christian savior Jesus Christ - his sufferings, the death of Jesus by crucifixion and his burial.