Easter in Corfu island - Greece | a spectacular Eastern Orthodoxy experience

Greece follows the Orthodox religion and the biggest percentage of the population is Greek Orthodox, so, the whole country celebrates Greek Easter religious and traditional festivals.

Please note: Greek Easter is the most celebrated festival in the entire Orthodox Church calendar.

My family and myself have spent many Orthodox Easters in Greece and many times we talked about the Easter celebration in Kerkyra, (Greek name for Corfu) is amazing. Last year we finally decided to discover the secrets this Ionian island holds and what makes an Easter celebration in Corfu so special.

Nothing could have prepared us for what a spectacular experience it was and the enormous number of visitors to the island.

So, our trip started with a drive from Athens to Igoumenitsa ferry port which took around 4 hours. The roads are smooth and easy to follow. The spectacular moment was the drive over the famous Rio–Antirio bridge.

Corfu does have an international airport served by Europe and many flights from Athens.

Piraeus and Patra offer efficient ferry connections from main land Greece to the island. We chose the closest port of Igoumenitsa. The sea crossing took about 1hr+30 min and suitable to drive the car On-Off at the destination.

Finally, after a short 20min drive, from the main town of Corfu we arrived to our hotel.

Our first obstacle came when we tried to book a hotel. Everything in and around the town gets booked up very fast, so you must book early. We chose “Hotel Divani Palace” located in the Kanoni area around 3km from the main town with rooms available. This turned out to be a great choice because it is located in another part of Corfu and overlooks the beautiful lagoon area and the famous Pontikonisi “Mouse Island”.

We discovered to our great surprise the easy and efficient (on time) bus service to the town every 30 minutes.

The first thing we noticed was the vibrant colors that adorn the entire island. Easter falls in spring and the island’s nature bursts into beautiful colors. The town Easter color is a vibrant Scarlet-Red and every street and shops display hundreds of Red Clay-Jugs-Pots locally known as Botides.

The Easter celebrations

Generally, the basic Easter celebrations cover a period of 10 days. Easter ending is crowned by the last weekend from Good-Friday to Easter-Sunday when the main celebrations occur.

Thousands of visitors arrived from Europe, USA and Greece made the atmosphere electric. We were all so totally inspired by color, folklore, classical music and unceasing celebrations which created an unforgettable and idyllic experience…of a trully extraordinary Greek Orthodox Easter.

Good Friday

Good Friday is the day of the Epitaph and the day starts with the sound of mournful bells, calling everyone to the Greek Easter Epitaph.

The day encompasses the most somber and mournful moments, of Easter portraying the burial of Christ. Every church in all of Greece, creates their own special Easter epitaph dressed in flowers and candles, which symbolizes the funeral bier of Jesus Christ.

The Ionion Islands in specific, pride themselves being extremely musical and Corfu represents one of the most musical islands.

Easter is the time of the year that locals and visitors have the pleasure of enjoying all 18 Philharmonic Orchestras on the island playing at this spectacular event !

In Corfu-Town there are 33 plus churches Big or Small and each one will carry their own epitaph through the streets of the town..

All churches in the town of Corfu parade their own philharmonic orchestras with distinctive and beautifully crafted uniforms playing soft classical themes. The streets are filled with people holding brown candles inspired by each musical note and follow along the parades.

We found ourselves trying to follow most of the processions and dashing from street to street in order to view ALL the parades. The processions start around 14.00 and keep parading in turn until late in the evening. It was a very touching and emotional sight and a truly magnificent too.

Easter Saturday - the botides custom

The most spectacular Epitaph is the one of “Agios Spyridon” the islands patron saint. This happens on the morning of the Easter Saturday festivities and is a truly moving sight. This majestic epitaph procession was accompanied by the all the philharmonic bands of the island, and followed by worshippers, walking slowly whilst holding brown candles and singing psalms.

We stood with the crowds of people to get a glimpse of the sacred Epitaph and procession.

After the procession passes through the famous town Arch it returns back to the small church of Agios Spyridon nestled amongst the tiny streets of Corfu town.

The town then takes on a more celebratory feel. Everyone had gathered at the Spianada Square, central park area and we got to witness a strange yet old custom referred to as the “botides” which is unique to Corfu. Large Red-Clay-Jugs are thrown from top of balconies in the center of town square, smashing into pieces onto the streets below along.

Ourselves and several thousands of people gathered around to watch. If you are lucky to grab a piece of smashed pot and take it home, many say it is a good luck charm. Lots of people were also smashing their own small pots to mark the occasion and join in with the spirit of the festive smash.

The islanders believe that the custom of shattering these pots helps ward off bad spirits. The red pots the “Botides” one can buy in many sizes and with many additional decorations.

A popular belief is that it originated when the Venetians ruled Corfu between the 14th and 18th centuries. They threw out their old belongings to make way for new ones and to make a fresh start to the New Year. The people of Corfu adopted this custom and used clay pots to throw out bad vibes & spirits and they tied this to the Easter celebration.

Christos Anesti – Resurrection of Christ

Saturday evening is the evening of great joy after the Resurrection at midnight. The children carry colorful candles decorated with ribbons and often toys. The light of Christ leaves the church and is passed around the people until at midnight everyone is holding the light.

In Corfu town the park and square was full of people, thousands gather with their white or decorated candles. The Orchestras play after midnight joyful and cheerful music at the Spianada music pavilion and the sky is full of the most amazing fireworks. Everyone greets each other with “Christ is risen” and wishes the best for each other.

Easter Sunday: “Lamb on the spit with the family”

Many families join together on this special day to enjoy a roast lamb on the spit on and the smash of Red Decorated eggs.

A lot of hotels and restaurants also added this to their menu for visiting guests. Sharing a meal of lamb is most often done on religious holidays and special occasions all over Greece. We took the opportunity to join some family and friends close by on the mainland which was a real treat.

We truly enjoyed our special Easter on the island of Corfu and look forward to discovering more of the island next time we visit.

Important Tips (for a successful holiday)

Arrive early to get a good viewing spot at all the events.
Good Friday Epitaph Parades are staggered from 2pm-11pm on Friday night.
Easter Saturday big Parade usually starts at 9am and the pot throwing at 11am.
Use the local buses if you’re not staying in Corfu Town, parking is difficult in the town.
All roads leading to the center of the town and Spianada Square will be closed
Make restaurant reservations especially on Sunday for the lamb feast.

Sandra Metaxas