Easter in Athens.

The Good Friday event consisted of a procession following the "coffin" of Jesus with the symbolism of going to place him in the tomb. There were hundreds of people with candles and lanterns that joined in the procession with the bells of the church tolling a sombre two note dirge heard all over the area. We circled round the streets and back to the church and then home.
Saturday morning we took the bus and the new Metro to the Acropolis to see the new museum. It is spectacular in its simplicity and concept. The statues and artifacts are displayed openly and it felt quite intimate. The top floor has the statues and pieces of frieze displayed in the exact way they would have been on the Parthenon. The Parthenon is seen out the glass wall high above us on the top of the rock Acropolis. Magnificent!
Saturday we all have a sleep in the afternoon...we have to be up to go to midnight church service. All, except Katerina who is cooking and carrying on in the kitchen all day. We head out at 11:45 and join the crowds outside the church. The priest and entourage stand on the steps above us and chant and swing the incense censor at an icon. When he pronounces something about Christ is risen the bells start ringing, and the fireworks start banging. Great noise and joy in the crowd...none of whom had been paying much attention before. Lots of families and children. We walk back home and can see the fireworks all around Athens way down below wherever there is a church.
Lots of food...soup, a hot dish with entrails and greens, meat and salads. Katarina has been fasting all day and avoiding meat all week, so this is a treat for her. We head to bed at 2 a.m. The men will get up around 7 or so to start the fire for the BBQ for the Easter mid day meal.
The meat on the BBQ is goat and entrails (liver, heart and lung) and we have a big feast around 3 pm. There are Sam and Andriana who live one floor below, and Panos and Maria with their new baby girl. They have not announced her name yet as this will only happen at the baptism...and their seems to be a superstition about using the name before this happens. We eat Goat, chicken souvlaki, salads, cheese pie, spinach, wine and some sweets for dessert. I must add that the oranges here in Greece are spectacular this time of year...sweet and juicy and large.
We have a little sleep afterwards and arise to lots of political discussion..none of which I understand except for the heat and the word Gadhaffi. Sam is from Ghana and has some very interesting views on the politics of Africa.
So it is evening now, Easter is finished...tomorrow is still a holiday and Andriana and Katarina are fussing in the kitchen. It could be more food...we will see.