Fasting and Easter Traditions

OK.. so this past week, starting on Sunday I have been fasting for our Holy Week. Some of you might wonder what Holy Week I am talking about. Well this Sunday just so happens to be our Easter.. and by "our" I mean Greek Orthodox. I know most Eastern Europeans also celebrate Easter this weekend. It has been a LONG time since I have fasted for Easter. Those who are very dedicated fast throughout the year, including twice a week, AND the 40 days before Easter which some of you might call Lent. The main difference between say Catholics fasting and me fasting is that Catholics usually give up one thing. I cannot eat any of the following, meat, fish, any dairy, eggs, pretty much anything that comes from an animal. The very strict also don't include oil or wine in their diet. So skipping out on meat is not too terribly hard.. it's the dairy that kills me! No cheese, no butter, no milk..... Want a salad for lunch... no dairy based dressings... I bought some snack mix and crackers yesterday to snack on at my desk and when I read the ingredients I realized the crackers had butter in them! DUH! I also have been CRAVING chocolate... but probably only because I can't have it.. what's the first word in milk chocolate? Breakfast is probably the hardest... no cereal, no eggs, no bacon.. I have resorted to toast with peanut butter. Last night I had a pretty yummy dinner... I made a Greek style potato salad which consists of boiled potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper. I threw in some marinated mushrooms and had some dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) on the side. I also went to the gym yesterday for the first time in a couple weeks I would say... We have gone running at the park several times but I haven't been to the gym... it felt really good to get in there and get a good sweat going. Today out of curiosity I weighed myself. I weighed 9lbs less than last week!!! How is that possible?!? I guess all that dairy, and meat really makes a difference. Note to self.. maybe I should take up fasting twice a week. :)
Today I went to my mom's house for lunch... since she is fasting too it's pretty easy for me to get a fast friendly meal there.. hehe When I walked in it smelled like church... she had the incense burning and the liturgy streaming live from Greece on her computer... we started talking about traditions of Easter and I thought I might mention two very important traditions the red Easter eggs and the Holy Fire.
Saturday we will attend the late night liturgy at church.. it starts at 11pm and goes till about 1-2am. It's a long service.. but I remember going as a child and just loving the way it sounded when you could hear everyone singing "Christos Anesti" (Christ is Risen) in Greek. Halfway through the service the church goes completely dark and one by one.. we receive the Holy Fire from the priest... It really is a beautiful site to see the church lighting up slowly. The tradition of the Holy Fire comes from the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem.

My mom has told me that the Archbishop of Greece actually makes the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and brings the fire back with him, as do all the other Patriarch's from other countries. The Miracle of Easter starts here at this church. A Patriarch enters the church with what I have been told is a bundle of candles, but some say it's only two.. after saying a prayer the light rises from the stone where Jesus' body was laid, from there the candles are lit and the Holy Fire is given to others. I read once that we tried to get together with other religions to celebrate our Easter on the same day as everyone else.. but when they entered the tomb the candles would not light.. the following week when they entered they lit.. so our Easter remains as it is. There are some pretty amazing videos on this site... http://www.holyfire.org/eng/index2.htm and on YouTube of course... Not only do the candles miraculously light, the other fixtures in the church light themselves, and people "wash" themselves with the fire that doesn't burn. You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.

I know there are going to be plenty of non believers that say it's impossible.. and that's fine.. but maybe someone out there will be touched by this miracle. After all, wasn't it a miracle in itself that Christ rose?

At the end of the liturgy for those of us who have followed the fast we take our communion and we receive our red Easter egg. Greeks traditionally dye their eggs red. This itself comes from a miracle. The story goes that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus with a basket of eggs for the women mourning his Crucifixion. When she arrived at his tomb and saw it was empty and the stone had been moved she asked for a sign that He had risen.... upon which her eggs turned bright red.. some say it is to represent the blood of Christ.

So we drive home in our cars with our candles lit and our red easter eggs in tow. At home we feast on all the things we couldn't eat while fasting and "tsougrisoume" eggs. That pretty much means we clink our eggs together. You take your egg with another person point to point, first they hit your egg and say "Christos Anesti" (Christ is Risen) and you reply with "Alithos o Kurios" (truly He is risen). I have never been a very religious person.. but I have always believed... and Christmas and Easter services have always held a special place in my mind. This one will be extra special.. it will be Dalton's first Easter at church. I hope one day he has fond memories of these celebrations as well.