what to bring? presents to Greek family? what is expected? what can i do to contribute to their ease & happiness? which dates are important to Greek Easter that i need to abide by? what should i do/not do? does the fasting affect the restaus, markets - what will be closed down and when? what will be happening in Athens? if i travel to the North, Makedonia, what should i expect? should i travel by air to Salonika or Kavala for the celebrations or dismiss it for the duration? i wish to be respectful & helpful. thank you in advance for your comments.
Posted by
atlanta
186 posts
Lots of questions!
Are you staying with relatives (the Greek family you refer to)? Or are you visiting a family while you are in Greece? The types of gift will vary a bit, but for kids, candy and toys; for adults, a host-type gift is always appreciated (a serving or display bowl or dish perhaps and some sweets to be served).
Holy Week is the entire week preceding Easter, starting with Palm Sunday. Fasting traditions will vary (some people cut all meat and dairy for 40 days; others are less strict and may just fast for Holy Week or for the last few days of the week or not at all). You will see more range of fasting and devoutness in cities compared to small towns and villages. Services will take place each evening of Holy Week, but the most significant will be Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and the Resurrection Service on Saturday night. People will celebrate all over the country so your main focus should be finding a church to attend services and a good restaurant on Easter Sunday. Restaurants will be open, but you will probably see more limited hours for stores and shops, especially on Sunday.
I hope this helps a bit.
Posted by
OP
T.O.
25 posts
I am visiting a family whom i have known for the last 40 years. Since "The Crisis' they are experiencing hard times but still manage to keep their house in ATH. I'm not staying with them because i don't wish to impose; there are 5 people in the house. They are sophisticated, literary people. The kids are 11 yrs - what kinds of toys would they like, esp the boy? I shall be coming from Canada. The last time i visited (last year) i brought a big suitcase full of my good clothes (for her), some jewellery for the daughter, new clothes for the kids, books, liquor for him, everything i could think of. The result? I think she was embarrassed & I felt badly even tho' i made sure i did it quietly with her alone present; she said she felt guilty.
Now i'm wondering about Easter - will they think i'm 'expecting' a big feast? Would it be considered rude if i suggest that i take them all out for Easter Sunday dining? I don't know how to put this type of question to her. When i was last there i volunteered to take her out to a ballet & she was furious, saying that if she had that kind of $ she would use it to feed her kids! By the way, the kids are healthy; the family lives in a lovely northern suburb house of rather large dimensions but...nobody seems to be working, at least not officially. I am supposing that most of the country is in that sort of fix. I hate to think i'll be acting like "the Ugly CDN". Or...maybe i could take her food shopping and buy all the ingredients & we could try to make a meal together, IF she lets me. Puzzled.....
Posted by
atlanta
186 posts
Sent you a private message . . .
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7360 posts
Boy, NM, it sounds like you've been a generous and gracious guest in the past, and you must have a really good relationship with your Greek friends. We were in the Peloponnese for Easter 2018, and, as tourists, did find a restaurant in a small village for Easter dinner in mid-afternoon on Sunday, and we seemed to be the only non-Greeks there, but it seemed that most locals were having celebrations in their homes, and not in restaurants or tavernas.
Can you just level with your friends, and let them know you want to be respectful, but, it being Easter and all, would they consider letting you take them out if that's what you'd like to do? You should be able to make it clear that you're not expecting any big kind of feast, if they would be welcoming you to join them.
Down south, in Aeropoli, on Thursday night lots of people gathered outside the church, went inside, and came back out, and stayed around the church for much of the early evening. We didn't go inside, the church, but hung around, too, trying to figure out what was (maybe) going to happen, and when. Having a local friend to explain the process would've been nice! People then dispersed to the local tavernas for dinner, and we were able to get a table before our place got completely full.
Starting Friday morning, a mourning church bell tolled slowly, all day long. We jumped on our rental car and drove the Mani peninsula - roads not crowded, very scenic, and it seemed like an ideal way to spend our day. We were in Kalamata, outside the cathedral just before midnight, with a huge group of people, all o us with our candles.
Having Greek friends would let you really experience what's clearly the most significant holiday of the year in Greece - as long as you and they were comfortable with the situation. I would hope they could let you know exactly what would or wouldn't make them uncomfortable, and could let you know if, and how, you could contribute. Enjoy!
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
3320 posts
I heard from someone going to visit people in Greece who had been good friends of her family when she was small and lived there. She was seeking the right kind of present to bring. I asked a Greek friend of mine from Athens about appropriate presents that would show respect and appropriateness, and she said that Greeks value having photographs in their home, with family... and a Silver Frame would always be welcome -- especially if you had a photograph linking the families. My friend had a photo of her parents with the Greek parents, and had it enlarged for a frame. It was very well received.