Celebrating Easter in Greece is like celebrating Christmas in the US. The festivities last days and many people return to their home town to celebrate. In fact, the Easter observances last four days, Thursday through Sunday. The days are full of ritual, ceremony and celebration. Since the primary church is the Orthodox Church there was nothing in these rituals that I had experienced previously so it was a fascinating adventure. I spent the four days of Easter on Hydra (pronounced ee-dra) one of the Greek islands in the Saronic Gulf just a few miles off the Peloponnese coast. Although I experienced the holy days in only this town, from talking with others, the traditions are similar all over Greece. Thursday: The Crucifixion I arrived on Hydra via a ferry on Thursday morning. There are three churches
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