If the word Symi makes you think of monkeys, then you are not wrong.
Symi is only 4 miles from Turkey, and was part of the Otterman Empire from 1521 until 1912 when the Italians occupied it. Yet there are no traces of Turkish influence, the island is very Greek in character. During World War II, it was taken over by the Germans, and was finally restored to Greece in 1947. Most of the island is very dry and barren, rainfall is very low and it has no water supplies of its own, so every week supplies of water arrive by ship from Rhodes. It's hard to imagine how the inhabitants survived in the past, but survive they did.
Easter for the Greeks is THE most important Christian festival on the calendar, and they look forward to it as we look forward to Easter. Yet it was free from the tacky commercialism that we have come to expect, and there was scarcely a chocolate Easter egg in sight. Many Greeks fast during Lent and during this time they will eat no meat, and so, by the time we arrived during Holy Week, there was a buzz of anticipation and excitement in the air, if not impatience.
As the ferry docked in the harbour, we noted the sound of firecrackers being set off; that was a sound we were to become all too familiar with, as well as the occasional blast of dynamite in the hills. It seemed that the whole young male population, from knee-high upwards, was setting off firecrackers day and night, with cheerful abandon. We soon learned to watch our step, as they seemed very laissez-faire as to where they threw them; indeed, a certain group of them definitely got worse when there were certain young, fair females around! We discovered that the firecrackers and dynamite represented the victory of Christ over evil, as did the burning of an effigy of Judas, which took place on Sunday. We were advised to keep our windows open on Friday and Saturday nights, in case they shattered due to dynamite shockwaves.
The celebrations of Christ's death start on Thursday evening with a Service of Matins. Similarly, the Maundy Thursday celebration starts on Wednesday evening. Thus, the Thursday evening Matins is the start of Good Friday itself.
If it sounds like a long Service then it is, but the Greeks have a very different attitude to church attendance from us, in that it is customary to come and go as you please throughout the evening. We were struck by how beautifully decorated and ornate Greek Orthodox churches are, with many icons, and every cross has a figure of Jesus on it. With everything that happened over the weekend, there was always a strong sense of community. Although at times we ourselves felt as though we stood out as both tourists and Protestants, nevertheless we were accepted and were very much part of all that was going on. The Symians are very much a church-going community, and as there is only one denomination on the island, there was a sense of continuity at whichever church we chose to visit, and we visited several. For a community of only 3,000 people, there is a staggering number of churches, and they all seemed to be full.
On Friday itself, most businesses were closed, bells tolled and there was generally a feeling of stillness around. Flags were lowered to half-mast. We thought that a lovely touch, and felt it was a most appropriate way of paying respects to our crucified Lord. Even the daily ferry celebrated; it sailed into harbour with its horns blaring and flares burning on deck!
Early in the afternoon, after Vespers, the figure of Christ is taken down from the cross. In the centre of the church is a lovely, lavishly decorated bier. The one we saw was beautifully festooned with fresh orchids, like an exhibit at a flower show. On this the Epitaphion (the linen altar-cloth) is laid, on a cushion of rose petals, to symbolise Christs' lying in state. People come in during the afternoon to kiss the Epitaphion and the icon of Christ, and light a candle, and it is customary for Greeks to cross themselves 3 times. They do this freely and at will. At the end of the Service, everyone pours out of the church to lead a torchlight procession through the town. Each church does this, so we saw several at different times.
It was a wonderful sight. We were standing in the centre of town, waiting for them. First of all came someone carrying a wooden cross, followed by the bearers of the bier holding the Epitaphion, then the priest, followed by a posse of soldiers, and then the rest of the congregation. They were all singing the Trisagion (the funeral chant).
We joined in the procession, as did everyone else. Flanked by firecrackers on each side, it felt like being caught in crossfire, and the smell of sulphur was overpowering. When we reached the church, there was a bottleneck in the churchyard because another procession passed by on its way to another church. The bier with the Epitaphion is held above the door, and we all stooped underneath it to enter the church. This is to symbolize entering the sepulchre, and to stoop is a sign of humility as we accept God's grace.
The Easter Vigil begins at 10.30pm on Saturday - again the evening before. We entered the church at 11.15pm for the last half-hour of the Service. The men and women seem to sit apart, and it was the elders rather than the priest who were chanting in turn. We were able to buy Paschal (Easter) Candles in the church. Everyone holds one, and it is customary for Godparents to give their Godchildren one. Of course we do not understand Greek, but we got the general gist of what was going on.
It was a profoundly moving experience, especially after "Kyrie Eleison" was sung, at which point all became silent, the lights were turned out and the priest disappeared, to reappear minutes later with a lighted candelabra. We all lit our candles from his, and filed outside, as midnight approached. The priest chanted the Proclamation of Christ's Resurrection and at midnight, proclaimed "Christos aneste" (Christ is risen), amidst the sound of bells and dynamite, and then the churchyard literally exploded with firecrackers.
Most people go home after exchanging Easter greetings, although some go back into church for Easter Matins. On arrival at home the head of the family makes the sign of XA at the door with the lighted candle. XA stands for Christos aneste. As it was a perfectly still evening we managed to make it back with our candles still lit, so we did the same, although only figuratively as we could not mark rented accommodation. We ate the cheese pies and koulouria (Easter biscuits) our Greek neighbours had given us earlier that day. The Symians, meantime, were breaking their fast with a meal, with a soup called magiritsa which is made from sheep's offal, cheese pies, biscuits and decorated hard-boiled eggs. The family gather again on Sunday lunchtime to eat Kokoretsi, roast lamb.
"Christos aneste" was a greeting we heard often over the next couple of days - not just at church - in the market place, at the beach, on the bus. Late morning on Sunday, we made our way to the square where a street party was already in progress. There was Greek music and plenty to eat and drink; water and white and red wine, bread, and lamb roasting on a spit. The offal was also roasted on a rack, and the entrails were wound round a stick and also roasted, so that nothing was wasted. We were all invited to take part, and there was no charge. There were egg-cracking contests, which are similar to conker championships. We all helped ourselves to hard-boiled eggs which had been dyed red, green or yellow, but mostly red. Then we had to try to crack our neighbours' eggs using our own.
On the stage, which had been erected for the occasion, sat the effigy of Judas. Earlier in the morning he had been trundled through town in a cart, and was now awaiting his fate. Some times apparently he is made to look like a famous political figure - a couple of years back he was a Bin Laden look-alike. We returned to the square that evening, to watch some Greek dancing, and then the unfortunate Judas was set alight. This was followed by a spectacular firework display and some more dynamite.
This was where culture and religion met. It was difficult to separate them; even the secular experiences we had at Easter were also deeply spiritual. As for me, I felt my Protestantism simultaneously strengthened and challenged. I was able to appreciate its strengths, and to evaluate its shortcomings, and to realise more fully that we share a God who loves us all in all our diversity. He created that diversity. The one faith which we share with our Greek brothers and sisters has many more similarities than differences.
Christos Aneste. Amen.
According to Greek Mythology, Prometheus was the one who brought fire to mankind by stealing it from the gods. His punishment was to be turned into a monkey and he was banished to the island which takes its name from the Greek word for monkey.
The Service is called 'Service of 12 Gospels', as the passion from all 4 Gospels is read in 12 readings, each one interspersed with Psalms and Antiphons. When the story of the crucifixion is reached, the crucifix is brought from behind the iconstasion by the priest to the centre of the church, and life-sized figures of the Virgin Mary and St John the apostle are placed on each side. Members of the congregation venerate by kissing the feet of the crucified Christ, and wreaths of flowers, mostly red, are placed on the arms of the cross and at its base. Some of the congregation keep watch throughout the evening and night, with singing.
This became impossible to hear because of the sheer numbers of the ubiquitous firecrackers, which by now had reached deafening proportions, not to mention the occasional blasts of dynamite, although most of that was reserved for Easter itself.
