Spring celebrations in Greece and Spain! 

GREEK EASTER TRADITIONS, CRAFTS AND TASKS!

On May 1st, 2016 we are going to celebrate Easter in Greece. Schools are closed from today, April 22nd, up to the 8th May. We have prepared some short group presentations about Greek Easter traditions; we have also created a fun Easter wordsearch; and we would also like to share a couple of Easter crafts that we have enjoyed in class.

Happy Easter from Piraeus, Greece!

 

 

 

EASTER ACTIVITIES AT INMACULADA SCHOOL IN ALICANTE

1. Last March, we turned our school into a typical English town. We transformed our corridors and classrooms with English topics like traditional London buses, phoneboxes, ... and we did lot of activities related to Harry Potter's book and Beatles' songs. We also had our dining school room decorated with British flags. It was so funny and pupils enjoyed the experience acting and having a very great time. We had a photocall session like this

We also have a musical show where pupils play and sing some songs of the best English pop group, The Beatles!!

Some pupils were proffesional actors and actresses for a moment. They acted in an English theatre play "Treasure Island" with a professional Theatre  company. They enjoyed a lot!!

The last school day before Easter holiday, in the morning, we had a funny Table Quiz among all pupils in 5th and 6th grade of Primary Education, 240 pupils in total. They did groups of four and they had to answer different questions about general knowledge, music and famous people. There were some presents for the winners.

We also did a workshop about Easter where pupils created their own Easter Bunnies and they all had a souvenir and a chocolate easter egg.

 

 

SPRING IMAGES AND CUSTOMS IN GREECE

1. March 1st: The March Bracelet - The "Helidonismata"

March has to offer one of the most favourite Greek customs, the wearing of the “March bracelet”. Traditionally, in Greece, March is considered the first month of spring, and, hopefully, will bring lots of nice, hot sunshine. To protect themselves from being burnt by this hot, Greek sun, people, especially children, wear the “March Bracelet”: red and white yarn is woven together (white symbolizes purity, the red is for life and passion) to create a small bracelet, which is worn, from the first day of March. 

 

This has to be worn until you see the first stork or swallow, returning from migration, or the first blossoming tree, all heralding the arrival of spring. Once one of these elements of spring is spotted, the bracelet is removed and hung on a fruit tree, in order to keep the tree healthy and lucky, making sure of a good harvest of fruit. 

 

Nowadays, the “Evil Eye” is being incorporated into these quaint bracelets, another Greek custom, protecting against evil.

On March 1^st, many villages in Greece celebrate the “Helidonismata”, the coming of swallows (“helidoni” is the Greek word for “swallow”) which means that spring has finally arrived. Helidonismata is an ancient Greek custom that has survived till today. A wooden swallow with bells around its neck is attached to a rod carried by children. They sing the “swallow carols”, proclaiming that spring has come and wishing a good, fruitful year. In return for the good news that they bear, they are awarded various gifts: in ancient times it was eggs or money, today it’s usually candies, sweets and sometimes money.

So will you see a real swallow or a wooden one on March 1? Hopefully it means that spring is here but remember the words of Aristotle: “One swallow does not make a spring, nor does one fine day.”

 

2.Ms Fast ("Kyra Sarakosti")

In most Greek areas, “Ms Fast” (“Kyra Sarakosti” in Greek) was a drawing on a piece of paper. In other places, she is made of dough which contains flower, salt and water. It depicts a woman with her arms crossed (because she is praying), without a mouth (since it is the Fast period), who has got seven legs (one for every week of the Great Fast period. Every Saturday, people cut one leg so as to know how many Fast weeks there are until Easter.  On Holy Saturday, they cut the last leg which they fold well and place in a dry fig. This fig is placed among others and whoever finds it is supposed to be the lucky one (the leg acts as a kind of charm). In some areas, they place the last leg in the Easter bread.

 

Spring customs related to the Carnival and the first day of Lent.

 

 

We ve also celebrate Carnival and create digital animations about it. 

In ICT class apart from our Greek customs we ve studied and created Harequin (arlecchino)

More ICT class creations you can find here.

Press the green flag and....Happy Spring!!!

 

1st Primary School of Salamina The Celebration of the 25th March

Our candles and easter cards

Easter customs in Greece

   During the Holy Week, we go to church in the afternoons, it’ s a week of lament and strict fast. On Holy Thursday night, the service is dedicated  to the Last Supper and Christ's Crucifixion and then the women decorate the Epitaph with flowers  till  next  morning. On Holy Friday, a procession of the Epitaph takes place. It is considered a blessing  if somebody goes under the epitaph which passes through all the streets of the parish  and on Holy Saturday night we go to church with our candles. We  receive the Holy Light, bring it to our homes and we form a cross with the candles over the main entrance of our house. We keep this holy light  burning for  forty days. In the photos you can see the candles the pupils made at school. At Easter, we spit a lamb and we crack the red eggs we made on Holy Thursday along with the buns and easter rolls. Greeks celebrate Easter by having a traditional spree.