Candles at Easter....

From a comment I put on Facebook a few people asked me what I was referring to when I stated I could not accept Easter Candles in Greece being sold with "Barbie-Power Rangers-Cowboys & Indians" designs on them alongside the tradition Easter Candle for the transfer of the Holy Fire........

Let me explain what goes on Saturday night into Easter Sunday

The Church service starts at 11 p.m. The church is dark and no light is turned on. The darkness represents the darkness of the tomb. The faithful bring or buy large Easter Candles and hold them in their hands without lighting the. 

A few minutes before mid night the priest comes out of the Altar and holding a large lit candle and sings:

"Come receive the light from the unwinding light and glorify the resurrected Lord".

Everybody approaches the priest with their candles to receive the light and go outside. A big procession led by the Resurrection Banner goes out of the Church to a make shift stand. There the Gospel depicting the Resurrection is read and the Hymn of Resurrection is chanted 12 times:

"Christ is Risen from the death trampling death by death, He has bestowed life to those in the tombs".

While this hymn is chanted everybody embraces each other and says "Christ is Risen" and the other party responds "Truly He is Risen". 

The procession returns with Easter hymns to the Church, where the matins and the Pascal Divine Liturgy is celebrated with every body holding the light of Resurrection in their hands.Those who are prepared receive Holy Communion around 1.30 a.m. and before the conclusion the priest reads a special prayer for the eggs, milk and baked lamb.

The Homily of  Resurrection of St John of Chrysostomis is read and the priest distributes red eggs.

People take their candles and bring them to their home without dying them out. At the top of their door with the flame of the candle they make the sign of the Cross, as a sign of protection and blessing of the Risen Lord. 

Then they take the candle and put it on the Dinner table where they have a soup called magheiritsa, look at the recipes, or hot milk with the Easter tsoureki and crash eggs with each other saying Christ is Risen Truly is Risen.

Some families at 2 a.m. have full dinner. If somebody who has fasted for a long time it will be wise to eat Easter cake with hot milk and then have a rich Festal dinner the next day, which is Easter Sunday.