Why Does My Greek Friend Celebrate Easter on a Different Day?

Those of you who have ever had a Greek work colleague in your office or a Greek friend in your community, have most likely noticed over the years they celebrate Easter on a different day than you do. You probably know all about the lamb on the spit, and if you are lucky you have been invited to partake in the festivities of Greek Easter at their home, but have you ever stopped to wonder why it’s on a different day? If you live in the United States and have Greek friends, you may have heard the Easters referred to as “American Easter” and “Greek Easter,” but what you may not know is that it’s not just the Greeks, but all Eastern Orthodox Christians which officially include the Russians, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Cypriots, Lebanese, Romanians and the Republic of Macedonia (with Eastern Orthodox Christians spread out all over the world in other countries as well). Occasionally, but very rarely, the eastern and western Easters (western being the rest of the Christian Churches) fall on the same day. Why is this you ask? Good question, it’s a bit confusing. Eastern Christianity has chosen to follow the Julian calendar (the “old” calendar) for Easter while western Christianity follows the Gregorian calendar. What is a bit more confusing is that some Eastern Orthodox churches follow the old calendar all year around which is why you may have some friends that celebrate Christmas on a different day also. The Julian calendar was first implemented by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C. and is the calendar that Europe followed until The Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. Pope Gregory created this calendar as a correction to the Julian calendar because it miscalculated the length of the solar year by 11 minutes, and had since fallen out of sync with the seasons. He was concerned because that meant Easter fell further away from the spring equinox each year. Interesting right? Who knew! The Gregorian calendar is now the most widely used calendar in the world today. Basically, the Greeks and other Eastern Orthodox churches simply chose to stay on the old calendar for Easter (we do like tradition after all).

Here are some other things you may have noticed especially if you live in Astoria, Queens or other areas of New York City, If you frequent the pub “Pete’s Tavern” in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan you may have been there on a Friday night in the spring and have noticed at about 8:00pm a group of people walking around carrying a large wooden object covered in flowers, and singing in a language you don’t recognize. This is the congregation from St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church on 17th and Irving, If you recall your early Sunday School days, you may remember that on the Thursday before Easter, Jesus was nailed to the Cross where he died and ascended into heaven. The wooden object (or kouvouklion as the Greeks call it) represents the tomb of Christ and it is carried around the city blocks in a procession while the priest and congregation sing the lamentations (funeral hymns). You are essentially witnessing Christ’s funeral through the eyes of Greek Orthodox Christians. Have you ever been out around midnight in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood and noticed people on 54th street holding red candles singing and waving those candles into the night sky? This is the parish from St. George Greek Orthodox Church on 54th street between 8th and 9th avenue, and what you are witnessing is the celebration of Christ rising from the dead. The hymn is “Christos Anesti” (Christ is Risen) and we continue to greet each other with this phrase for 40 days after Easter Sunday. I have non-Greek friends living in Astoria, Queens who have asked me over the years, “why are the Greeks outside late at night singing with candles?” I recognize it must seem very odd to most people but if you ever happen to be walking by, stop and listen. These hymns and practices are steeped in tradition dating back hundreds of years. I promise you will be moved and will learn something new about the amazing New York neighborhood you live in.

This year because of COVID-19 once again, you may not be able to experience this like every other year. Last year it was especially hard for those of us who watched the services on live stream in our living rooms, instead of being inside the Church that we love during our favorite time of the year (and yes, I take the liberty to speak for all Greeks here). This year as vaccinations have rolled out quickly in the states it should be better and we will be able to sit in church once again. Now that the western Easter has passed, and you have most likely already eaten all your Easter chocolates from last month, remember that there is an entirely different part of the world still yet to celebrate on May 2nd, and if you live in Astoria, Queens around one of the many beautiful Greek churches, listen carefully and take a peek out your windows around midnight on Saturday night, I can almost guarantee the Greeks will not let Coronavirus keep them from lighting a candle and singing the beautiful hymns.

To all my fellow Greeks, Kali Anastasi.

Photo Credit - Clark Ven Der Beken @snapsbyclark