Jubilación Living: More Sifnos Memories

Orthodox Holy Week and Easter

Without a doubt the most important holiday on the Greek calendar. Families head back to their home islands to be together and each day of the week saw more and more arrivals and more businesses open. Lucky for us the taverna directly below our ‘room to let’ on the waterfront opened Thursday night. We’ve not had a bad meal in our 3 weeks in Greece but each meal here has been fantastic. And now the family running it greet us like old friends. The Easter Sunday lamb feast will be one of those special meals never forgotten. It started at 2 (we were a bit early and only one of two tables of tourists- Greeks arrived closer to 3) and we waddled back up the stairs to our home away from home around 5. Needless to say we did not eat again that day. We were even too full to drink a bottle of wine we had saved for Easter.

Easter Saturday everyone gathers at the church bearing candles. At midnight someone emerges from the church and starts lighting the candles being held outside. The light must be shared from someone else and there were many kisses and greetings of ‘chrona pola’ and loosely translates at ‘many happy years’. We’re still hearing friends greet each other with it as the holiday week continues for many.

Pics

Local church festooned with flags, spill over of attendees on Good Friday, Saturday midnight lighting of candles, Easter bread our landlady was taking to the priests.

Easter lamb on the spit with a special sweet bread roll, red eggs, mid-point of meal.

Sifnos is renowned for its ceramic chimney pots which, no longer needed, are still proudly installed on buildings of all kinds. They run from the traditional to the whimsical. I am not sure who lugs these large pieces home but given the number of speciality shops featuring them it has to a favourite purchase of tourists as well as locals. I’d love one in my garden but the carryon bag just isn’t big enough.

Exploring the many walking paths between villages has been a highlight of Sifnos. The last day we came around a curve in a stacked wall pathway and met up with this guy. He was happy enough to pause and get his picture taken and set off with a wave.