The paschal greeting on the island of Santorini, Greece.
A glimpse of the Easter celebrations on the Greek island of Santorini, back in 2009.
Part 1 of 2
AS midnight approached, the Archbishop, with his priests, accompanied by the King and Queen, left the Church, and stationed themselves on the platform, which was raised considerably from the ground, so that they were distinctly seen by the people. Everyone now remained in breathless expectation, holding their unlighted tapers in readiness when the glad moment should arrive, while the priests still continued murmuring their melancholy chant in a low half-whisper.
Suddenly a single report of a cannon announced that twelve o’clock had struck, and that Easter day had begun; then the old Archbishop, elevating the cross, exclaimed in a loud exulting tone, ‘Christ is risen!’ ‘Christos anesti,’ and instantly every single individual of all that host took up the cry, and the vast multitude broke through and dispelled for ever the intense and mournful silence which they had maintained so long, with one spontaneous shout of indescribable joy and triumph, ‘Christ is risen!’ ‘Christ is risen!’
At the same moment, the oppressive darkness was succeeded by a blaze of light from thousands of tapers, which communicating one from another, seemed to send streams of fire in all directions, rendering the minutest objects distinctly visible, and casting the most vivid glow on the expressive faces, full of exultation, of the rejoicing crowd.
Précis
On a visit to Athens, Victorian writer Arthur Penrhys Stanley was privileged to witness the atmospheric night-time Easter Vigil, attended by the King himself. As midnight struck, the Archbishop raised the cry of ‘Christ is risen!’, which was taken up by the whole congregation. Tapers were lit, and blazing fire ran from hand to hand in the darkness. (59 / 60 words)
Part Two
The Easter service in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow, in 2016.
Easter celebrations begin on May 1st, 2018, in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. The service was led by Patriarch Kirill I and attended by President Vladimir Putin — making it an occasion not unlike that experienced by Dean Stanley over a century earlier in Athens, where the Archbishop of Athens served the liturgy in the presence of the King and Queen of Greece.
Bands of music struck up their gayest strains; the roll of the drum through the town, and further on the pealing of the cannon announced far and near these ‘glad tidings of great joy;’ while from hill and plain, from the sea-shore and the far olive-grove, rocket after rocket ascending to the clear sky, answered back with their mute eloquence, that Christ is risen indeed, and told of other tongues that were repeating those blessed words, and other hearts that leap for joy; everywhere men clasped each other’s hands, and congratulated one another, and embraced with countenances beaming with delight, as though to each one separately some wonderful happiness had been proclaimed; and so in truth it was;— and all the while, rising above the mingling of many sounds, each one of which was a sound of gladness, the aged priests were distinctly heard chanting forth a glorious old hymn of victory in tones so loud and clear, that they seemed to have regained their youth and strength to tell the world how ‘Christ is risen from the dead, having trampled death beneath His feet, and henceforth they that are in the tombs have everlasting life.’
Précis
Suddenly the air was filled with music, cannon sounded in the distance, and fireworks went off with a startling report. The congregation turned to one another and shook hands as if they had shared some wonderful news — which they had, said Stanley, so real to them was the news of Christ’s resurrection and his victory over death. (58 / 60 words)
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