Rhodes Summer 2007: Profitias-Ilias and a Greek Orthodox Chapel

The small but very beautiful Byzantine church of Foudoukli. The young Greek people do not visit the church very often, but the elder Greek do. They kiss the icons to honour Saint Nicolas.

The celebration of Easter means more to the Greek people than Christmas does. On the Saturday of Lazarus ( the Saturday before Holy Week begins), children go from door to door singing the 'Lazaros", and collecting money and eggs for the priests. In the old days, no farmer went to the fields to work on that day, since they believed that whatever they would touch would wither. They were only allowed to collect dry sticks for the ovens in order to bake the Easter cookies (Koulouriakia) during Holy Week. Also on that day, the housewives bake "Lazarakia" -coiled ring- breads, symbolising the wrapping of the body of Lazarus in his shroud. On the morning of Holy Thursday, groups of children visit all the neighbourhoods of the town, carrying baskets, singing and collecting flowers to decorate the bier of Christ. The epitaphios procession takes place in the early morning hours, after the Crucifixion rite, after which it is also customary for women to stay in church to sing the traditional laments.

Canon Eos 350D 18-55mm

Photo 1-3: F4 1/60 sec ISO 100 with flashlight

Photo 4-5: F8-10 1/200-1/250sec ISO 100