Living in Crete | Easter 2007 Blog

Kalo Pasxa and Happy Easter. For the Brits in Crete this is the
second year in a row that the Orthodox calendar for Holy Week falls
on the identical calendar period as with the other mainstream
Christian communities around the world. It makes life so much simpler
when this happens. Several years back there was almost a month's
difference. This meant that Greek Orthodox Lent was late by the same
margin of time. But this year no phoning back to UK trying to be in
'their' Easter-tide mood when we were still in Lent and nothing was
happening. Then, when we on Crete are celebrating, the Brits back in
UK were looking forward to their Spring Bank holiday having forgotten
Easter break already. I am told by our hotelier friends this Easter
this year, with it being in mid-April, the holiday season can now run
continuously until October. None of this 'opening up for a week just
for Easter' only to close again until the first week in May. I am not
up to scratch completely on why this is the case. But it has
something to do with the tax man, revenues, labour rules etc. It
seems as though the present government in Athens is trying to adjust
many peculiar rules and regulations of governance that harp back to,
and a legacy of, the days of a more socialist Greece. It amazes me
how there is still this legacy of communism in the country, which
happens to be a staunchly religious society as well. The same could
well be said for other Mediterranean lands such as Italy, Spain and
France. So the cash registers are clinking away with the first summer
charter flights of the year into Chania and Heraklion. Hope the
weather co-operates and not disappoint sun worshippers.