Easter at Chalki

Starting in 2026, an initiative will be launched to highlight Easter on Chalki, with the aim of showcasing the unique traditions and customs that make it a one-of-a-kind experience. The goal is to have Easter in Chalki included in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The program is as follows:

• Good Friday: The day of the Epitaph is a day of reflection and inner search for all Greeks. In this context, the participation of citizens in the decoration of the Epitaph is of particular importance. In Chalki, there is a strong sense of religiosity throughout the Easter period, with services taking place at a special and solemn time. More specifically, the Epitaphios service begins at 2:00 a.m. on Holy Saturday. To ensure people can participate, the “wake-up callers” spring into action, touring the island from 1:00 a.m. and using sounds and shouts to wake people up so they can go to church. The traditional Epitaph procession takes place around 5:00 a.m.

• Holy Saturday: Once again at this unique hour, at 1:00 a.m. from Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday, the wake-up call ensures that the faithful are at the church by 2:00 a.m. for the Resurrection service to begin, which concludes around sunrise. After the Resurrection, red eggs will be distributed to everyone in the church courtyard.

• Easter Sunday: At noon on Easter Sunday, the “Vespers of Love” is celebrated, a service of joy and unity. The Gospel is read in many languages, symbolizing the spread of the Resurrection throughout the world. The faithful exchange greetings and wishes for peace, while the atmosphere evokes a festive gathering that unites tradition, community, and light. Furthermore, Chalki is one of the few places in Greece where the custom of burning Judas is observed. A folk Easter custom in which an effigy of the traitor is burned after the Vespers of Love. The fire symbolizes purification and the victory of light over evil. The effigy, crafted by the island’s youth, features a different theme each year, with an aesthetic reminiscent of carnival effigies made for amusement, exorcism, and folk purification.

• Easter Monday: Boat trip to Alimia, church service at the chapel of St. George, simple refreshments & musical event. Alimia is a small island with a rich history, administratively belonging to Chalki. The island was inhabited from the Neolithic period until around the 1960s. Although abandoned, the settlement has been designated a traditional site since 1978. In recent years, through the initiative and support of the Metropolitan and the Vicar of Chalki, a systematic effort has been underway to support Alimia through the restoration of buildings. In this context, the establishment of this festival holds particular historical and social significance.