Easter Sunday & Long Lost Sister Returns!

Χριστος Ανεστη! | Christ Has Risen!

I know I'm a little late on the greeting, but in Greek Culture we express that Christ has risen 40 days after Easter.  So if you don't see your Greek friend on Easter, it's still cool to say Christos Anesti to them even the week after all of the festivities!

Easter was really nice this year and it was great to have everyone together.  It was the first time since 2010 that I had been home for the holiday. It also was the first Easter without my dad's mother, Yiayia Margarita. She passed away in November unexpectedly so it's been tough going through all the holidays without her. But the last time I was home was the last time we were all together on one of my favourite holidays. This is us in 2010

Yeah, posing with the lamb is a thing we do!

But this Easter was also very special because my exchange partner from high school got to spend the day with us too!

(My sister, my mom, me and Caro)

I'm sure you can guess which one isn't related!

We first met back in 2007 when she came to America for about 3 weeks. She stayed with me, slept in my room with me, went to school and we did a lot of things together while she was here.

This was a few days before I left Germany in 2008 so seeing her for the first time in 6 years was really awesome as it was a bit different!

It was nice to have time together where we weren't running around doing a ton of things or going to school or anything like that.  It was on our time and it was just amazing getting to catch up with her and see how much we both have grown in our lives and with ourselves in the past 6 years.

We had a beautiful mild day for Easter so it felt good to be outside in the sun for a little while. Here are some other pictures from the day.

(Alexa, mom, me)

 (Pappou Bill, Pappou Hercules, Uncle Harry)

(Alexa, Yiayia Chris)

(Cousin Olivia, Alexa, Cousin Morgan)

(Olivia, Morgan, Yiayia)

(Aunt Karen, Olivia, Uncle Bill, Morgan)

(Dad, Ouzo and cigar in hand. Oh and lamb.)

(Pappou's enjoying their beverages)

(Caro, Mom, Alexa)

(Aunt Maria, Me, Pappou Bill)

(Alexa, Uncle Mike)

(Yours truly)

(Dad and Uncle Bill getting the lamb cut)

(Dad and Mom unveiling all the delicious foood!!!)

(Chive potato cakes I made [recipe coming soon])

Before we eat, we stand in a circle as a family and we sing "Christos Anesti" together. The song is about Christ rising from the dead and how he died for us etc, etc.  It's a very pretty song and it's something I will continue to practice when I have my own family and I host Easter at my house (someday) I wouldn't say I'm the most religious person on the planet but I believe in God and a higher power.  There just has to be something bigger than us out there, whatever it is.  I like Easter so much because it's a nice time for all of us to come together, the weather is usually very nice and I like all of the traditions that come with the holiday.

After we sing we play the egg cracking game. Sounds strange I know, but it's fun! In Orthodox culture, we dye our Easter eggs red to symbolize the blood of Christ. So everyone gets an egg and you try to crack either end of someone else's egg with yours. It sounds crazy, but it's fun and if you win, meaning if your egg remains completely uncracked, you will have good luck! I know us Greeks are pretty crazy. This year my Pappou Hercules won the 'vicious' battle!

After dinner we went for a walk together, had dessert and then Caro and I took a nap on the couch after everyone left.  Again, it was wonderful to have everyone together and for me to be with my family this year.  I hope everyone else had a great day whether you had your own Easter traditions or not!

Christ has risen!

-Kristina