Botides (First Resurrection)

Saturday the Corfu wakes early. At 06.00 Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an impressive basilica Ionian style, the representation of the earthquake in the Scriptures followed the first resurrection.



At 09.00 in the Church of St. Spyridon starts the procession of the saint, which was introduced in 1550 , when Corfu was saved from starvation. The paradox here is that it is simultaneously the procession of the Epitaph , unlike all the other parts of Greece . The procession of the Epitaph on Holy Saturday introduced essentially the Medieval years , as the Venetians forbade the processions and Epitaph in the city .
The famous Corfu Philharmonic accompanies the procession . Perhaps you've heard that Corfu has one of the best organized and ' melodic ' Philharmonics - and really , the music is wonderful. Traditionally play certain music on Holy Saturday as the «Marcia Funebre» by Hroiki of Beethoven or «Calde Lacrime» of Michelli.
A few hours later , grief gives way to ... bustle as people gather at the Spianada and Liston - and wherever - you to enjoy one of the most fascinating traditions of Easter in our country , the pots.

With the mark of the first Resurrection at 11:00am, residents of Corfu flying huge jugs filled with water the pot from their balconies . The pots are earthen jugs with a narrow spout and two handles on the side for transport. The balconies are trimmed and residents to tie red ribbons pots - red is the color of Corfu.



The custom of breaking the pots Easter in Corfu has a long history, lost again in the Venetian era, but there are different theories on how it began. And because we are in Greece, where Christianity becomes tangled with the Twelve, theories have references to both religions.

       
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
Some say it is the custom of the Catholics of Venetian , where the beginning of time residents threw their old stuff to enable the new year to bring new and better. The residents of Corfu appropriated the custom , but replacing old things with pitchers to cause more fuss.
The second theory refers to the period of the ancient Greeks , who in April celebrated the beginning of the agricultural cycle of vegetation and tossing their old jugs to fill up with other young fruit. Some of Corfu will definitely tell you that , whatever be the truth , the love to cast out evil spirits with their pitchers , meaning the end of winter dormancy and rebirth of Nature.

If you find yourself Easter in Corfu during the break of pots, do not forget to take with you and a bit to keep it all the time - the locals will tell you it brings good luck.

And where the noise of Mpotidon ends, the bands getting out on the streets, this time playing joyous music - the march "Do not be afraid, Greeks' dominates the air.