Easter in Crete
The celebrations of Easter, or Paska, are some of the most important of the year in Greece and for anyone on the island of Crete for a break during early April, the events added a dash of local colour to their stay.
The Easter celebrations in Greece often fall on different dates to the celebrations in the rest of western Europe, but in 2010 (and unusually 2011) they coincided exactly.
The Greek Easter is a much longer affair that the Easter many are used to and started on the Monday before the main Easter weekend, when regular church services celebrated different aspects. Having fasted during Lent, you can imagine that food played an important part of the celebrations. Traditional Easter biscuits, or Koulouraki, were eaten, eggs dyed red and Tsoureki, or Easter bread, was also popular. As well as being symbolic, the red dyed eggs are used in the traditional game of Tsougrisma, where the eggs are used like chestnuts as in the traditionally British game of conkers. Holding the eggs in their fists, players take it in turns to tap the end of their opponent's egg with their own. The winner is the player who cracks his opponent's egg first.
The Easter weather was kind enough to make roasting the Easter lamb an outdoor activity, with spit-roasted meats common in many village festivals.
The Easter celebrations took place all over the island, but the towns of Chania and Heraklion were places where the festivities were most easily found. On Good Friday, the procession of the Epitaphs in Heraklion was worth experiencing as processions from four different churches met up in the town's main square. Chania's impressive cathedral was built in the 13th century and, together with a number of monasteries that can be found in the surrounding area, made a nice location to enjoy at any time and not just a traditional Greek Easter.
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Crete Holidays 'a treat'
Daily Mirror - 27th March 2010
People looking for a destination that combines history with good weather and beaches have been urged to consider a Crete holiday. The Daily Mirror published an article stating that if the destination "is good enough for a Greek god, then it's probably good enough for the rest of us" - referring to the fact that, according to legend, Crete was created as a playground for the young deity Zeus.
Adventurous travellers planning a Western Crete Property Rental holiday can enjoy some of the natural features that were supposedly put in place for the Greek god, including mountains, deep coves and green hillsides.
The Mirror writer visited several destinations on the island, including the Minoan palace of Knossos, which is located in Western Crete, near Heraklion.
One of Greece's most visited archaeological sites, the structure is associated with mythological stories including the tale of the Minotaur, who was half-human, half-bull.
A Western Crete Property Rental holiday will also offer the opportunity to try some local cuisine, including mussels, squid, cuttlefish and other seafood, as well as a dish known as 'koukouvagia' - barley rusks topped with olive oil, tomatoes, cheese and oregano.
New Agreement Set to Boost Crete Holidays
Travel Daily News International - 15th March 2010
Holiday makers planning Western Crete Property Rental breaks in the near future could see the benefit of a recent agreement between the Greek island and the World Centre of Excellence for Destinations (CED).
The agreement will provide a number of benefits for Crete, including the establishment of a clear tourism profile and assistance in the island's bid to keep up with international competition.
Eventually, the CED aims to implement the System of Measures for Excellence in Destinations (SMED) on the island, Travel Daily News International reports.
This would focus on improving the experience on offer to people taking Crete holidays while supporting the country's environment, culture and heritage.
Andre Vallerand, president of the CED, said: "Greece is the first country to identify the SMED as a national tool in several destinations.
"Moreover, the island of Crete is the second SMED evaluation conducted in Greece as part of this partnership relationship with [sustainable tourism organisation] ELAGRO."