Resurrection celebrations with two residents in stone villages, bread auctions for the dead, and laments for the Virgin Mary. Mani fascinates both with the landscape and with their Easter.
Holy Friday
Processions in Mani begin at 6 pm, as each priest has to go to 3-4 different villages. The most popular are the epitaphs of Areopolis (the epitaph procession takes place in the beautiful historical center) and Gythio (there are three epitaphs in Iroon), while it is also interesting in Pyrgos Diros and Kotronas, where the ritual takes place by boat in the sea. In Mina, on the other hand, you will hear the ladies sing once the lament of Panagia, as only the Maniatisses (women of Mani) do.
Holy Saturday
The Churches Liturgies on Saturday start very early, because of the great importance of the holy message of the Resurrection, which is of special importance in the consciousness of Mani and is also transmitted to the "xemonia", i.e. the settlements with two or three inhabitants, which no priest forgets. In the popular villages the Resurrection is accompanied by innumerable barrels, though most of the people of Mani do not leave with "Christ is Risen" and they remain until the end of the Liturgy for the Holy Communion. The night ends with tripe or "magiritsa"(meat soup), which are also served in the taverns.
Easter Sunday
And yet, until a few years ago, Easter Sunday was "indifferent" to the people of Mani, as they ate what was left over from the Resurrection meal. Now you'll see lots of lambs eaten and several shops serving it.
Easter Monday
On this day, the Mani's special Easter traditional cuisine goes in the oven: a goat with artichokes and fennel or oregano (others make it on Sunday night), but you'll hardly taste it anywhere outside. The day is dedicated to the dead, however, as in many villages residents visit the cemetery with eggs and buns. In some villages there is even a procession with the Cross and the image of the Resurrection from house to house. The procession gradually grows and ends at the cemetery where, after the "Trishagio", there is a real bun auction in honor of the dead! Lambrokouloura (bread with intricate dough embroidery) is also dedicated to the recently deceased and the young.
Take a tour of the charming Laconian Peninsula and see the stone villages with their special war towers. Stop in Areopolis, in the caves of Diros, in Gerolimenas and in Vathia. Follow the road from Kokkinogeia to Akrotainaro and the lighthouse: for the ancient Greeks, this area was the gates of Hades.
