I have wonderful childhood memories of eating a delicious spit-roasted lamb on Easter. In villages like Thermo, the one I grew up in, it was the centerpiece of our Greek Easter feast.
Usually, it was a whole roasted lamb that was loaded with spices and then turned on a spit throughout the day. The fragrance was unbelievable.
I later learned that this tradition of enjoying lamb was one that both Orthodox and Catholics had in common, an important part of their Easter celebration.
I must add that Lamb is certainly not the only thing that Orthodox and Catholics have in common, as we have a shared religious heritage.
What is unique between the two, is that, in years past they haven’t always celebrated Easter on the same day… it’s a rare occurrence.
But, this year, on Sunday April 20th 2025, Catholics, Christians, and the Orthodox will be celebrating Easter on the same day. So why does this date discrepancy occur between the holidays? It’s because each religion subscribes to a different calendar.
Table of Contents
Tradition, the Orthodox Way…
Both Orthodox and Catholic Easter celebrations share many similarities in the kinds of foods that will be served on a family’s table, and all of the dishes will reflect their common heritage, but in the Orthodox tradition, Mediterranean dietary influences can be seen in everything prepared and consumed.
Depending on family tradition, the centerpiece of any Orthodox Easter celebration usually includes lamb, and alongside that you’ll see everything from a beautiful array of early spring vegetables, Easter eggs, breads, specialty dishes, and holiday desserts made just for that day.
- Magiritsa is an offal soup, full of finely chopped organ meats (from the whole lamb usually roasted on a spit), paired with vibrant spring vegetables and herbs, lots of lemon, and of course, olive oil.
- Lamb is the traditional meat of choice on Easter. Many families still cook a whole lamb roasted throughout the day on a spit, or in the oven stuffed with rice. It’s done very simply, often dressed with salt, pepper, bathed in beer, and flawlessly roasted – the centerpiece of the meal.
- Kokoretsi, an acquired taste, is organ meat wrapped in intestines, then caul fat, and roasted on a spit to crispy perfection. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and dry Greek oregano, served with olive oil and lots of lemon, the Greek Easter table is a prime example of nose to tail cooking.
- Spring vegetables are also part of the Easter table, not only because they are seasonal, healthy to eat, but because they also symbolize spring renewal, and the start of a new life.
- Spanakopita, the famously delectable Greek spinach pie, is a dish often associated with warmth, family, and abundance. It has long been a part of holiday tables throughout Greece for generation, after generation. Made with a savory mix of spinach, feta, and herbs that are folded into layers of crispy phyllo dough, it’s traditionally served up on Easter either as a a side dish or an appetizer.
Shared Treats
There are a variety of sweeter treats that those celebrating Easter, whether Orthodox or Catholic, have in common:
Hot Cross Buns – If you’ve never tried them before, you don’t know what you’re missing! These sweet and spicy buns with the symbol of a cross on top, are often eaten on Good Friday in Catholic, and some Orthodox traditions.
Tsoureki is a traditional Easter bread served in Greece to break the Lenten fast. Tsoureki is a beautifully braided bread, seasoned with ‘Mahlebi’, a Mediterranean seasoning made from cherry pits, with or without red-dyed, hard-boiled eggs inserted into the weaving on the top. It’s as delicious, as it is beautiful!
Known as Pasha in the Ukraine, and Babka in Poland..this deliciously rich, sweet, egg bread is often filled with raisins, nuts, and my favorite, chocolate. Served as a breakfast treat on Easter morning, Babka is traditionally much sweeter, and sometimes topped with frosting.
Pastiera is an Italian Easter cake, originating in Southern Italy. It’s one of my favorites for the holiday (even though it’s not Greek), and while I’ve enjoyed many versions of this delicacy over the years, my absolute favorite is homemade by friend Gennaro’s father, Nicola Pecchia.
For the past few years, every Easter, Gennaro and Nicola hand deliver this incredible treat to me at Loi Estiatorio, and I savor every bite. It’s light, creamy, and delicately floral, made with creamy ricotta, wheat berries, eggs, and orange blossom water. Not only is it delicious, but it’s beautiful too, topped with a perfect lattice making it a true show stopper for Easter.
Ever since the first time I was gifted this amazing cake, I told Gennaro and Nicola that it’s a shame that more people can’t taste their Pastiera – they should open a seasonal bakery only for this, so everyone in New York (at least!) can enjoy!
And Don’t Forget the Eggs…
Eggs are very symbolic in the springtime, throughout all the major religions. Greeks, along with many other cultures, have looked at these eggs as a symbol of fertility, and rebirth.
In Christian religions, eggs are dyed bright, happy shades to evoke spring feelings – though the original meaning was to symbolize the tomb from which Jesus arose. In Greek culture, Easter Eggs are serious business!
There are a number of stories for why the eggs are dyed red, but the one I like the most has it that an unknown woman, who wouldn’t believe the news of Christ’s resurrection, said that she would believe it only when the eggs she had been holding turned red; miraculously, the eggs changed as soon as she spoke the words.
In the Orthodox tradition, the eggs are usually dyed a very deep red on the Thursday before Easter. This particular Thursday is called Red Thursday, or Kokkini Pempti. Nothing is done on Good Friday as a sign of respect; everyone fasts on Holy Saturday, and Sunday is a celebration of his divine nature and of the true arrival of spring!
We also play a fun game called tsougrisma (which means ‘clinking together’ or ‘clashing’) and it involves two players and red eggs.
- Each player holds a red egg, and one taps the end of her/his egg lightly against the end of the other player’s egg. The goal is to crack the opponent’s egg. When one end is cracked, the winner uses the same end of her/his egg to try to crack the other end of the opponent’s egg.
- The player who successfully cracks the eggs of the other players is declared the winner and, it is said, will have good luck during the year.
Pass the Wine
Wine is an integral part of both Catholic and Orthodox Easter celebrations. Throughout time many different wines have been part of the holiday table.
I personally think one of the nicer pairings with lamb, is a lovely grape known as Agiorgitiko (also known as the St. George varietal), which originated in ancient Greece, and is still grown across the country today. It’s a full-bodied wine with lots of spice that matches nicely with the lamb’s seasonings.
A sweet dessert wine is also frequently served, and a festive part of an Easter feast as well. A fortified wine like Muscat of Samos is one of the more popular choices, and loved by wine enthusiasts. The grapes come from the semi-mountainous zones of Samos, and it pairs nicely with desserts, as well as the traditional tsoureki bread.
And Don’t Forget To Say…
Happy Easter, or Καλό Πάσχα (Kalo Pascha) in Greek! No matter how you commemorate Easter, remember that this is an ode to spring, and a time to celebrate the rebirth and renewal that happens all around the world as it reawakens after the winter.
All photo credits are Chef Loi
