MACEDONIAN CUSTOMS
Siesta
It takes place after lunch, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. During these hours, the substitute of night silence applies.You should also not call anyone during these hours. For example, if someone is hammering nails into the wall at 3 p.m., the person’s neighbor has the right to call the police because someone is disturbing the afternoon silence. This is a time to rest at home, eat a light meal or take a short nap. Siesta is a very important element of Greek culture because it helps maintain harmony between work and private life.
Passover
On Holy Wednesday, olive oil and oregano are blessed. It is said that this mixture has miraculous healing properties.
On Holy Thursday, in the morning, all housewives bake a traditional pot. Eggs are painted red and, surprisingly, only this color, because it symbolizes the blood shed by Christ, while the egg is a symbol of new life – resurrection.
On Holy Friday, there is an evening service, during which Greeks take part in a procession during which, in concentration and silence, and equipped with candles, they accompany Christ on his last journey to the grave.
Holy Saturday is a time of strict fasting and final preparations for “Anastasia”. Godparents visit the children, bringing them various gifts and a “lampada” – a candle, which the child takes with him to church in the evening.
