The ultimate guide for Easter holidays in Crete!
Easter in Crete is a unique experience. Grab the opportunity and spend your Easter holidays on one of the most traditional Greek islands. Get to know the regional traditions and customs, sample the local cuisine and enjoy the good weather.
Complete your car rental in Heraklion and organize the best Easter road trip in Crete. Keep reading below and get a glimpse of how people in Crete celebrate Easter.
Holy Week’s traditional recipes
If you've been to the island before, you are aware that every significant holiday in Crete has its own traditions. Similarly, Holy Monday marks the start of the Great Lent and the beginning of the Easter preparations. This period might seem challenging, however, Cretans know how to throw a feast even when they are fasting.
With rental cars from Rethymno, you explore the most famous and the less cosmopolitan villages in Crete in order to try some specialties such as pies, fava beans and potherbs.
Decorating the Epitaph on Holy Thursday
Housewives start kneading Easter cookies early on Holy Thursday to decorate the festive table. In the evening, after the service, they adorn the Epitaph with fresh flowers. Each year, the women of Agios Ioannis village in Marmaketo, decorate a mesmerizing Epitaph.
If you want to participate in the celebrations, all you have to do is rent a car in Souda. Plan your Easter holidays in Crete and enjoy moments of peace and tranquility.
The Friday before Easter
Good Friday is a day dedicated to the commemoration of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. For the full experience, pick up a rental car from Chania and set off early in the morning to the village of Voulgaro to watch the activities which take place there.
Whichever village you choose to visit, you will find out that on this specific day there is no meat, eggs or dairy products on the lunch table. The food options remain very simple with lentil soup being the most popular choice.
The burning of Juda’s effigy
The preparations commence on the morning of Holy Saturday. According to tradition, the young boys spend all day gathering wood and getting ready for a bonfire outside the church of the village. They place the effigy of Judas on top and wait until after the end of the midnight service to light it on fire.
At the same time, the place is filled with the smell of cooked food. In the evening, all villagers gather in the church to attend the service and take part in the burning of Judas. If you are arriving by plane to the island, all you have to do is rent a car from the Chania airport.
Visit Palaia Roumata and get a close-up look at this old tradition.
The church bells ring joyfully
On Easter Sunday the church bells ring nonstop. The neighborhoods are filled with the aroma of lemon and thyme as the lamb roast is put in the oven early. Some of the most remote villages still keep up with the tradition of organizing a feast on church grounds, where the priest bestows his blessing on the food and the celebrations begin.
The same routine is followed on Easter Monday morning, with music and plenty of food. Don't wait any longer and plan your vacation in Crete right away. Embrace the Easter customs and blend with the locals.
You now have a plan for your Easter getaway. Make the most of the traditional Easter celebrations by taking advantage of the available car rental options. Remember that with Carwiz you can rent a car from the airport in Heraklion as well as from numerous other locations throughout Crete.
Check all your options, select the dates that work best for you, and complete your reservation fast and easy.