Happy Easter – Kalo Pascha to everyone!
I do love Easter, but it does come with its dramas, and I don't mean the agonising temptation of Easter eggs and the guilt that follows!
Let's start with the pipe bombs and fireworks. I know I covered this a few weeks back, but there have been some developments…
After numerous battles with the neighbourhood kids to stop them setting off fireworks in the park next door to the house, one of the kids told us that a policeman had told him that sparklers and small fireworks are okay to use unsupervised and they are allowed to buy them. We don't know if the policeman happens to be his dad, uncle or his dad's uncle's koumbaro, but we had to bite our tongue after a trip to a new discount superstore in Larnaca. There, we found that fireworks are sold freely. You just have to pick them up from the display at the beginning of the shop, pop them into your trolley, pay for them and then you are free to let them off wherever you desire. They even have suitably ominous names like 'fire bomb'. And then we wonder why children can't see the harm in using these things; after all, you can buy them along with your bananas and milk. I didn't see a warning sign or indication that they wouldn't be sold to anyone underage either. 'Only in Cyprus', as we are used to saying…
What I do like about Easter on the island is that we combine elements of Western Easter with Orthodox Easter. As my own children are 'half and half' (half Cypriot, half English), they get to enjoy the differences of both their cultures, such as the contrast of dyed red eggs and chocolate eggs, religious traditions like decorating the Holy Sepulchre (epitafio), and fairytale traditions like the Easter bunny and egg hunts. Which leads me on to drama number two.
My kids are still in private nursery so we have yet to experience this first hand, but I have heard numerous horror stories from mums whose kids are in the state system (which my son will start in September). Apparently, state schools – including the pre-school – annually show a film of the crucifixion of Christ, complete with dripping blood from the crown of thorns and graphic images of the nails being driven in. I don't know if this is every school or just the village schools I have heard of, but not surprisingly, it has left children in tears and suffering from nightmares. I have also heard that pre-schoolers are taken to church to drink the blood of Christ (wine) so that they may be cleansed of demons. Yes, they are told that they need to be cleansed of their demons at the age of five.
I don't know how I will react if my son has to partake in any of the above next year, but for now, Easter is still a nice time for him, untarnished as yet.
So, if you celebrate – however you celebrate - may you enjoy this time and all the elements that make it uniquely Cyprus, even if your kids do come back from school drunk!
