Easter is by far the most important festival of the Greek year - infinitely more so than Christmas - and taken much more seriously than it is anywhere in western Europe, aside from Spain. From Wednesday of Holy Week until the following Monday, the state radio and TV networks are given over solely to religious programmes.

The festival is an excellent time to be in Greece, both for its beautiful religious ceremonies and for the days of feasting and celebration that follow. The mountainous island of Ídhra with its alleged 360 churches and monasteries is the prime Easter resort, but unless you plan well in advance you have no hope of finding accommodation at that time. Other famous Easter celebrations are held at Corfu, Pyrg?on Híos, Ólymbos on Kárpathos and St John's monastery on Pátmos.

The first great public ceremony takes place on Good Friday evening as the Descent from the Cross is lamented in church. At dusk the Epitáfios , Christ's funeral bier, lavishly decorated by the women of the parish (in large villages there will be more than one, from each church), leaves the sanctuary and is paraded solemnly through the streets. In many places, Crete especially, this is accompanied by the burning of effigies of Judas Iscariot.

Late Saturday evening sees the climax in a majestic Anástasis mass to celebrate Christ's triumphant return. At the stroke of midnight all the lights in every crowded church are extinguished, and the congregation plunged into the darkness which envelops Christ as He passes through the underworld. Then there's a faint glimmer of light behind the altar screen before the priest appears, holding aloft a lighted taper and chanting " Avt?to Fós ?" (This is the Light of the World). Stepping down to the level of the parishioners, he touches his flame to the unlit candles of the nearest worshippers, intoning " Dévteh, léveteh Fós " (Come, take the Light). Those at the front of the congregation and on the aisles do the same for their neighbours until the entire church - and the outer courtyard, standing room only for latecomers - is ablaze with burning candles and the miracle reaffirmed.

Even the most committed agnostic is likely to find this moving. The traditional greeting, as fireworks explode all around you in the street, is " Khristós Anésti " (Christ is risen), to which the response is " Alithós Anésti " (Truly He is risen). In the week up to Easter Sunday you should wish people " Kal?Páskha " (Happy Easter); on or after the day, you say " Khrónia Poll?" (Many happy returns).

Worshippers then take the burning candles home through the streets; they are said to bring good fortune to the house if they arrive still burning. On reaching the front door it is common practice to make the sign of the cross on the lintel with the flame, leaving a black smudge visible for the rest of the year. The forty-day Lenten fast - still observed by the devout and in rural areas - is traditionally broken early on Sunday morning with a meal of mayerítsa , a soup made from lamb tripe, rice, dill and lemon. The rest of the lamb will be roasted on a spit for Sunday lunch, and festivities often take place through the rest of the day.

The Greek equivalent of Easter eggs are hard-boiled eggs (painted red on Holy Thursday), which are baked into twisted, sweet bread-loaves ( tsouréki ) or distributed on Easter Sunday. People rap their eggs against their friends' eggs, and the owner of the last uncracked egg is considered lucky.

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