The weight of orthodoxy
In the Ionian Islands, as in the rest of the country, 98% of the population are Orthodox Christians. Less and less practicing, they remain however very attached to their churches and their monasteries which they frequent in number for the great religious ceremonies... and civil. The Greek Orthodox Church and the Greek state are still not separated and priests are paid as civil servants. Although Orthodoxy is no longer the official religion, the Church remains a major player in Greece. While it is the richest landowner in the country, its connections in the circles of power mean that it still escapes taxation.
Easter on the balcony..
If you are in the Ionian Islands during this period, you can't miss it: during the Easter holidays, life slows down, punctuated by religious celebrations. In Corfu alone, about 20 marching bands parade through the streets! The festivities begin on Palm Sunday, when families gather and prepare the traditional almond and honey cakes. On Good Friday, bells ring throughout the city. The streets are invaded by processions, with an epitaphios, a coffin and an icon of Christ, which is moved around the city. On Easter Saturday, at 11 am, the bells ring and suddenly from the windows thousands of clay pots full of water are released into the streets. Watch out! This custom would be influenced by the Venetians who used to throw old objects from balconies as a sign of renewal. The bands then start to play music throughout the city. In the evening, around midnight, the Greeks go to the church and wait for the Pope to say "Christos Anestis" ("Christ is risen") to take the light of Jerusalem with their candle and bring it carefully back to their homes. The light protects the home from the evil eye and from evil in general. It is also at this time that fireworks are set off in the bay of Corfu, a magical scene! On Saturday, after the mass and the Resurrection, it is common to go and eat magiritsa (a soup made of offal) and eggs painted in red. On Sunday, families gather and eat lamb roasted on a spit and rest. At this time you can go to the countryside around Corfu and enjoy yourself! On Whit Monday, 50 days later, another celebration takes place. Beware: hotels are often fully booked during this period.
A moving Jewish presence
Despite the overwhelming weight of Orthodoxy, Judaism has a special place in the Ionian Islands. The Jews arrived in Corfu in 1160 and were mainly Romaniotes (Greek speaking) from the Balkans. They were persecuted under the Byzantine regime. It was not until the 14th century that they were able to acquire rights, allowing them to own land and vineyards. Under the Venetians (1386-1797), they became prosperous. They joined the army, could lend money to the nobles, trade, be doctors or notaries. But attacks were regular and in 1622 the Doge built a ghetto for the island's Jews. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain and Portugal, a new wave settled in Corfu. They were joined by Italian Jews. Two communities, the Romaniotes and the Sephardim, lived together. They had their separate lives with their own synagogues and cemeteries. When Napoleon conquered Corfu in 1797, he gave equal rights to the Jews. By 1802, some 1,229 Jews had settled on the island. In 1864, the Jewish community contributed to the Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire. But they still stirred up jealousy and were often victims of pogroms, especially in 1891, which led some Jews to emigrate. At the beginning of the Second World War, Corfu had a Jewish community of 2,000 members. During the Italian occupation, they were not persecuted. But with the arrival of the Germans, the situation quickly changed. If in Zakynthos all the Jews were saved thanks to the action of the metropolitan who hid them, in Corfu the community was almost entirely exterminated by the Nazis.
Of the four synagogues that existed in Corfu, there is only one that has survived, the "Scuola Greca", at 4 Velissariou Street, built in the 18th century. Painted yellow on the outside, the synagogue was built in the Venetian style. Outside the synagogue, a plaque reminds us that the writer Albert Cohen was born here and that he evokes his native island in many of his works. A plaque, erected late in 2002, also indicates the names of all the Corfu Jews deported by the Nazis. The Jewish community of Corfu is said to have only a few dozen members, compared to 5,000 in the 19th century. The influence of these martyred populations remains however. Certain Jewish recipes, such as fennel salad with oranges, are still passed down from mother to daughter.Popular beliefs
Finally, there are some superstitions, without much connection with religion, but which participate in the identity of Greece and of these islands. Before entering someone's house, look up and you will often see on the lintel of the door a Christian cross drawn with candle smoke. This means that the house has been blessed by a priest. The evil eye is another Persian legacy that came to Greece through the Ottomans. Called here the mati
("eye"), it is the fear of the evil power of some people's eyes caused by jealousy. Fortunately, there are many tricks to avoid being "mati". For example, every compliment that could cause jealousy should be accompanied by a small movement of the tongue on the upper lip, as when you spit out a seed, repeated three times with the onomatopoeia "ftoussou"... and more or less spitting. The blue eye of the Greeks and Turks also decorates many houses, boats and cars in the Ionian Islands. The pomegranate is a fruit supposed to bring good luck. It is hung on houses at Christmas time and, on December 31 at midnight, it is crushed on the ground. The more the seeds spread, the more luck and happiness one will have in the new year.
