A piece of the Holy Fire from the Temple of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem was delivered to Cyprus by a Cyprus Airways flight, the administration of Larnaca International Airport announced. The Minister of Justice of the country, Marios Hartsiotis, participated in the ceremony to welcome the lamp.
After that, the procession went to the residence of Metropolitan Timofey (Margaritis) of Bostria, who is the Exarch of the Holy Sepulcher in Cyprus (Jerusalem Orthodox Church). From there, local volunteers will deliver numerous lamps lit by the Holy Fire to churches, hospitals and other places where Easter services will be held.
The grace fire descended on Holy Saturday on the eve of Easter in the Aedicula – chapel in the center of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
In Cyprus, where the traditions of Orthodoxy are strong, Easter is one of the most significant and favorite holidays of the Greek Cypriots. There are holidays in the country from May 3 to 6 inclusive. Shops are closed on Easter 5th May and some on Monday 6th May. Government institutions and banks are closed, schools are closed for the Easter holidays.
In homes, the first preparations for Easter began on Maundy Thursday, May 2. Cypriot housewives clean, make cross buns and dye eggs. In dyeing, as in Russia, onion husks are used, as well as yarrow and yarrow roots. The tradition of "struggle" There are also Easter eggs in Cyprus. In churches, before the service, all icons are covered with black cloth, which symbolizes the universal sorrow for the crucifixion of Christ.
On Good Friday, the day of mourning, the girls decorate the shroud with flowers (a symbol of the Holy Sepulcher), the villages compete to see whose is more beautiful. At midnight, the lithium procession begins, after which flowers from the shroud are distributed to the faithful.
During the morning service on Holy Saturday, May 4, black mourning cloths are removed from icons in churches and laurel and myrtle are scattered. Traditional kosunacs are prepared in the houses - flauns, tsurets, avkots, bureks and dozens of other local varieties. About an hour before midnight, Cypriots begin to gather in the churches. Before the Easter service, the faithful await the Holy Fire. From it they light their candles and then take the lamp with the fire home. If it doesn't go out on the way, then the whole year, according to belief, will be good.
Then a huge Easter bonfire is lit - another point of pride for every village; all the men of the community collect wood for him. Unlike Russia, in Cyprus there is no custom of consecrating eggs and Easter cakes in the church.
After the night service, Cypriots draw crosses over the house doors with soot, light lamps and start the first day after a long fast with traditional egg and lemon soup. The whole family gathers for lunch on Easter, and the decoration of the festive table is usually lamb cooked on coals.