GREAT SATURDAY
We have reached the peak of the corfiot easter journey and this is undeniably the Great Saturday.People are always waiting for this day like crazy and that is not irrational. At 11.00 in the morning of the same day the people are expecting the so-called ‘First Resurrection’. The bells start ringing joyful and local people from the balconies and the windows throw thousands full of water clay pots on the streets.
Some say that the custom belongs to the Catholics of the Venetian occupation, where at the beginning of the year the inhabitants threw away their old things so that the new year could bring them new and better. The inhabitants of Corfu took over the custom, but replaced the old things with the jugs to cause more noise.The second theory refers to the period of the ancient Greeks, who in April celebrated the beginning of the agricultural and vegetative period, throwing their old jugs to fill the new ones with new fruits. Some will tell you for sure in Corfu that whatever the truth, the people of Corfu like to exorcise evil with their jugs, signifying the end of winter dormancy and the rebirth of Nature.
If you are in Corfu during the breaking of the Botides, do not forget to take a piece with you and keep it with you all year round – the locals will tell you that it will bring you good luck.The Philharmonic Orchestras take to the streets playing cheerful music this time – the “Do not be afraid Greeks” march dominates the air.
During Corfiot Easter, known as the “Botides Breaking,” is a captivating and symbolic ritual deeply ingrained in the cultural tapestry of this Greek island. It reflects a blend of historical influences, from Venetian occupation to ancient Greek customs, all wrapped in a celebration of rebirth and the end of winter dormancy.
