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EDITORIAL
An English acquaintance, suffering like the rest of us ex-pats from diminished pension income from the UK has become a boon and a blessing to the families in the village where he lives. His financial shortfall caused him to commence a string of small business activities, one of which was to buy a few dozen hens. In the past couple of weeks their output has been fully taken up by village ladies buying them for hard-boiling, painting and eventual use in the “Smash the Eggs” game which forms a small part of the Orthodox Easter celebrations of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. There are many others, of course. Tomorrow (Thursday), many Flaounes will be baked (but not eaten until Sunday) and at least one will be brought around to us hot from the oven. The “Western” Easter having taken place last weekend, Mary and I have no qualms about despatching the warm, cheesy pie whilst it’s still warm. Frankly, it’s the only way I can tackle a Flaouna.
This coming weekend the village will be full. The modest quota of permanent residents, Cypriot and foreign, will be augmented by many hundreds of folk who live and work elsewhere, but whose home place this is. At midnight at the packed Church of Saint Prodromos Christ’s rising will be celebrated, followed by the customary procession of the Epitaphios around the streets. There will follow the only thing I find discordant, the crashing of thunder-flashes and other loud fireworks. Just a few hours later the smell of Souvla will come wafting on the air from our neighbours for the first time for a few weeks (on Palm Sunday the wafting odour was equally appetising: Calamari on the barbecue). The baby goat tethered in a yard down the hill will bleat no longer, I am afraid.
Spring is in the air. Almond and apricot blossoms have been replaced by green leaf, surging in the sunshine. The pomegranate leaves will soon turn from green to vibrant red. Breakfast and lunch will be outdoors. Easter-time indeed brings new hope, for peace and understanding, and perhaps, a lessening of the greed that spoils them.
Patrick Skinner
Publisher
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