Heres a program from our archives.Greek Orthodox EasterAmbience: Greek Orthodox ServiceIn the Eastern Orthodox tradition, this is Holy Week, culminating in Easter Sunday. The sounds we’re listening were recorded at a church in Astoria, Queens, during the celebration of Midnight Mass on the eve of Greek Orthodox Easter. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet.Metzidakis: Well Astoria is the city with the second largest Greek population after Athens.Phillip Metzidakis is an American of Greek descent who was raised in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition.Metzidakis: The Midnight service is called the Resurrection Service and it’s without a doubt the most important day on the calendar. At midnight all the lights are extinguished in the church and the priest comes from behind the doors on the altar carrying a candle. He walks to someone in the front row and lights their candle and these people who receive the light of the resurrection, the light is a symbol of the resurrection, pass the light from candle to candle and the light fills the church. Everybody leaves the church just before midnight, singing a song the words of which mean, ‘Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, through death – conquering death.’ At midnight at the moment of the resurrection all the families have gone to church together, all standing sort of huddled in these little insular units and everybody kisses everybody and say, ‘Christos anesti, Alethos anesti. Christ has risen, indeed He has risen.’ And it’s a very touching moment. In the moment of conquering death, it has a certain meaning to kiss your grandparents at that point, who you know you’ll be burying soon, and to be kissing the children who are coming up who, who will be replacing you in the next generation. There’s a feeling of the weight of centuries. People have been saying these prayers unchanged for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years.This archival program is part of our thirtieth anniversary celebration. If you want hear more, check out our podcast. Im Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.
Greek Orthodox Easter
In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, this is Holy Week, culminating in Easter Sunday.
Air Date:04/30/2021
Scientist:
Transcript:
Heres a program from our archives.Greek Orthodox EasterAmbience: Greek Orthodox ServiceIn the Eastern Orthodox tradition, this is Holy Week, culminating in Easter Sunday. The sounds we're listening were recorded at a church in Astoria, Queens, during the celebration of Midnight Mass on the eve of Greek Orthodox Easter. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet.Metzidakis: Well Astoria is the city with the second largest Greek population after Athens.Phillip Metzidakis is an American of Greek descent who was raised in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition.Metzidakis: The Midnight service is called the Resurrection Service and it's without a doubt the most important day on the calendar. At midnight all the lights are extinguished in the church and the priest comes from behind the doors on the altar carrying a candle. He walks to someone in the front row and lights their candle and these people who receive the light of the resurrection, the light is a symbol of the resurrection, pass the light from candle to candle and the light fills the church. Everybody leaves the church just before midnight, singing a song the words of which mean, 'Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, through death - conquering death.' At midnight at the moment of the resurrection all the families have gone to church together, all standing sort of huddled in these little insular units and everybody kisses everybody and say, 'Christos anesti, Alethos anesti. Christ has risen, indeed He has risen.' And it's a very touching moment. In the moment of conquering death, it has a certain meaning to kiss your grandparents at that point, who you know you'll be burying soon, and to be kissing the children who are coming up who, who will be replacing you in the next generation. There's a feeling of the weight of centuries. People have been saying these prayers unchanged for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years.This archival program is part of our thirtieth anniversary celebration. If you want hear more, check out our podcast. Im Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet.