Transcript:

Heres a program from our archives.Greek Orthodox Easter - Touchstone to a CultureMusic; Ambience: Greek Orthodox ServiceThis Sunday is Easter in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, and for Greeks around the world, it's one of the most important days of the year. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet. We're listening to the sounds of midnight mass - the Resurrection Service, at an Eastern Orthodox Church.Metzidakis: At the moment of the resurrection you hear this, this song that's being sung and the firecrackers going and the bells in the church being rung. It's a moment of joy. It's just an absolute gathering of people in a moment of joy. Phillip Metzidakis is a American of Greek descent who was raised in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition.Metzidakis: The celebration of Easter is so fundamentally important to Greeks that if you want to get a plane ticket to Athens at Easter time, you have to buy it a year in advance. Or even two years in advance. The planes are booked that far in advance. People get on planes and they go to Greece to celebrate Easter with their families in their villages. Everything for Greeks stops at Easter. You don't work on Easter. Everything stops. It's not negotiable. You'd have to say it's the spiritual touchstone of the culture. A moment met with a feeling of the family coming together, of tasting your own death because it's a holiday about life and about death and also one of simple joy of gathering around the table and eating delicious food and being with your family. 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.Heres a program from our archives.