NEW YORK – Attendance at the Greek Orthodox Churches throughout the New York Metropolitan area saw a rise in attendance during this year’s Holy Week as compared to 2015. The primary reason appears to be that given the vast five-week span between Western (Mar. 27) and Eastern (May 1) Easter, families with members of Christians of more than one denomination had ample time in between the two to attend all services without overlap.
In addition, the Greek-American community remains devoted to the preservation of Orthodox traditions, and so its attendance numbers remain high.
The weather cooperated on Holy Saturday throughout the Northeast, allowing for travel conditions to be favourable to and from Church, and also for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection outdoors, following the receiving of the Light, as is customary.
EASTER RAIN
Easter Sunday was a different story, though, as the rain set in and dampened the plans of those set to roast lambs on spits. There was a mad rush to the local home improvement store – said many Greeks in Queens and Brooklyn – to purchase pop-up tents so that the guests, and the food, would stay dry.
Home Depot employees were surprised at the mad rush of customers at some locations – those that, unlike the ones in Flushing and East Elmhurst, had not sold out on Saturday by those who kept a careful watch on the weather.
Some employees of those two locations, in fact, stood at the front door and asked customers as they entered: “Are you Greek?” and if the answer was “yes,” instructed them to head to the Long Island City store.
Ultimately, the rain did not deter the celebrations to endure, as the aroma of roasting lamb permeated in backyards throughout the city.
IT’S RAINING LAMBS
Greek restaurants, taverns, and bakeries, were open, serving roast lamb and other delicacies, and International Meat Market owner John Stratigakis described the annual Easter celebration as “our Super Bowl,” the New York Post reported.
He said several hundred lambs come from two farms in Upstate New York, ranging from 15 to 60 pounds, selling between $6.99 and $11.99 per pound.
The 48-year-old butcher noted that has been in the business since he was 13 years old, and that it is a business which has been improving from each year to the next.
The Post reported that those who don’t have the yard space to roast had the opportunity to enjoy some lamb at Estiatorio Milos in Manhattan, which roasted 18 lambs after the Easter Resurrection service and an additional 16 on Easter Sunday.