Greece will be celebrating a muted Easter (Pascha) for the second time in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here is a list of measures and restrictions currently in place:
Household gatherings
No more than nine people (from two households) should gather in the same house, in order to avoid overcrowding.
Family members are advised to self-test.
*No travel is allowed between regions.
Retail shops
For shops in Attica, the Athens Chamber of Commerce has proposed that shop opening hours on Friday, as well as Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday and Holy Thursday should be from 9:00 until 20:30.
On Good Friday, shops will open between 13:00 in the afternoon and 19:00 in the evening, and on Holy Saturday from 9:00 in the morning until 15:00 in the afternoon.
The stores will be closed on Easter Sunday, May 2, on Easter Monday, May 3, and on Tuesday, May 4.
Curfew
- 10pm-5am curfew for Holy Week
- 9pm-5am curfew on Easter Sunday (May 2)
- 11pm-5am curfew from May 3
Churches
Churches in Greece will be open to the faithful for Holy Week services next week, however there will be attendance restrictions and services will be held earlier to conform with the government imposed curfew.
All Easter services from Palm Sunday (April 25) to Holy Wednesday (April 28) will begin half an hour earlier, at 18:30. Holy Thursday service will begin at 17:30 and on Good Friday at 18:00.
Instead of the customary midnight Resurrection service on Easter Saturday (May 1), the liturgy will be held at 9 p.m.
Moreover, indoor attendance will be limited to one person per 25 square meters, a maximum of 100 people.
Greece's plans to reopen
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the next steps in lifting the COVID-19 lockdown measures.
Mitsotakis announced:
- On May 3, restaurants open for outdoor dining and curfew is extended to 23:00.
- On May 10, high schools and primary schools reopen.
- On May 15, tourism opens to those who have been vaccinated or tested negative for COVID-19 72 hours before arriving; in addition, countrywide travel will be permitted and some cultural activities allowed.
*More on GCT: Easter in Greece
