Related Resources • Greece in April • Greece in May • Folklore and Festivals

Greece is settling into two months of great weather, light crowds, and lower prices.

Many of the islands are just waking up after the windy winter, and you'll see the spirit of these places much better than in the summer months. If you've ever considered a spur-of-the-moment trip to Greece, do it now.

April events include Orthodox Easter, which will be celebrated this year on the 15th. Catholic churches will be celebrating Easter on the 15th this year, in an unusual confluence of calendars. Normally, the Orthodox and Western Easters differ. Take note though - the major Easter festivities will occur on Friday and Saturday, leaving Easter itself relatively quiet, with Easter Monday a day of recovery for all concerned.

Expect banks, government offices, and shops to be closed (or, in the case of shops, keeping shorter hours) throughout this four-day period. Some shops will still be closed on Easter Tuesday.

Easter is the major religious holiday of the Greek Orthodox year, and the celebration is much more important to most Greeks than Christmas. Pluses for the traveler include colorful pageantry at literally every Orthodox church in Greece; minuses include closed attractions, understaffing, and generally less-attentive service the days preceding and following Easter weekend.

Greek Easter celebrations are often fiery ones. A torchlight procession winds up Lykabettos Hill in Athens early Sunday morning. Fireworks at midnight Saturday greet the resurrection of Christ many other places.

The island of Kythira, once the home of Aphrodite, marks the second day of Easter with the beginning of a 25-day journey of their statue of Mary Mytidiotissa through the villages of the island. Folegandros has a shorter festival also devoted to the Virgin Mary, whose image enjoys a ride around the bay and visits to several villages.

If you're fortunate enough to join in the festivities throughout Greece, expect delicious roasted lamb, special Eastertide breads baked fresh, and plenty of other foods to enjoy. Easter egg dyeing is popular, with bright red eggs exchanged as gifts.

Throughout the month and into May, spring wildflowers will be in bloom, brightening roadsides and spirits. Keep an eye out for splashes of color as you wander the Greek byways.

Springtime travel by boat to the islands may still be iffy due to winds, but in general, the weather will be pleasant, with temperatures in the 60s in most places, though chillier at higher elevations.The wildflowers need some rain, so keep an umbrella handy to cope with showers, and enjoy your springtime journey to Greece.

Graphic by deTraci Regula. Text Copyright 2001 by deTraci Regula and About.com. All rights reserved.