Corfu at Easter is definitely a thrill that you do not want to miss, abundant with an extensive calendar of religious and cultural activities! Visitors come from across the country and abroad to celebrate with the locals the arrival of spring. A handful of traditions that lived through centuries and old festivities explode majestically during Easter, with the procession of the Holy body of Corfu’s protector Saint Spyridon. The people of Corfu majestically honor their saint with several processions during the year. The preparation for the procession with the imperishable relics of the patron saint of Corfu, Agios Spiridon, starts from Palm Sunday followed by a turnaround in the town on Good Friday.
As Corfiots, we mark Holy Saturday with another old Easter custom, the “botides” custom where clay pots filled with water are tremendously smashed and thrown from the balconies of homes in the center of the town. It is held on the Saturday morning of Easter’s Eve and symbolises new beginnings. It has its roots with the Venetians between 14th and 18th centuries.
Later at midnight, the celebration starts. Loud bells start ringing and priests bring the light of Resurrection Candles, red eggs are smashed, and a traditional Greek dish of “mayiritsa” tops up the night. Easter Sunday is celebrated traditionally with families coming together for a grand feast. You can enjoy the closest proximity to all the Easter festivities in Corfu Town, right at your doorstep, by a five-minute walk from the Spianada square and Liston, Corfu Palace Hotel is just a
stone’s throw away.
At Corfu Palace Hotel during the Easter holidays, you will be able to enjoy various happenings and our culinary offers such as our feast buffet, the Easter Saturday night dinner and the one not to miss, our Easter Sunday lunch.
Winter Carnival Break
The famous Carnival of Corfu has been greatly influenced by the Venetian occupation in the Middle Ages with the Venetians initiating the “dotori”, “musetti”, “notary” and the famous Venetian masks, along with face painting.
The Carnival preparation starts long before the actual Carnival. The Carnival starts off on the first Sunday, the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, where a masquerade parade floats through the city. The most famous happening of the Carnival is the great parade that takes place on the last Sunday of Carnival and its called “Sin Carnavale” and takes place in Liston square. Among great amusement and folklore dancing, the locals finally burn the King Carnival in revenge for all the misfortunes he had brought to them from last year in a bonfire.
During Carnival the locals dress up in costumes characteristic of the past and present of Corfu island, enacting traditional costumes and rites, such as the Corfiot Petegoletsia which occur on the last Thursday of the Carnival period, a form of street theater, where the Gossip takes place.
In “Petegoletsia”, women in windows overlooking the alley of the Old Town traditionally chatter and gossip political authorities or local scandals in the local dialect. Carnival can be a fun time in Corfu and perhaps a great short break from the usual routine.
.
Christmas Holiday Break
Christmas and New Year in Corfu are truly colorful and joyful, a real spectacle where every local participates! Love and music during Christmas are intertwined and celebrated in many corners of the town. The local Philarmonic orchestras and bands of Corfu are overwhelming streets with music, hymns, and carols.
Christmas holidays in Corfu involve streets full of sparkling light, decorations and festivities, and children in the streets with their own small bands, with trumpets, saxophones, clarinets, trombone, and other instruments playing and singing the carols. At Corfu Palace Hotel, we love Christmas and hence during the Christmas holidays you will be able to live a unique experience by staying with us, from Christmas carols performed live by the local Philarmonic orchestras in our lobby to our popular X-mas dinner and NYE party nights.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy