In the early hours of Saturdayjust a short after the 06:45 in the morningon the island of her Zakynthos One of the most special and moving Easter customs of Orthodox tradition was unfolded.

In accordance with zantetimesthis is her ceremony ‘Resurrection»Made outside the Metropolitan Temple of St. Nicholas of Foreigners and the Holy Forerunner and is accompanied by a spectacular representation, known to the locals simply as the ‘earthquake“

When reading the Gospel ends and the lights of the temple turn off, the faithful become eyewitnesses to a unique scene. The “earthquake” caused is not a natural phenomenon, but it represents the divine event of Jesus’ resurrection, when according to tradition, the earth was shaken and the tombstone was rolled to reveal the empty monument.

The event has deep roots in the local religious consciousness and is associated with the iconography of Zakynthos, which presents the resurrected Christ exiting the grave with a flag in his hands, a winner of death. It is a picture of excitement and glory, full of light, symbolism and hope.

To reinforce the dramatic element of the representation, the faithful and members of the church carry the large iron church outside the temple. There they begin to hit them loudly with metal bars, creating a deafening noise. At the same time, dynamites and fireworks are thrown, completing the feeling that the whole area is pulsed by the power of the Resurrection – just as an earthquake would shake the earth.

This custom, in addition to its impressive stage dimension, is loaded with spiritual content and is strongly experienced by the local community. For the Zakynthians, it is not just a graphic tradition, but a vibrant experience of faith and triumph, an event of joy for the final victory of life over death.