Easter in Athens: Your Guide to the City’s Seasonal Celebrations

There is a special, cinematic quality to Athens during Orthodox Easter. As the city sheds its winter skin, the air grows fragrant with blooming lilacs and the earthy scent of bitter orange trees. By late March and early April, the violet haze from jacaranda blossoms cuts into the urban landscape, against a brilliant blue sky.

It is a season of profound contrast: the solemn, candlelit processions of Holy Week meet the exuberant rebirth of nature. Whether it’s the sound of church bells echoing through the neoclassical alleys of Plaka or the sight of locals carrying hand-painted lambades (Easter candles), the city breathes a spirit of shared tradition and springtime renewal that is truly infectious.

You can engage the little ones  in the magic of Greek tradition with our hands-on workshops, where children can weave their own baskets, paint imaginative Easter eggs, and join a chocolate bunny hunt in the heart of the city. Most events are in Greek and require preregistration.

If you are spending the Greek Easter in Athens, you can discover the spirituality of the holidays through an array of concerts, ranging from traditional liturgies in the Great Metropolis to contemporary baroque recitals in the old-world charm of Plaka. Experience the spirituality of the season through a series of evocative concerts, ranging from Byzantine hymns in the Metropolitan Cathedral to avant-garde baroque performances in the historic atmosphere of Plaka.