# Easter in Corfu: Pot Throwing, Processions and Traditions > Easter in Corfu guide: the Holy Saturday pot throwing, Good Friday processions, Saint Spyridon, where to watch and Orthodox Easter dates for 2027 and 2028. URL: https://theauthenticgreece.com/easter-in-corfu/ Last updated: 2026-10-19 --- Easter in Corfu is the most celebrated in Greece, a week of brass bands, candlelit processions and Venetian-flavoured customs that peaks on Holy Saturday at 11:00, when residents of Corfu Town hurl clay pots from their balconies to smash on the streets below. Orthodox Easter Sunday falls on **2 May 2027** and **16 April 2028**, so the main events, from the Good Friday processions to the midnight Resurrection on the Spianada, take place in the days just before. If you want to see it, book early and base yourself in or near the Old Town. ## Quick facts - **Orthodox Easter 2027:** Sunday 2 May (Good Friday 30 April, Holy Saturday 1 May). - **Orthodox Easter 2028:** Sunday 16 April (Good Friday 14 April, Holy Saturday 15 April). - **Main event:** the pot throwing (botides) at around 11:00 on Holy Saturday in Corfu Town. - **Where:** Corfu Old Town, the Liston and the Spianada. - **Time needed:** ideally Good Friday to Easter Sunday; Palm Sunday adds another major procession. - **Good for:** culture, music, photography, anyone curious about living Greek tradition. ## Orthodox Easter dates Greek Orthodox Easter is calculated using the Julian calendar, so it usually falls on a different date from Western Easter, sometimes several weeks later. The key dates for the next two years are below. | Day | 2027 | 2028 | | --- | --- | --- | | Palm Sunday | 25 April | 9 April | | Good Friday | 30 April | 14 April | | Holy Saturday (pot throwing) | 1 May | 15 April | | Easter Sunday | 2 May | 16 April | | Easter Monday | 3 May | 17 April | Two things are worth noting. In 2027, Holy Saturday falls on 1 May, which is also Labour Day in Greece, adding to the holiday atmosphere. In 2028, Orthodox and Western Easter fall on the same day, 16 April, which tends to draw even more visitors. ## Why Corfu does Easter differently Corfu spent around four centuries under Venetian rule and never fell to the Ottomans, and its Easter shows it. Western influences, from Italian-style brass band music to Catholic customs adapted by the Orthodox majority, blend with Byzantine ritual. The town’s philharmonic bands, especially the three historic ones of Corfu Town (the Philharmonic Society of Corfu, known as the Palaia, the Mantzaros and the Kapodistrias), are at the centre of almost every event. And the island’s patron saint, Saint Spyridon, whose relics rest in the church of Agios Spyridon in the Old Town, is carried through the streets twice during the season. ## Holy Week day by day ### Palm Sunday The Easter season in Corfu Town begins in earnest with a procession of the relics of Saint Spyridon, usually starting at around 11:00. It commemorates the island’s deliverance from a plague epidemic in 1629, credited to the saint. It is the longest of the saint’s processions, and a large number of the island’s philharmonic bands take part, playing cheerful marches through the Old Town afterwards. ### Holy Monday to Wednesday The early days of Holy Week are quieter but full of music. Households bake fogatsa, a sweet Easter bread of Venetian origin, and choirs perform hymns in churches and outdoor venues, including the Troparion of Kassiani on Holy Tuesday. By midweek, the street lanterns of the Old Town, the Liston and the Old Palace are lit in purple, a sign of mourning. On Holy Thursday, eggs are dyed red, and in the evening crowds gather to hear the three historic bands hold their final rehearsals of the funeral marches they will play the next day. ### Good Friday: the Epitaphios processions On Good Friday, each parish church carries its Epitaphios, the decorated bier of Christ, through the streets. In Corfu Town the processions begin in the early afternoon and continue in sequence late into the night, each with its choir, band, large candles, banners and schoolchildren. The bands play funeral marches, including Albinoni’s Adagio and works by Corfiot and Italian composers. The final and most solemn procession is that of the Metropolitan Cathedral, which sets off at around 22:00 with the clergy, local authorities and the city’s bands, who play pieces such as Chopin’s funeral march. Watching the candlelit procession pass along the Spianada and through the narrow streets of the Old Town is one of the most moving moments of the week. ### Holy Saturday: the big day Holy Saturday is packed from dawn to after midnight. - **Early morning:** at the church of Panagia ton Xenon, worshippers re-enact the earthquake that followed the Resurrection by rattling pews, icons and lamps, at a service that starts around 06:00. - **Around 09:00:** the procession of Saint Spyridon begins. Its origin is traced to the mid-16th century, when the saint was credited with saving the island from famine. Uniquely, the saint’s own Epitaphios is carried in the same procession; local tradition explains that the Venetian authorities did not allow the Orthodox Good Friday procession, so it was moved to Saturday morning. The bands play solemn marches, including an adaptation from Faccio’s opera *Amleto*. - **Around 11:00, the First Resurrection:** church bells ring across the town and the pot throwing begins (see below). The bands then break into a cheerful march, and the mood switches from mourning to celebration. - **The Mastela in Pinia:** at the same time, in the Pinia area of the Old Town, a decorated wooden barrel of water stands in the street. Passers-by throw in coins and make wishes, and when the bells ring, someone jumps in to collect the money, soaking everyone nearby. - **Evening:** the Holy Light is received in Corfu Town and carried in procession before the Resurrection service. - **Just before midnight:** the Resurrection is celebrated on the Upper Spianada, the large square by the Liston. As “Christos Anesti” (Christ is Risen) is chanted, the bands play, candles are lit from one person to the next and fireworks light up the sky over the square. Celebrations carry on into the early hours. ### Easter Sunday Easter Sunday is a family day. Services and processions with the icon of the Resurrection take place in many churches in the morning, and in the afternoon the Vespers of Love at the Metropolitan Cathedral includes readings of the Gospel in several languages. Most Corfiots spend the day at long lunches, and the traditional Greek Easter table features roast lamb and red eggs cracked against each other for luck. ## The pot throwing: what actually happens The botides are clay jugs, often filled with water, with a narrow neck and red ribbons tied to their handles. Windows and balconies in the Old Town are draped in red cloth. At the first peal of the bells around 11:00, residents throw the pots from their balconies and windows onto the street, where they shatter with a tremendous noise. The whole spectacle lasts only a few minutes. Afterwards, people gather fragments of clay to take home, as they are believed to bring good luck. Several explanations are offered for the custom. The most widely quoted links it to a Venetian New Year tradition of throwing out old pots to welcome the new year with new goods, which Orthodox Corfiots are said to have moved to Easter. Others see the noise as a symbol of the earthquake at the Resurrection, a way of driving off bad luck, or the victory of life over death. Whatever the origin, it is now the signature image of Corfu’s Easter. ### Where to watch The pots are thrown along the main streets of the Old Town and around the Liston, the Spianada and the streets near the Metropolitan Cathedral, including Nikiforou Theotoki Street. These areas are packed well before 11:00, so arrive early to find a spot. Stand where you can see the balconies but not directly under them: pieces of clay and water spray fly in all directions. ## Practical tips - **Book accommodation months ahead.** Easter is one of the busiest weeks of the year in Corfu Town, and hotels in or near the Old Town fill early; see where to stay in Corfu. Prices are higher than in the rest of spring. - **Check the official programme.** The Municipality of Corfu and local organisers publish the detailed Holy Week schedule shortly before Easter each year. Times in this guide are based on recent years and can shift. - **Arrive early for every event.** For the pot throwing, the Good Friday processions and the midnight Resurrection, the best spots go well in advance. - **Protect yourself at 11:00.** Keep a safe distance from balconies, protect cameras and phones from water and wear closed shoes because of the broken clay on the ground. - **Dress respectfully.** Holy Week is a religious occasion first. Keep shoulders and knees covered if you go into churches and stay quiet as the Epitaphios processions pass. - **Expect closures.** Many shops, services and some restaurants close or keep short hours on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Book a table for Easter Sunday lunch if you want to eat out. - **Bring a candle.** For the midnight service, a candle (lambada) is part of the ritual; they are sold at kiosks and shops around the Old Town in the days before. - **Weather.** Late April and early May are usually mild, but evenings can be cool, and spring showers are possible. Bring a light jacket for the late-night processions. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### When is Orthodox Easter in Corfu in 2027 and 2028? Orthodox Easter Sunday is on 2 May 2027 and 16 April 2028. The pot throwing takes place on Holy Saturday, which is 1 May 2027 and 15 April 2028. ### What time is the pot throwing in Corfu? The pot throwing starts at around 11:00 on Holy Saturday, when church bells ring for the First Resurrection. It lasts only a few minutes, so arrive in the Old Town well beforehand. ### Where is the best place to watch the pot throwing in Corfu? The main action is in Corfu Old Town, around the Liston, the Spianada and streets such as Nikiforou Theotoki. Find a spot early with a view of the balconies, but do not stand directly beneath them. ### Why do Corfiots throw pots at Easter? The custom is usually linked to a Venetian New Year tradition of throwing out old pots, adopted by Orthodox Corfiots and moved to Easter. It is also explained as echoing the earthquake at the Resurrection and driving away bad luck. ### Is Easter a good time to visit Corfu? It is one of the most memorable times to visit, with music and processions all week and mild spring weather. Book accommodation early, expect crowds in Corfu Town and some closures on the main holy days. ## Frequently asked questions ### When is Orthodox Easter in Corfu in 2027 and 2028? Orthodox Easter Sunday is on 2 May 2027 and 16 April 2028. The pot throwing takes place on Holy Saturday, which is 1 May 2027 and 15 April 2028. ### What time is the pot throwing in Corfu? The pot throwing starts at around 11:00 on Holy Saturday, when church bells ring for the First Resurrection. It lasts only a few minutes, so arrive in the Old Town well beforehand. ### Where is the best place to watch the pot throwing in Corfu? The main action is in Corfu Old Town, around the Liston, the Spianada and streets such as Nikiforou Theotoki. Find a spot early with a view of the balconies, but do not stand directly beneath them. ### Why do Corfiots throw pots at Easter? The custom is usually linked to a Venetian New Year tradition of throwing out old pots, adopted by Orthodox Corfiots and moved to Easter. It is also explained as echoing the earthquake at the Resurrection and driving away bad luck. ### Is Easter a good time to visit Corfu? It is one of the most memorable times to visit, with music and processions all week and mild spring weather. Book accommodation early, expect crowds in Corfu Town and some closures on the main holy days.