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Orthodox Easter celebrations on the Greek island of Corfu are a smash — literally.
Corfiots have marked Holy Saturday with a strange old custom referred to as the "Botides" — where large clay jugs filled with water are thrown from the balconies of homes in the centre of town, smashing into pieces on the streets below as thousands gather around to watch.
Visitors came from across the country and abroad to view the popular event.
The sound of the pots crashing were thunderous, and fearless spectators stood quite close to the crash sites, struck by the spray of water and shards of clay — although local organizers said no one has ever been seriously injured during the custom.
"I am very happy, because people come from far away, and that is why we do this, they like it very much, they have become hooked on the custom," said Corfu resident Nikos Voskopoulos, who has been an enthusiastic pot-thrower for 20 years.
Islanders said they believed the custom would help ward off bad spirits, and spectators took pieces of the smashed pots home as good luck charms.
According to the municipality, one popular belief has been that it originated with the Venetians who ruled Corfu between the 14th and 18th centuries.
To mark the new year, the Venetians would throw out their old belongings to make way for new ones in order to make a fresh start to the new year.
The Greeks adopted the custom, introduced clay pots, and moved it to Easter — one of the most important holidays in the Greek religious calendar.
People have also alluded to Biblical references to the smashing of clay pottery, symbolising the divine striking down enemies.
Others have believed that the custom has roots in ancient Greece — where in April the ancient Greeks would throw out their old clay planting pots and plant seeds in new ones to mark the coming of spring.
Reuters
Topics: religion-and-beliefs, community-and-society, greece
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