EASTER ON ERT WORLD
ERT WORLD presents a special festive program for the Easter season, offering viewers around the world the opportunity to experience the sacred liturgies of Holy Week broadcast live from the venerable Patriarchal Church of St. George at the Phanar, alongside thematic shows from the ERT archive and celebratory episodes of beloved programs.
Holy Services (Greek local time)
HOLY THURSDAY | April 17, 2025
17:30 – Live broadcast of the Service of the Holy Passion, from the Sacred Patriarchal Church of St. George, Phanar, Constantinople.
GOOD FRIDAY | April 18, 2025
08:00 – Service of the Royal Hours and Vespers of the Deposition from the Cross, from the Sacred Patriarchal Church of St. George.
18:00 – Service of the Lamentations and Procession of the Epitaphios, also from the Sacred Patriarchal Church.
HOLY SATURDAY | April 19, 2025
23:00 – Midnight Resurrection Vigil and Ceremony of the Resurrection, broadcast live from the Patriarchal Church of St. George.
EASTER SUNDAY | April 20, 2025
11:00 – Great Vespers of Love, from the Sacred Patriarchal Church of St. George, Phanar.
Special Easter Programming
“Dream Neighbourhood” | Drama, 1961, Good Friday, 23:10 (Athens time)
In a poor Athenian neighborhood known as “Asyrmatos,” the lives of its residents are marked by hardship, dreams, and disillusionment. Rikos, recently released from prison, tries to make ends meet, while his beloved is drawn to other men and her brother struggles to support the family.
A plan to earn money goes awry. One of Rikos’s partners takes his own life. Left defeated and disillusioned, the trio must confront the harshness of reality.
Directed by Alekos Alexandrakis
Starring: Alekos Alexandrakis, Aliki Georgouli, Manos Katrakis, among others.
“The Girl in Black” | Greek Film, 1956, Holy Saturday, 13:00 (Athens time)
Pavlos and Antonis arrive on the island of Hydra seeking rest. They rent rooms at the home of a widow, Frosso, who lives with her daughter Marina and son Mitsos. Pavlos is drawn to Marina’s quiet sadness, and as his stay lengthens, he is torn by both affection and rivalry — for Marina is admired by many, including the local Christos.
Directed by Michael Cacoyannis
Starring: Ellie Lambeti, Dimitris Horn, Giorgos Fountas.
“Sacred Art” | Documentary – World Premiere, Holy Saturday, 19:00 (Athens time)
A drop of vinegar, the yolk of an egg. With pigments ground from grape skins and mixed by hand, artists through the centuries have brought sacred images to life with egg tempera, in monastic cells and workshops, from Mount Athos to the world. We follow the lineage of iconography, from Theophanes the Cretan to the mythical Panselinos, guided by the works and words of contemporary masters. A poetic journey through the timeless art of the Byzantine icon.
Written & Directed by Panos Karkanevatos.
POP Cooking | Festive Episodes, Daily at 14:05 (Athens time)
Throughout Holy Week, chef Andreas Lagos welcomes special guests including Filitsa Karamanli, Angelos Rentoulas, Dimitris Makryniotis, and more, in a series of flavorful celebrations.
#Together | Festive Episode, Holy Saturday, 01:00 pm (Athens time)
On April 19 at 23:00, ERT World invites you to a joyous Easter celebration with the Estoudiantina Neas Ionias, led by Andreas Katsigiannis. #Togerher dresses up for the occasion, gathers around a festive table, reminisces over Easter memories, and shares traditions from cities, islands, and villages, near and far. Host George Kouvaras welcomes Tasos Iordanidis, Eleni Psychouli, Jenny Diagoupi, Katerina Douka, Dimitris Takis, Nikolas Vafeiadis, and Kelly Vranaki.Performers include Violeta Ikari, Yiannis Dionysiou, and Dimitris Bakoulis, with a late-night appearance by Kostas Makedonas following the Resurrection service.
“Salt of the Earth” | Easter Episode, Easter Sunday, 05:45 (Athens time)
“Easter and Springtime have arrived!…” Celebrate Easter with “The Salt of the Earth” in a vibrant gathering of song and dance from all across Greece. In the blooming landscape of a springtime olive grove, host Lambros Liavas welcomes more than 100 singers, musicians, and dancers in a radiant panorama of Greek Easter traditions. Roasting lambs, red-dyed eggs, Easter bread, and festive music all mark this joyous revival. Dance scholar Vasilis Karfis shares insights into women-led rituals and customs, while musicians Ilias Plastiras and Fragiskos Tziotakis explore Easter in Epirus and Kythnos. Featuring singers: Ilias Plastiras, Dimitris Konstantis, Maria Ziaka, Marianthi Lioudaki, and Ilias Avramidis.
“Sunday at the Village Again” – Trilofos, Imathia, Easter Sunday, 13:00 (Athens time)
Easter among the blooming peach trees. A celebration of Resurrection in the heart of nature, in a landscape that feels magical. In Trilofos, where the fields are painted pink with peach blossoms, the villagers gather for a traditional Easter feast among the flowering orchards. It’s a celebration full of wishes, music, dancing, stories, nostalgia, dreams of the future — and rich in culture. What is the custom of the “swing,” and what does it symbolize? And why, at the end, are the girls weighed on an old-fashioned scale?
Kostis speaks with the locals about their customs — the legendary Rougatsia, their hopes for the village, their everyday lives, their secrets, and their roots. Some are native to the region, others descend from Eastern Rumelia, and some are of Vlach heritage.
Easter in Trilofos is a vibrant, multicultural celebration — scented with spring, set in nature, and centered around the joy of gathering. For the grand Easter table, the village’s homemakers — both women and men — prepare mouthwatering festive dishes. Christ is Risen — with love, with passion. From Trilofos.
“Every Place with its Song” – Easter Blossoms of Greece, Easter Sunday, 19:00 (Athens time)
The beloved cultural series “Every Place with its Song”, hosted by Giorgos Melikis, invites viewers on a musical and spiritual journey through the Greek Easter celebrations. From Ammouliani in Halkidiki, Faneromeni in Trikala, and the sacred rocks of Meteora, to the vibrant traditions of Polygyros, this special Easter episode brings to light the customs, rituals, and ceremonial dances of the Orthodox Easter. Each region’s traditions are performed with reverence and joy, accompanied by symbolic storytelling and ancestral wisdom — a living testament to Greece’s rich cultural heritage.
“Five More Minutes”, Comedy , 2006 | Easter Monday, 22:00 (Athens time)
Tasos (Vassilis Charalambopoulos) and Aliki (Panagiota Vlanti) are deeply in love and living together — but there’s a catch. Tasos is pathologically jealous, and his constant suspicions are putting their relationship to the test. One day, after a fiery argument, he tries to follow Aliki in his motorcycle — and ends up in a fatal accident.But death gives him a second chance: two peculiar figures, Michalakis (Christos Valavanidis) and Gavrilos (Dimitris Piatas), inform him he has exactly five more minutes in the realm of the living. Invisible, yet able to interact with the world, Tasos uses his fleeting time to prevent Aliki from falling for his sly best friend, Konstantinos (Fanis Mouratidis). With the clock ticking and chaos mounting, will Tasos finally learn something from this surreal afterlife adventure — or go back to his old, jealous self?
Directed & Written by Yiannis Xanthopoulos
Cast: Vassilis Charalambopoulos, Panagiota Vlanti, Fanis Mouratidis, Dimitris Piatas, Christos Valavanidis, Melpo Zarokosta & others.
For more information, visit ERT World website.
