It is easy to see that the Greek population follows a monotheistic religion. This type of religion is characterized by the belief that all Gods, religious practices, and powers are under the control one supernatural being; in this case the supernatural being is Jesus Christ (Davies 2002). Easter in Greece is best described as a religious ritual. A religious ritual is one form of celebration, and in this case the focus is on a belief in the invisible power of Jesus Christ and his death and then his eventual rise from the dead (Turner and Turner 1982). The Easter celebrations can be classified as social, systematic, and public all of which are aimed at achieving spiritual purity. Each aspect of the celebration listed previously will be explained further to show cultural significance of the celebration.

    Easter reinforces the social structure in Greece in many ways. Easter is one of the many religious rituals celebrated and performed by the Greek Orthodox Church. It is classified as a ritual because the practices are formal, repetitive, and are performed in sacred contexts such as churches. The fact that this celebration is part of a religious ritual makes it a social creation that reinforces social solidarity (Davies 2002). Social solidarity has many benefits for a culture. The solidarity gives everyone participating in the celebration a feeling that they are experiencing something together, and this can promote cohesion between two people or groups of people that would not have occurred if the celebration did not take place. The social cohesion achieved is also a good way to relieve any social tension that might be present between the two groups thus reinforcing the social structure of Greece in a positive way. In its own unique way the Greek religion is fostering communitas (Turner and Turner 1982). Communitas are socially valuable because of the leveling process that occurs. There is a feeling of reduced social distinctions during the Easter celebrations.

    I also believe that the social structure is positively reinforced because of the enculturation children receive by observing the various traditions and customs. Through the celebration practices children learn the significance that God and religion has in their culture. I don't think anyone can deny that when children observe their parents and other adults coming together in such a meaningful way that this will result in many positive outcomes for the future of the social structure. The teaching of faith and to believe and respect a higher power also promotes an ideal society which shares the common belief in Christ. Respect and faith teach children to have hope, respect others, and can be the answer to many unexplainable questions.

    Easter celebrations are also systematic and public which benefit and reinforce the strength of the Greek Orthodox religion. The fact that 95 percent of Greeks claim membership to the Greek Orthodox Church and a majority of them participate in these celebrations makes Easter an important public event. As we all know strength comes with numbers and it is hard to deny the social significance of such a large gathering in which all participants main goal is to show respect to Jesus Christ and attain a spiritual purity in the process. The purification process is believed to allow shamed individuals to be forgiven of their sins and it is also believed to allow them to reinforce or establish a relationship with Christ. The relationship comes from a connection that the individual achieves through the celebration. As the Greeks sins are forgiven they feel that their life is being resurrected and in turn they are given a new vision and direction in life.

    The systematic aspect of the celebration also reveals the strength and significance of the Greek Orthodox religion. As mentioned earlier the Greek Orthodox Church was originated in 1054 and the Easter practices followed today are extremely similar to the practices followed by the ancient Greeks (Kochilas 2001). The fact that the same practices have been followed for nearly 1000 years shows organization and extreme respect for the ancient Greek culture. Of course over time, especially during the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries (Kochilas 2001), new traditions and customs were added to the celebration (dying hard-boiled eggs, burning of Judas doll, communal feasts, etc.). These added celebrations show that Easter is fun and does not have to be taken as seriously as one might think because of all the church services. The added celebrations display cultural significance because it shows people are actively involved in the religion. They respect the ritual and the process of Easter and they only want to add to the joy everyone is feeling through the attainment of spiritual purity.