SOLON, Ohio — Lamb is a staple for Greeks to eat on Orthodox Easter, according to Kalliope Moissis.

What You Need To Know

  • Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter on April 24, one week after Western Easter

  • Eastern Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar opposed to the Gregorian calendar that is used by the rest of the world

  • Kalliope Moissis is reflecting on the Greek traditions she takes part in with her family during the holiday

 “As an honor, you even get the brain, or the tongue, or something like that,” Moissis said, slicing a freshly cooked lamb.

Moissis helps her dad run their family’s restaurant called Simply Greek. In addition to feasting over festive foods, Moissis said she typically spends the holiday surrounded by lots of family.

 “Easter is a more the merrier type of thing,” she said.

She added it is also common for Greeks to dye Easter eggs the color red in order to symbolize the blood of Jesus Christ and attend mulitple events at church leading up to the holiday.

Taking an order, Moissis suspects the first member of her family came over from Greece generations ago.

“Probably somewhere around the 1950s,” Moissis said.

Now, she’s connecting with her Greek heritage through Hellenic dancing. 

“I started dancing when I was in third grade, and it might have just been a simple 12-step dance, but there was just something about knowing that the person you're next to holding hands with — linking arms with — that they're there for the same reason of just experiencing what our ancestors used to do as a war dance [and] as a love cry," she said. "So many things that go into it, and here we are, so many years later, still embodying this wonderful tradition."

The dancer practices and performs at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, a place that has special meaning to her family. 

“I’ve been going here all my life, all 18 years,” Moissis said. “I got baptized here. My dad was baptized here, and I baptized my goddaughter here.” 

As a senior in high school, Moissis said she’s aging out of dancing, however, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end of her dancing career just yet. Moissis added she might continue her involvement as a coach because it keeps her close to her grandmother, who also used dance. 

“My grandmother was quite the tough cookie,” Moissis said. “I would say that from seeing her dance such a tedious type of dance, I think it shows more of her more of her power, from how she exhibits such strength through each step, in each story that she's telling. It's quite symbolic, if you ask me.”

This Orthodox Easter, Moissis said she’s grateful to be a part of a family who loves their culture and it’s traditions so much. 

“My culture is very meaningful to me, and I want to carry it on because I know the benefit and the meaning that it attached to my life," she said. "And I feel as though if I can pass that strong connection on to one person, I've done my job.”