Every year there are more and more tourists who spend Easter holidays in Thessaloniki.

In Greece, there is an unwritten rule that Easter is spent on countryside and Christmas in the city. For Easter holidays the Thessalonians really go to the cottages or houses that their parents or they themselves own in the villages around Thessaloniki. Cottages are mostly on one of the fingers of Halkidiki. Many of our friends from Thessaloniki say that they literally have never spent Easter in Thessaloniki.

Easter is the most important and most joyful Orthodox holiday, during the last week of fasting Thessalonians spend lot of time at the liturgy in the church. Housewifes prepare biscuits in the form of braids which are traditionally prepared for Easter, they paint and decorate eggs.

Tsureki is the traditional Easter bread in Greece, which in recent years could be bought in bakeries and pastry shops with a variety of toppings and flavors. Each house must have one tsureki for Easter without additives and with the red egg in the middle. Tsureki is sweet and very characteristic flavor which the mastic gives it (resin from the mastic tree from the island of Chios) mahlepi (interior kernel of wild cherries), and orange zest.
If you’ll spend Easter in Thessaloniki, don’t miss to try tsureki, because they say that tsureki is the best in Thessaloniki, in the cake shop Terkenlis that has been making it since 1948. You can find pastry shop in Tsimiski Street near Aristotle Square. If you love chocolate, try the one with chocolate dressing, and our favorite tsureki is sprinkled with white chocolate and stuffed with chestnut puree.

Easter opening hours of shops in Thessaloniki and Greece

On Easter, May 5, May 6 and May 7 are non-working days and nothing will be open.

In 2024, the festive Easter period starts from April 28 (Sunday Vaion - Cveti in Serbian). From that date, the store’s holiday working hours start.
28.4. In 2024, stores are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m
29.4.-2.5. shops are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; (then Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday, Holy Thursday are celebrated);
3.5. 2024 - stores will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Good Friday)
4.5. 2024 - stores will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Holy Saturday)
5.5. 2024 - Easter and non-working day in Greece.
6.5. 2024 - non-working day (Easter Monday)
7.5. 2024 - a non-working day because the Government made a decision to move the celebration of Labor Day to May 7 because the date of May 1 this year coincides with the time of Holy Week before Easter (the days of greatest mourning for all Christians). It is not unusual or unusual for the Government to make such a decision when a secular holiday coincides with the biggest religious holiday.

All in all, in our opinion, this year it is good to spend the May Day holidays in Thessaloniki, while during the Easter holidays, it is not the right or best time to visit this city, mainly because during the holidays there is no lively atmosphere that Thessaloniki is known for. The advantage of the city being emptier than usual is that it is easier to find a parking space, which is very important for Thessaloniki.

If you do come to Thessaloniki you could definitely enjoy the beautiful walks by the sea, and in the beautiful sunset from one of the many cafes along the coast that are still open. Visit Ladadika, try tsureki,eat an ice cream at the pastry shop Fregio, visit the church of St. Demetrius, the patron of Thessaloniki and simply enjoy …

In our Guide to Thessaloniki, you can read what to visit in Thessaloniki, about parking, public transport and other useful information by clicking HERE.

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