Buyers are searching for something extra to add to their Easter gift baskets: These include dolls, watches, and karaoke mics. Or they can be made using dyes and molds with eye-catching designs such as beer bottles, smartphones, and action heroes.
The most popular Easter designs include pandemic-themed candles, which resemble COVID-19 test kit and vaccination syringes.
Giorgos Souliotis runs an online store selling Easter candles and seasonal goods in Athens' blue collar Korydallos, which is one of the most popular outlets for novelty candles in the city.
"People love to laugh at something that has so deeply affected them all. He said that the top-selling product last year was a vaccine syringe-candle.
The store has more than 100 candles, including ones that look like ice cream cones or sticks of dynamite. The more complex candles take up to eight hours to create and sell for as much as 20 euros ($22).
Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on Sunday. It is marked by a mix of family and church traditions that Americans may relate to as a fusion between Christmas and Thanksgiving. You can expect family meals, candlelight churches, fireworks and gifts for godchildren, which must include the Easter candle.
Around three quarters of Greeks have fulfilled their initial vaccination requirements. This year's Easter celebrations will continue with the smallest restrictions since the outbreak of the pandemic. This includes mandatory vaccinations in churches and other indoor spaces, but shops and markets that sell Easter goods are still open.
Souliotis stated that they had gone through two Easters with goods sold through their e-shop. But this year, it's different. People like to visit the store. Talk to us, hold the candles, and it's so much more enjoyable now.
