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Filming little kids can be a wonderful experience. But for our crew, it’s never been quite as delightful as last week, when we shot a sequence with little Evalina with her godparents. Even with a strange film crew in the living room, she was perfectly at ease. And when we needed to repeat a scene, she did it exactly the same way.

In this video clip, you’ll see our guide Patty keeping the yelping dog quiet outside, while beautiful Evalina receives (for the third time) her Easter gift of a big chocolate egg and a candle. With this candle, she’ll join in the ritual lighting of candles at midnight as Easter Sunday arrives. The candles have nice little gifts attached — in this case, earrings.

Leaving their house, our hosts bid us Kali Anastasi — “Have a good Resurrection!”

Last week, I enjoyed filming Easter traditions in Greece for an upcoming public television special. Here are some of the vivid images that we captured.

By the way, many Americans are not traveling in Greece these days because of this country’s economic woes. I find this totally illogical. I’ve been here for a week, and let me tell you: The traveler is barely aware of the economic crisis. Rather, the main impressions I’ll take away from this trip are about the importance of health, family, friends, and embracing life.

In Greece, Easter eggs are dyed deep red, symbolizing the blood of Christ shed at the Crucifixion. You can buy packets of blood-red dye at any store. On Easter Sunday at the big family feast, loved ones will crack their eggs together. The person whose egg doesn’t crack enjoys good luck in the following year.

It’s a custom for godparents to have a little quality time with their godchildren at Easter. Why not decorate eggs? We filmed a delightful moment as this godmother lovingly helped her sweet godchild in the kitchen.

Even more than Western Christian churches, Greek Orthodox churches are slathered in symbolism. In our little Nafplio church, ostrich eggs hung from the chandeliers. Of course, eggs are a part of any Easter celebration — secular or religious. Easter is celebrated this time of year because it has pagan, pre-Christian, “end of winter, start of spring” roots.  This ostrich egg may be precious, but like any old egg, it symbolizes how, just as life comes from an egg, life also comes with the Resurrection of Christ.

In our script, we mention how Easter is likely designed to replace the pagan spring festival of the fertility goddess Eostra. And Eostra’s sidekick was a rabbit — a very fertile critter, and the reason why we still have the Easter Bunny today. Here in Greece, I didn’t see a bunny anywhere, until I spotted these two guys on our last day.

Celebrating Easter in Greece is an unforgettable experience. On Good Friday evening in Nafplio, it seems the entire town turns out for what is essentially a grand funeral procession. As pallbearers navigate the winding back lanes, flames flicker on faces, and grannies look down from balconies, you feel the centuries of tradition going strong. Candlelit choirs sing of how the Virgin Mary mourned (“Life is sweet, I’ve lost my son, my sorrow is too much to bear”).

Here are a few more photos from my recent TV shoot in Greece — one of several countries included in my upcoming Rick Steves’ European Easter public television special.

The Easter greeting here in Greece, “Kalo Pascha,” literally means “good passing” — a passing from sadness (the Crucifixion) to happiness (the Resurrection). I was told, “It mixes together, like births come with pain.”

Most of these photos were snapped in the middle of the night, as Good Friday was just starting. On Good Friday, the faithful fill the church as if attending a funeral. You’ll notice lots and lots of flowers. As flowers are an important part of any Greek burial (they’re tossed into the grave with the dirt), the priest scatters flowers upon the symbolic tomb of Christ. He then ritualistically showers the entire congregation with flowers. (Tracking the priest with our cameraman, I found myself in an April shower of petals, and folded my hands prayerfully. Later I saw that the more appropriate response was to just have fun and enjoy the moment.)

Be sure to click on each image below to learn more about Good Friday rituals in the Greek Orthodox faith.

On Maundy Thursday, Jesus and his apostles have their last peaceful moments together at the Last Supper. Many Greek Orthodox hardly sleep that night, as the crucifix is decorated with flowers.

On Good Friday morning, a service is held as the priest removes Christ from the cross. When it passes behind the iconostasis, the figure is replaced with a shroud bearing the image of Jesus. This is paraded through the church on its way to a symbolic burial. These boys with candles lead the way.

After the shroud is placed in the ceremonial tomb (or epitaph), people line up to kiss it.

With huge emotion and commotion, the epitaph is carried out of the church and into the city…and the Good Friday procession begins.

It seemed the entire city was out, young and old, walking with the epitaph. Choirs sang, and old-timers looked on from balconies — their candles lit in worshipful solidarity. It was a timeless experience.

Three churches all paraded their respective epitaphs through Nafplio. All of the processions met on the main square, where the bishop (who happened to have the longest, whitest beard of all) gave a blessing. People then dispersed to await the Resurrection.

In the Greek Orthodox tradition, the events of Good Friday begin late Thursday night, and proceed step by step with elaborate rituals and incense-filled services. This clip captures the intensity.

On Good Friday morning, a service is held during which the priest removes Christ from the cross. Christ is covered in a shroud and carried through the congregation. Disappearing behind the iconostasis, the body re-emerges as an image on a shroud. The priest carries the shroud to be placed in a flower-bedecked tomb. As flowers are a big part of any Greek burial, the priest strews flowers upon Christ, and then showers petals on all gathered. In this clip, notice the empty cross and the flower-covered tomb awaiting the arrival of Jesus’ shroud.