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For many Christians, Easter is about more than bunnies and chocolate eggs. And for Greek Orthodox Christians, it is the most important religious festival of the year.

On most calendars that people buy, Easter is on April 12 this year; however, the Greek Orthodox go by a different religious calendar. Their Easter is on the 19th.

"We celebrate Orthodox Easter on a different day because the date must be after the Jewish Holiday of Passover," said Carolyn Nastos in an e-mail. Nastos' husband is the pastor of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.

Many Orthodox Christians fast from certain foods for 40 days before Easter. During that time, they don't eat meat on three days of each week. During Holy Week -- the week before Easter -- they steer clear of meats, dairy, fish, poultry or dishes that are prepared with those ingredients.

"Fasting develops a discipline," Nastos said. "There is more planning in what you eat. We normally fast from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays in preparation for Holy Communion on Sundays, so it is just another step in that direction."

On the Saturday before Easter, the food that will be served that Sunday is brought to the church and blessed by the priest.

During Holy Week, worshippers come to the church every evening. On Good Friday, they go to church to see the priests take the icon of Christ down from the cross, wrap it in linen, and place it in a casket covered in flowers, symbolizing his tomb.

Late on Saturday, everyone comes to church with an unlit candle. At midnight, the priest announces the resurrection of Christ ("Christos anesti") and the people light their candles from a flame representing the one taken from Christ's nativity cave in Jerusalem.

Nastos said this is her favorite part of the service. The candle is lit from the altar and brought by the priest to the congregation and passed through the church. One by one, each candle is lit, and the congregation sings the hymn, "Christ is Risen, Truly He is Risen!"

After this, the families go home and enjoy a meal because the fast is over. If their candles are still burning, a cross is made in the doorway with the soot, to protect the house for the coming year.

On Easter Sunday, family and friends gather in homes to eat spit-roasted lamb and eggs dyed red. But, before the eggs can be eaten, their shells must be cracked against eggs held by neighbors at the table. The last person with an uncracked eggshell gets all the luck.

Easter for the Greek Orthodox is not about bunnies and flowers. It's about recognizing Lent and celebrating Easter.

Egg cracking, anyone?