A butcher cuts the lamb meat for customers at the central meat market in central Athens, Greece, on April 4, 2018. Greek Orthodox Christians prepare for Easter Sunday, by buying lamb meat and intestines. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
ATHENS, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Eight years into the debt crisis, cash-strapped Greeks queue in marketplaces this week to make final-minute purchases to prepare this Sunday for one more frugal Easter meal.
As the country is expected to exit this summer the bailout programs which kept her afloat since 2010, shopkeepers and clients at Athens' central market "Varvakeios" expressed hope, speaking to Xinhua, that this may be the last time austerity that is preventing them from celebrating in style.
For Greek Orthodox Christians, Easter, which falls on April 8 this year, is one of the most important holidays on their calendar. Traditionally it is an opportunity to meet relatives and friends around a table and enjoy the special delicacies of the day, sing and dance.
During years of the debt crisis, consumers learnt to celebrate on limited budget, cutting back on "luxuries".
Although according to surveys conducted by research institutes of sellers and consumers groups, in 2018 the typical Easter meal will be marginally less expensive compared to 2017, and consumers add to their baskets only the necessary ingredients for the festive meal.
A typical Sunday Easter lunch will cost Greek households about 55.74 euros (68.5 U.S. dollars) which is 5 percent less this year compared to 2017, according to a price survey carried out by IELKA (Institute of Retail Consumer Goods) at supermarkets chains.
IELKA experts attributed the lower prices to the good weather which helped keep lower prices of vegetables lately and special offers made by supermarkets, according to a press statement.
This typical basket, according to IELKA's survey, includes: one kilo of lamb meat, one kilo of goat meat, 12 eggs painted red, one kilo of flour and one kilo Greek feta cheese.
The list also includes one kilo of desserts, one kilo of yoghurt, half a kilo of butter, 250 grams of mustard, one liter of vinegar, 750 grams of wine, six beers of 330 ml, one kilo of potatoes, one kilo of tomatoes, one lettuce and one soft drink of 1.5 liters.
IELKA experts noted that depending on one's income, an Easter basket may cost 40 percent more.
The Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ESEE) estimated that a typical Easter meal for 6-8 persons will cost on average 92.7 euros this year, down from 94.4 euros last year.
"Prices compared to last year are about 20 percent lower. Due to the shortage of money, prices have dropped as low as never before. The lamb meat starts from 5-7 euros per kilo and goat about the same," Kleanthis Tsironis, President of Varvakeios market, told Xinhua.
"Greek people are inventive and they will always find a way to serve some meat on the table. Easter is a special festival for Greeks and even the poorest households will cook some lamb," he explained.
"Due to the crisis, the prices have declined, but also the quantities Greeks buy by some 20-30 percent for meat compared to the past. Why? Because of the reduced disposable income," he added.
"We will buy about the same ingredients as last year. As everybody else we get only the minimum necessary. We will spend the holidays at home with our children and grandchildren," Anna, one of the clients at Varvakeios, told Xinhua.
"Of course everything in daily life has become more expensive, not only meat. Isn't this true?" Konstantina, another consumer, said.
For those who will not cook at home, restaurateurs such as Dimitris Kostakos, who in the past 33 years runs a traditional Greek tavern in an Athens suburb, are preparing a lavish Easter meal trying to keep the prices as low as possible.
"For the Easter holiday, we are preparing traditional kokoretsi (a dish consisting of lamb or goat intestines wrapped around kidneys, hearts, lungs) and of course lamb roasted on a spit. The meal may cost about 12-15 euros per person," he said.
"Our prices are standard. We do not increase them. Although VAT rates have increased, we are trying to keep them low so that we can keep our clientele," he told Xinhua. (1 euro = 1.23 U.S. dollars)
