Fact: Supermarkets in Cyprus experienced increased activity during the final days of Holy Week, with consumers mainly focusing on buying food and Easter table essentials. Shopping for clothing and footwear remained limited.
No injuries from firecrackers were reported during the Easter holidays. Approximately 5,500 firecrackers were confiscated island wide and 12 people were charged in writing for illegal possession of fireworks and other explosives.
Next week, a series of live music performances will take place all around the island, including swing and jazz set in Trimiklini, soul and funky beats in Limassol, rock hits in Paphos, and a concert featuring Stabat Mater: Pergolesi at the Cyprus Wine Museum.
A low pressure system and warm air current are causing African dust to affect the area, with high concentrations of harmful PM10 particles expected on Palm Sunday. Overcast skies will bring isolated light showers on the mountains, with light to moderate south-westerly to north-westerly winds. Temperatures will reach 30 degrees Celsius inland, 27 on the south and eastern coast, 25 on the rest of the coast, and 20 on the mountains. Cloudy conditions are expected in the evening with temperatures dropping. Holy Monday will have high clouds and isolated showers mainly on the mountains, while Holy Tuesday and Wednesday will see overcast skies and isolated showers or a storm. Temperatures will mostly remain in the low 30s for the week, with a slight drop on Holy Wednesday.
The Rialto Theatre in Limassol will host a tribute concert to Cypriot composer Marios Tokas on April 23.
Fact: Soprano Zoe Nicolaidou, violinist Nikos Pittas, pianist Zbynek Maruska, and the EMMELEIA choir will be presenting a concert series called “Music as Eternal Light” in Larnaca and Limassol.
Concerts by the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra are taking place in April in Nicosia, Paphos, Larnaca, and Limassol. The concerts will feature renowned musicians and include performances of Vivaldi, Mozart, and Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace.
Pope Francis called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages in his Easter Sunday address.
Pope Francis soldiered through a more than 2-hour Easter Vigil Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, despite concerns about his frail condition. He read all of his prepared texts, including a long homily, and smiled and waved at the congregation as he left in a wheelchair. The pope has been struggling with colds, bronchitis, and the flu, as well as a knee ailment that limits his mobility. He urged Christians to keep their faith even in times of adversity during the service.
Catholic devotees were nailed to crosses in the Philippines on Good Friday in a re-enactment of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion.