What Greek Easter custom burns an effigy of Judas in some communities?

Burning Judas is a Greek Easter custom in which an effigy representing Judas Iscariot is burned in some communities.

The practice usually takes place during Holy Week or around Easter Sunday. A straw or cloth figure is displayed and then set alight, symbolically expressing condemnation of Judas’s betrayal of Jesus. Local ceremonies may include church attendance, processions, music, or large public gatherings.

The custom is found in parts of Greece and also in other countries with related Holy Week traditions. It is a folk observance rather than a universal feature of Greek Easter, and its form varies considerably from place to place.

Visitors should distinguish it from the Holy Fire ceremony in Jerusalem and from Greek Easter bonfires that do not include a Judas figure. Modern communities may also restrict or adapt the event because of fire safety and concerns about public displays.