From the Archives of the Library of Hestia Nea Smyrna, an excerpt from the book by Dimitris I. Archigeni on the Epitaph‘s procession in Smyrna.
If, now, the sequence was completed, midnight had arrived. And then he wanted them to turn the Epitaph, in the central alleys around the church. Up ahead, the band played (the philharmonic we used to call), playing sad music.
They were followed by the Xefteria, the chanters, the Cross with its three lighted candles and behind the four priests with the gold-embroidered and painted square handkerchief that represented the dead Christ lying down.
And last, now, the canopy with the sharp image inside and with the many candles lit on its roof. The commissioners of this church “raised it and brought it out” (as they always did) and now it is late lifted his Levantine lads high, with respect and reverence.