The custom of “Zafeiris” is revived in Epirus every Easter and throughout the spring season. The custom differs from region to region and is known by different names, such as Mayopoulo or Fouskodentri. In its main version, children, mostly girls, reenact the resurrection of Zafeiris. One child plays the dead person, while the others gather flowers and plants to decorate the “dead” body. Singing and lamenting follow, and when all the children shout “Rise, Zafeiris!”, the “dead” child comes back to life, chasing the others with laughter and shouting.

In some areas, Zafeiris is not a child but a wooden effigy that is taken to church to be blessed. After church, they bury it under flowers and greenery, decorate it, and “mourn” it intensely. Then they “resurrect” it with song, and the chase continues with running and dancing through the fields. The “dead” Zafeiris sighs and rises again, and whichever child he catches becomes the “dead” Zafeiris the following year, creating an endless chain of play and celebration.