Orthodox holiday Easter. Paschal When is Easter Day

When Orthodox Easter is celebrated in 2020, what date it will be - many of us are already interested in advance.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter this year April 19, 2020. And exactly one week before it, on April 12, all Orthodox will traditionally celebrate. On the same day, April 12, 2020, there will be.

The tradition of celebrating Easter does not originate at all from the Resurrection of Christ - it existed before that. The Jewish holiday Passover was and is celebrated to commemorate the release of the Israeli people from Egyptian captivity under the leadership of Moshe (Moses).

It just so happened that the Savior rose from the dead on this very day. As you know, such coincidences may seem random only at first glance. The liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian captivity is a story that is generally seen as the liberation of all mankind from the power of sin and death.

The miraculous resurrection of Christ means the greatest victory of good over evil, a visible symbol of the fact that love and faith are much stronger than hatred and fear.

And just as the Jewish people sacrifice the Passover lamb, so the Lord himself brought his son to the slaughter. And in this event, the boundless love of God for man was manifested.

And even if a person is neutral about the Easter holiday, this does not deprive him of the right to join the jubilant humanity, which will certainly utter the cherished words:

"Christ is risen!"

"Truly risen!"

WHERE THE WORD "EASTER" COME FROM

Interestingly, in translation from Hebrew, the word "Pesach" means "passed by" or "passed by." This means that one day God passed by the Jewish houses and destroyed only the dwellings of their oppressors - the Egyptians.

In our time, the symbolism of history is also obvious: good will certainly triumph over evil. The Lord removes oppression and frees man from sin. Accepting the sacrifice of Christ, absolutely any of us can count on forgiveness and understanding.

Why does the date of Easter keep changing?

The question of what date Easter will be in 2020 is often associated with another one. Why does the date of this holiday change all the time, unlike, for example, Christmas (January 7) or Epiphany (January 19)? Indeed, Easter refers to the so-called moving holidays - celebrations that do not have a clearly defined day.

The fact is that in Orthodoxy the celebration of Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first spring full moon. And how to determine exactly the first full moon?

It is believed that spring comes after March 21 - i.e. day of the spring equinox. Then the day for the first time becomes equal to the night in duration (in hours). It turns out that as soon as March 21 has passed, you need to wait for the full moon, and the next Sunday will be Easter.

When is Orthodox Easter celebrated?

Therefore, the main Christian holiday among the Orthodox is always celebrated in the period from April 7 to 8 May:

• Orthodox Easter 2019 - April 28.
• Orthodox Easter 2020 - April 19.
• Orthodox Easter 2021 - May 2.
• Orthodox Easter 2022 - April 24th.
• Orthodox Easter 2023 - April 16.

We present the clergyman's commentary on this matter:

Everything about the symbols of the holiday - painted eggs and Easter cake

Of course, the immutable symbols of the holiday are painted eggs and Easter cake. And it seems that everything is known about these two traditions. But this simplicity lies only on the surface, and in general one should not forget that the amazing is nearby.

Why are eggs painted for Easter?

Indeed, why will we paint eggs again at Easter in 2020?

The most common legend says that when Mary Magdalene learned that Christ had risen from the dead, she hurried to tell the whole neighborhood about it. And of course, she went to the Roman emperor Tiberius, who in those years ruled the occupied territories of Israel.

Of course, her message about the resurrection was not taken seriously. Therefore, when Mary told Tiberius: “Christ is risen!”, He took an ordinary chicken egg and answered: “The dead do not rise, just as the eggs do not turn red.” And at the same moment, the egg in his hand turned bright red, which probably left the ruler speechless for a while. However, he did not deny the obvious and said: “He has truly risen!”

Interestingly, this story also has its own symbolism. In fact, it shows the attitude of society towards miracles. Some are ready with all their heart to believe that they happen. And even without evidence. Other people, who are often called rational, pragmatic (and more recently they were more often called materialists), require an objective basis for any statement.

It is noteworthy that neither Mary Magdalene nor Tiberius enter into the discussion. And the higher power itself shows the incredulous emperor that miracles do happen.

And even if we know everything about life and a little more, this does not mean that we can do without faith. After all, it is she who is a kind of prototype of a positive future, striving forward, some project of our destiny. By the way, the word project itself is translated as “aspiring forward”.

NOTE

Since the egg was painted in bright red shades, it is necessary that this color be one of the predominant ones on the Easter table. Of course, the harmony of the palette and the taste preferences of the owners are observed, but red eggs must certainly be present as a symbol of the holiday.

Why Easter must have dyed eggs

Along with the story of Marina Magdalene and the emperor Tiberius, there are several more suggestions why colored eggs must be present at Easter:

1. First of all, the egg is considered a symbol of the universe, a symbol of life itself. This is one of the cultural archetypes along with the image of water, fire and other iconic symbols. The egg seems to stand above all religions, nationalities and cultures. And this privileged position is recognized by almost everyone. If you think about it, the egg is not what gives life. This is life itself. This small prototype of an organism contains everything necessary for the emergence of a new living being. In appearance, it is no different from a pebble or other inanimate object. But under the shell, various processes are intensively going on, thanks to which the continuation of the genus occurs. Using the achievements of modern science, we can see everything with our own eyes, as if the shell does not exist. But the people of antiquity had to comprehend the world for the most part with their faith. That did not prevent them from living, rejoicing and loving.
2. The image of the egg was considered sacred by the Egyptians, Persians and Romans. Interestingly, the Romans ate a baked egg before any festive meal. It was believed that this is a good symbol of a successful undertaking of any business. By the way, these peoples always celebrated the coming of spring. And boiled eggs were always present on the table as an image of the revival of nature and good changes.
3. Interestingly, on the birthday of another Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, which happened 2 centuries after the resurrection of Christ, a chicken laid an egg with red specks, and this was considered a lucky sign. Since then, it was customary for the Romans to send colored eggs to each other on the occasion of any holiday.
4. And another version is particularly original. It is believed that the stone that blocked the entrance to the Holy Sepulcher resembled precisely the shape of an egg.

It can be seen that neither version contradicts the other. Therefore, they all equally have the right to exist. Moreover, different assumptions only complement each other.

It is quite natural to imagine that the people of ancient times also exchanged their cultural experience, as well as modern society. And although, for obvious reasons, traditions then spread more slowly, they still survived and even survived to this day.

Thus, the custom of painting eggs has been around for as long as Christianity has existed. Eras passed, entire states and peoples disappeared, but the memory of the bright resurrection lived and lives among a huge number of people.

It turns out that everyone who paints eggs comes into contact with an ancient history that goes back at least 20 centuries. If you just think about it for a second, you can immediately feel the atmosphere of a real holiday. And these bright thoughts will certainly tune in a positive wave to anyone who wishes to feel the spirit of Easter.

What does the Orthodox cake symbolize?

When we are interested in what date Easter will be in 2020, we will certainly remember not only the date of the bright holiday itself, but also the Easter cake. Delicious, fragrant pastries, a symbol of the holiday, which, if the correct recipe is followed, can stand in the house for at least the entire bright week (a week after Easter Sunday).

There are several dozen varieties of this festive dish. Traditionally, it is baked from dough based on milk, butter and chicken eggs.

It is customary to decorate Easter cake with sprinkles, pieces of fruit or berries, icing - in a word, in this creative business, every culinary specialist can give complete freedom to his imagination.

And why did the tradition of baking Easter cake come from? Unlike eggs, there is no exact answer to this question.

However, the fact that this tradition is ancient is known for sure. She lives from time immemorial. As you know, Christ himself broke bread and poured wine during the Last Supper exactly three days before his resurrection.

Any variety of bread has a sacred meaning for all peoples of the earth. Even today, when hunger in many countries has been finally defeated, it is considered bad form to play with pieces of bread, throw them away or speak unflatteringly about this, without exaggeration, a truly national product.

In this sense, Easter cake can be regarded as a symbol of fertility, satiety, prosperity in the house. And given the tradition of the breaking of bread, which was founded during the Last Supper, we can say that bread is a symbol of the body of Christ.

Therefore, baking and eating Easter cake is another opportunity to get in touch with the holiday and feel the magical atmosphere that has reigned on the entire planet every year for 2 thousand years.

But the information, as they say, firsthand. Hieromonk Job Gumerov answers the question of why the tradition of making Easter cake appeared.

What to do for Easter: traditions and modernity

So, on a holiday, or rather, on the eve of the bright Resurrection, almost everyone paints eggs and gets Easter cakes. Of course, you can bake muffins on your own - after all, preparation for the holiday is also the holiday itself.

What else do they do for Easter? Whatever date this Sunday falls, people will come into contact with many ancient traditions. Here are the most famous of them.

Egg and Easter cake lighting

Of course, on such a day, believers strive to get into the church and endure the all-night service, which is performed on the night from Saturday to Sunday. And even if this was not possible, they come to the temple in order to.

The tradition of consecration allows a person to tune in to the bright waves of the holiday. It is no secret that a special atmosphere develops in the assembly of believers, which can hardly be felt at home or even while watching the broadcast of the service on TV.

That is why visiting the temple on such a day is definitely worth it. And it will not be superfluous to do mercy by treating the needy with eggs and Easter cakes.

Christening

Well, at home the holiday continues - moreover, here it is in full swing. In the morning, you need to try to get up early, because the Savior was resurrected in the morning. And the rising sun in itself symbolizes the beginning of the celebration.

By tradition, all those celebrating take Easter eggs and christen - i.e. push the eggs against each other and break the shell from either end - sharp or blunt. After that, you need to kiss three times on the cheeks and say the well-known words:

"Christ is risen!"

"Truly risen!"

If you follow the church canon, the phrase will sound a little different, which does not change its meaning at all:

Traditionally, they go to visit, treat relatives, friends, neighbors and just everyone who is dear to the heart with Easter dishes. In this sense, it is very good that Easter is always celebrated on Sunday. We have the opportunity to remember and visit everyone who, perhaps, has been waiting for our attention for a long time.

Other folk customs for Easter

Easter cake and eggs are the main symbols of the holiday, so Easter traditions are mainly associated with them:

1. After visiting the church, you can buy a few candles and decorate Easter cake with them. Traditionally, one candle is placed in one bead, after which a fire is lit so that it pleases everyone in the house.
2. You can arrange a pleasant holiday for everyone at home - and of course, do not forget about the children. For example, let them look for colored eggs that will be previously hidden in different places in the house. Arrange a fun search together.
3. And you can also organize “pokatushki” - whose egg will roll farther than others.
4. Traditionally, the house is decorated with greenery, emerging tree branches. In general, it is allowed to use all symbols that represent rebirth and good changes.

Festive table for Easter

Along with the question of when Easter will be in 2020, they are often interested in what dishes will be put on the table correctly. After all, the festive menu serves as a kind of culinary portrait of the celebration and allows you to enjoy the moment to the fullest.

In addition, with the onset of the holiday, Lent ends, which imposes the most stringent requirements on the restriction of food and drinks. And after such a long ordeal, the joy of the holiday only intensifies.

Traditionally, along with Easter cake, there are other pastries and meat dishes on the table:

• boiled pork;
• baked veal;
• wild duck stewed in sour cream;
• all kinds of pies, kulebyaki, sweet muffins.

As for the festive drink, red wine is rightfully considered to be it. It is preferable to prepare in advance and purchase a church Cahors. And even more interesting if you make red wine yourself. It can be harvested in almost a year, but the expectation only enhances the pleasure.

What Not to Do on Bright Sunday

• You should not sort things out, start important business conversations on such a day.
• It is better to refrain from unpleasant memories and everything that literally overshadows the Resurrection of Christ. It is important to understand that Easter is a day of joy, not sorrow. Believers do not remember the deceased, but the resurrected Savior.
• Do not indulge in gluttony and get drunk. Of course, no one refuses to eat, and a couple of glasses of pleasant red wine will not hurt. It must be remembered what the main food on such a day is spiritual, not earthly.
• It is undesirable to tidy up, do repairs, visit beauty salons, wash windows, etc. That is, all actions that distract from a pleasant celebration are undesirable. At the same time, there are no direct prohibitions on this. Everyone can act according to their own conscience. In addition, sometimes a person may be at work even on Christ's Resurrection. And of course, he must do his duty.
• You should not visit on such a day and, to honor the dead, you should choose another time. Easter is the triumph of life over death, truth over sin. It is better not to forget about this when there will be a meeting of bright Easter.

Representatives of the Orthodox Church also express the corresponding opinion.

On a beautiful spring day of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, everyone can feel like a part of something wonderful and eternal. After all, celebrating Easter is a great honor. It means getting in touch with holy history - perhaps the main event in the history of mankind.

The page uses the following symbols:

♈ - equinox
☺ - full moon
† - Easter

In chronology, and therefore in the history of astronomy, the calculation of Easter plays an important role. Therefore, a special page is given to Easter.

And yes, it's interesting.

What is Easter?

Easter- Christian holiday. Easter is the feast of the resurrection of Christ.

When is Easter celebrated?

The answer is very simple:

What's the catch? Why is it so difficult to determine the date of Easter? Why do the dates of Easter in the Orthodox calendar and the Catholic calendar usually do not coincide?

There are three terms in the definition of Easter three: spring, full moon, and Sunday. Each of them will have to be dealt with.

How did the Easter holiday come about?

The Gospels tell us about the life of Jesus Christ. It is known from them that in one of the springs in the early 30s of the first century of the new era, Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate the annual Passover holiday. At the instigation of ill-wishers, He was seized by the authorities and subjected to a painful execution - crucifixion. The execution took place on the day of Passover. After the death of Jesus, His body was taken down from the cross, buried in an artificial cave, as is customary, and two days later, Christ was resurrected.

The resurrection of Christ is celebrated by Christian churches, celebrating Easter.

Adhering to the described series of events and having Jewish practice as a model, the holy fathers of the church decided to put the calculation of the date of one of the main church holidays on a firm historical and astronomical footing. Since the symbolism of the Jewish Passover and Christian Easter, especially in early Christianity, were closely connected, this spring holiday turned out to be a fulcrum for the founders of new calendar and religious traditions.

What is Pesach? When is Pesach celebrated?

Pesach- Jewish holiday: the holiday of the exodus of the Jews from Egyptian slavery. Passover falls on Nisan 14 and is celebrated for a week.

The Jewish calendar is based on the lunar cycle and is, in fact, a lunisolar calendar. Each month begins with a new moon (more precisely, neomenia - the first evening visibility of the young crescent of the new moon, which we will not pay special attention to further). In particular, the month of Nisan is the first spring month, it begins on the new moon closest to the spring equinox. Thus, Pesach is celebrated on the first full moon (more precisely, one or two days after the full moon) after the equinox.

So Jesus was crucified just after the full moon. (By the way, along the way, we exposed the plots of a couple of films where the death of Christ on the cross is accompanied by an eclipse of the sun: a solar eclipse can only occur on a new moon, that is, two or two weeks after Passover!) He resurrected on Sunday (two day, although Pesach and the days of the week are not actually connected in any way).

So now it's clear why Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

And everything would be very simple. But neither the equinox nor the full moon are observed by the clergy to determine the date of Easter. They are calculated by them, paschalia are built. And paschalia are calculated quite difficult. Three questions need to be addressed: when does the equinox occur? when is the full moon? when is sunday?

When is the equinox?

Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first spring full moon.

In church calendars, the spring equinox always occurs. Always. A-priory.

Astronomically, this is incorrect: the equinox often falls on March 20 and sometimes even on March 19, but when calculating Easter, the equinox is always on March 21.

Unfortunately, the Christian church has two simultaneously operating calendars: the so-called "old" or Julian and the "new" or Gregorian. The vast majority of Christians use the Gregorian calendar: Catholics, Protestants, and many Orthodox. The Julian calendar is used by the Orthodox, in particular the Russian Orthodox Church, which remains the main obstacle to the transition to a single use of the Gregorian calendar.

Without going into details of the difference between the "old" and "new" calendars (which is an interesting topic in itself), I state that they currently differ by 13 days.

In particular, this means that March 21, the equinox according to the Gregorian calendar, is only March 8 according to the Julian calendar, and the equinox is still far away. If the full moon occurs on March 21, 22, 23, 24 ... then the Catholics will "count" it for the spring, and the Orthodox will wait for the next one. March 25, 26, 27 .... March 31 are not suitable. April 1st and 2nd too. Only on April 3 will the "equinox of the conservatives" come, after which (or on this very day) you need to wait for the full moon.

Table of ecclesiastical equinoxes ♈

Calendar		Equinox
Julian	Gregorian	astronomical	Orthodox	Catholic
Mar 6	Mar 19	♈
Mar 7	Mar 20	♈
Mar 8	Mar 21	♈		♈
Mar 9	Mar 22
Mar 10	Mar 23
Mar 11	Mar 24
Mar 12	Mar 25
Mar 13	Mar 26
Mar 14	Mar 27
Mar 15	Mar 28
Mar 16	Mar 29
Mar 17	Mar 30
Mar 18	Mar 31
Mar 19	1 Apr.
Mar 20	2 Apr.
Mar 21	3 Apr.		♈

When is the full moon?

Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first of spring full moon.

It would seem that since the two calendars are shifted by about a full moon cycle, in half the cases (after April 2) the spring full moons will coincide and, therefore, Catholic and Orthodox Easter will coincide. However, this happens less often.

The fact is that full moons are also calculated and calculated differently. Calculation methods are rather opaque, and I will not formulate them pharmaceutically and precisely, but will only explain.

IN julian calendar("old", Orthodox) to determine the "official" date of the spring full moon is simple. First you need to calculate the remainder of dividing the number of the year by the number 19. 19 years is contained in the so-called metonic cycle, known from the 5th century. BC, associated with the coincidence of lunar months and solar years: after this cycle, the phases of the moon with great accuracy fall again on the same dates. The remainder calculated in this way is called the "Golden Number" of the year.

Golden numbers GN

	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2023	2023	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032
	2033	2034	2035	2036	2037	2038	2039	2040	2041	2042	2043	2044	2045	2046	2047	2048	2049	2050	2050
GN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19

Then it is enough to use the table of full moons and, using the Golden Number, determine the tabular date of the full moon for the desired year.

Interesting...

... that according to this table, for some dates, for example, March 23, old style, the full moon can never fall.

Full moon table ☺ (Julian calendar)

	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2023	2023	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032
	2033	2034	2035	2036	2037	2038	2039	2040	2041	2042	2043	2044	2045	2046	2047	2048	2049	2050	2050
GN	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19
Mar 21																☺
22					☺
23
24													☺
25		☺
26
27										☺
28
29																		☺
30							☺
31
1 Apr.															☺
2				☺
3
4												☺
5	☺
6
7									☺
8
9																	☺
10						☺
11
12														☺
13			☺
14
15											☺
16
17																			☺
18								☺

Thus, for each year of the Metonic cycle, the date of the full moon is simply predetermined, "hammered in nails." This method is simple: there is even a technique for calculating literally "on the fingers", more precisely, according to the phalanges and the joint of the fingers of one hand - it is called vrutseleto. On the other hand, the method is not very accurate - at present, full moons calculated in this way lag behind astronomical ones by several days.

Such a paschalia is called Alexandrian.

IN Gregorian calendar, in the Gregorian paschals, the concept of full moon is used to calculate epacta is the age of the moon in days at the beginning of the year. It is calculated in a tricky way (I will not reproduce the corresponding formulas), and these calculations often (but not always!) give a result different from the calculation by the "golden numbers". Thus, even late full moons calculated in different ways may not match.

That is, for the Orthodox and Catholic Easters to coincide, the full moon must be late, and the results of the calculation of the full moon according to the "golden number" and epakts must coincide (more precisely, fit within one week).

When is Sunday?

Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first spring full moon.

The question "when is Sunday", at first glance, is rather silly. Yes, stupid - from the point of view of the calendar. But not from the point of view of the clergy. They also find religious subtleties here.

First, if the calculated full moon occurs on a Sunday, then that Sunday is not considered "after", and Easter is set to the following Sunday.

Secondly, if it suddenly happens that Christian Easter falls on Jewish Pesach, which, let me remind you, lasts a week, then such a day is not suitable for celebrating Easter, and it is also transferred to the next Sunday. This situation rarely happens, but, for example, in 2012, just such a case occurred: Orthodox Easter fell on April 8, fell on Passover and was shifted to April 15.

Third. At the famous Second Vatican Council in 1962, the Catholics, for their ecuministic reasons, abandoned the rule of non-coincidence of Pesach and Easter. So catholic easter Maybe come to Passover.

Catholic and Orthodox Easter in 2012

Calendar				Holiday
Jewish	Julian	Gregorian		Jewish	Orthodox	Catholic
13	Mar 23	5 Apr.	☺
14	24	6		✡
15	25	7		✡
16	26	8		✡	†	†
17	27	9		✡	↓
18	28	10		✡	↓
19	29	11		✡	↓
20	30	12		✡	↓
21	31	13		✡	↓
22	1 Apr.	14			↓
23	2	15			†

So

Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first spring full moon.

Couldn't it be sooner?

Is it possible to calculate the date of Easter simpler and the same for everyone?

Of course you can. A number of Orthodox churches proposed a reform of the calculation of Paschal, based on the use real astronomical calculations made for the geographic coordinates of Jerusalem. The denominations did not agree on this issue.

RCP position

The RCP appeals to the miracle of the descent of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which happens precisely on Orthodox Easter. It seems incredible to me that the Lord is preoccupied with the calculation of the golden numbers of the year: it seems to me that He, when He wants, will then send His Holy Fire.

Thus, Catholics use the Gregorian calendar, the Russian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar and the Alexandrian method of calculating Paschal, while other Orthodox and autocephalous churches sometimes use their own original or compilation methods for calculating the date of Easter and other church holidays. The Greeks, for example, use the Gregorian calendar (more precisely, the New Julian, which will coincide with the Gregorian for another 800 years), but at the same time the Alexandrian principle of calculation.

There is no end in sight to sectarian disagreements.

Easter is the main event of the Christian world, dedicated to the miraculous Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the victory of life over death.

The date of the holiday changes every year, since the day Easter is calculated according to the lunisolar calendar, based on the frequency of visible changes of the Sun and Moon.

About what date Easter is for Orthodox Christians, about the traditions and customs of celebrating it in Russia, read in this article.

When is Orthodox Easter in 2020

What date Easter will be in 2020 is calculated as follows: this important Christian holiday is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that comes after March 21 - the day of the vernal equinox. If this full moon falls on a Sunday, the holiday is a week later, on the following Sunday.

Since Orthodox Christians use the method of calculating the date according to the Julian calendar (according to the old style), Easter for them comes on Sunday April 19, 2020.

Traditions and customs of celebration in Russia

On Holy Saturday before Orthodox Easter in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, at a particularly solemn night service, the Holy Fire is brought to the faithful, miraculously appearing in the Holy Sepulcher and symbolizing the risen Jesus Christ.

In Russia, the ceremony is broadcast live, and a piece of the Holy Fire is delivered to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and other churches in large cities by special flights.

All-night vigils - services on Easter night are held in every Orthodox church. During the service, exactly at midnight, the faithful make the Procession - a procession around the temple with a large cross, icons and the singing of the prayer canon.

Easter greeting

Immediately after the night service and on the first day of Easter, Orthodox Christians joyfully greet each other: “Christ is risen!” - "Truly Risen!" and kiss three times. According to tradition, the youngest in age should greet first, and the eldest should answer.

Easter bells

Another Orthodox Easter tradition is to ring the bells during non-liturgical hours on Bright Week, the week following the festive Sunday.

The bell towers are open to everyone, and everyone can ring the bell, of course, with a blessing.

Festive meal

The holiday is preceded by a time of abstinence - Great Lent, which ends with breaking the fast.

On the festive table, the Orthodox must have Easter cakes consecrated in the church, painted eggs and curd Easter.

Easter cake - high rich yeast bread with the image of a cross. The tradition of obligatory Easter cake is associated with the apostles, who, after the Ascension of Christ, left a piece of bread on the table, symbolizing the presence of Jesus at the meal. In Russia, Easter cake is poured with white icing and the symbols XB are written - Christ is Risen.

The egg during the Easter meal symbolizes the Holy Sepulcher and the Resurrection - on the outside it looks dead, but inside it contains nascent life.

The custom of Christians to give eggs to each other comes from the tradition of a red-colored egg, which Mary Magdalene presented to Emperor Tiberius with the words "Christ is risen!". Easter eggs can be dyed in different colors, but it is red that is traditional - it symbolizes the blood of the crucified Christ, life, the sun and fertility. In Russia, eggs are dyed with onion skins to give them a red color.

Cottage cheese Easter is a special sweet dish made from cottage cheese with raisins and candied fruits in the form of a truncated pyramid, reminiscent of the Holy Sepulcher. It is prepared mainly in the northern and central Russian regions.

Folk festivals and games

Easter festivities in Russia began on the first day of the holiday and could last a week or longer. On Krasnaya Gorka they led round dances with songs, swung on a swing, wooed and played Easter games.

Traditional Easter games are egg rolling and cue ball.

Egg rolling is a Slavic Easter game that consists of rolling eggs from a small hill or simply on the ground or floor. At the end of the slide, various objects and toys are placed. The player whose egg touches the object takes it as a prize.

Rolling eggs among Christians is a symbol of the stone that rolled down before the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Holy Sepulcher. They are rolled on the ground to make it fertile.

Cue balls - two people take colored eggs and beat them three times - they "Christen." The cracked egg goes to the winner.

The main holiday of Orthodox Christians - the Bright Resurrection of Christ, Easter - is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first spring full moon - between April 4 (March 22, old style) and May 8 (April 25, old style).

Easter Day commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion on the cross.

Easter - the crown of Lent

Easter is celebrated immediately after Great Lent, the last week (week) of which is the strictest, Passionate.

Easter is celebrated for seven days, all week. Each day of the week is called Holy. On Bright Week, divine services are performed daily with the Royal Doors of the iconostasis open (which are closed at the usual liturgy) as a sign that Jesus Christ has forever opened the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven to people.

The entire period before the Feast of the Ascension, which is celebrated on the 40th day after Easter, is considered Easter, and the Orthodox greet each other with the greeting "Christ is Risen!" and the answer "Truly Risen!".

Painted eggs, Easter cake and curd Easter

It has long been accepted that the first meal after Lent should be consecrated colored eggs, Easter cake and cottage cheese Easter.

An explanation of the custom of painting eggs red for Easter can be found in early Christian literature, which is not included in the biblical canon. These sources tell about the conversion of the Roman emperor Tiberius to the Christian faith. Wanting to stop the preaching of St. Mary Magdalene, Tiberius declared that he was more likely to believe in the transformation of a white egg into a red one than in the possibility of reviving the dead. The egg turned red, and this was the last argument in the controversy, which ended with the baptism of the Roman king.

The custom of exchanging colored eggs has firmly entered the life of the church. The red color of the egg symbolizes the all-conquering Divine Love.

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Easter cake in its shape resembles artos. Easter artos is a symbol of Jesus Christ himself. In the cake, transferred to the festive table, there are muffins, sweetness, raisins and nuts. Properly cooked Easter cake is fragrant and beautiful, it does not get stale for weeks and can stand without spoiling for all 40 days of Easter. Easter cake on the festive table symbolizes God's presence in the world and in human life. The sweetness, richness, and beauty of the Easter cake express the Lord's concern for every human being, his compassion and mercy towards people.

Sweet cottage cheese Easter is a prototype of the Kingdom of Heaven. Her "milk and honey" is an image of endless joy, the blessedness of the saints, the sweetness of heavenly life, blessed Eternity. The form of Easter in the form of a mountain symbolizes the foundation of the new heavenly Jerusalem - a city in which there is no temple, but, according to the Apocalypse, "The Lord God Almighty Himself is his temple and the Lamb."

Worship and Procession

Since apostolic times, the church has celebrated Easter services at night. Like the ancient chosen people, who were awake on the night of their deliverance from Egyptian slavery, Christians are awake on the sacred and pre-holiday night of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. Shortly before midnight on Holy Saturday, the Midnight Office is served, at which the priest and deacon approach the Shroud (a canvas depicting the position of the body of Jesus Christ in the tomb) and take it to the altar. The shroud is placed on the throne, where it must remain for 40 days until the day of the Ascension of the Lord.

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The priests put on festive vestments. Before midnight, the solemn ringing of bells - the bell - announces the approach of the Resurrection of Christ.

The procession means the procession of the church towards the resurrected Savior. Having gone around the temple, the procession stops in front of its closed doors, as if at the entrance to the Holy Sepulcher. Then the priest, holding a cross and a three-candlestick in his hands, makes the sign of the cross with them at the closed doors of the temple, they open, and everyone, rejoicing, enters the church, where all the lamps and lamps are burning, and sing: "Christ is risen from the dead!".

The subsequent Divine Liturgy of Paschal Matins consists of the singing of the canon composed by St. John of Damascus. Between the songs of the Paschal Canon, priests with a cross and a censer go around the whole church and greet the parishioners with the words: "Christ is risen!", To which the faithful answer: "Truly, He is risen!"

At the end of Matins, after the end of the Paschal canon, the priest reads the "Word of St. John Chrysostom", which describes the celebration and significance of Pascha. After the service, all those praying in the temple christenate with each other, congratulating on the great holiday.

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Immediately after Matins, the Easter Liturgy (worship) is served, where the beginning of the Gospel of John is read. On Easter, all those who pray, if possible, partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Before the end of the liturgy, Easter bread, artos, is consecrated.

After the end of the festive service, Orthodox Christians usually break their fast with consecrated painted eggs and Easter cakes at the temple or at home.

The history of the celebration of Easter

The word "Passover" originates from the name of the Old Testament holiday of Passover, which was named so from the Hebrew word "Passah" ("passes by") - in remembrance of the ancient event of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and from Egyptian slavery, when the angel who struck down the Egyptian firstborn, at the sight of the blood of the Passover lamb on the doors of Jewish dwellings, he passed by, leaving them untouched. Another ancient interpretation of the holiday connects it with the consonant Greek word "I suffer."

In the Christian Church, the name "Easter" received a special meaning and began to denote the transition from death to eternal life with the Savior - from earth to heaven.

This ancient feast of the Christian Church was established and celebrated in apostolic times. The ancient church, under the name of Easter, combined two memories - about the sufferings and about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ - and dedicated the days preceding and following the Resurrection to its celebration. To designate both parts of the holiday, special names were used - Easter of suffering, or Easter of the Cross, and Easter of the Resurrection.

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The resurrection of Jesus Christ testifies that he "is risen as God." It revealed the glory of His Divinity, hidden until then under the cover of humiliation, shameful for that time death on the cross, like the criminals and robbers who were executed with him.

Having risen from the dead, the Savior sanctified, blessed and approved the general resurrection of all people who, according to Christian doctrine, will also rise from the dead on the universal day of resurrection, as an ear grows from a seed.

In the first centuries of Christianity, Easter was celebrated in different churches at different times. In the East, in the churches of Asia Minor, it was celebrated on the 14th day of Nisan (March-April), no matter what day of the week this number fell on. The Western Church celebrated Easter on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. An attempt to establish agreement between the churches on this issue was made under St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, in the middle of the 2nd century. The First Ecumenical Council of 325 decided to celebrate Easter everywhere at the same time. This continued until the 16th century, when the unity of Western and Eastern Christians in the celebration of Holy Pascha and other holidays was broken by the calendar reform of Pope Gregory XIII.