Easter is a big spring holiday, which now has a clear religious meaning, although it comes from more ancient times. From the very beginning, it honored the spring rebirth of nature, and then acquired other, religious contexts. Most magnificently this holiday is celebrated by Christians – Orthodox and Catholics, as well as Jews.
In all three denominations, Easter or Pesach is a transitional holiday – its date changes annually. GLOBAL HAPPENINGS tells when Orthodox, Catholics and Jews celebrate the main religious holiday of spring this year. As well as the traditions associated with it.
Orthodox Easter
Traditionally, it is celebrated last. This year Orthodox Easter falls on April 16th.. Great Lent precedes the holiday – it lasts seven weeks and symbolizes the 40-day ascesis of Christ in the desert on the eve of his crucifixion and resurrection.
Orthodox fasting is the strictest. During it, it is forbidden to eat food of animal origin – meat, milk and dairy products, fish, animal fats are prohibited. The rest of the food should be simple and cheap, the believer should pay as little attention as possible to what he consumes.
On certain days, such as the first day of fasting, only water can be consumed. A little beer or wine is allowed only on Saturday and Sunday. Sweets and all kinds of delicacies, even lean ones, should be avoided. For monks, there are also instructions not to eat hot or boiled food on certain days, to limit oneself in the consumption of oil – the laity can observe these rules at their discretion. Fasting should not harm health, but lead to the purification of the soul. That is why it is worth limiting yourself to fun and entertainment.
Ends the period of Lent Holy Week. These are the seven days that honor the events of Christ’s sojourn in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. Each day has its own meaning and separate traditions.
On the eve of Holy Week, Palm Sunday, or the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. It is one of the 12 great Christian holidays that commemorates the arrival of Christ in Jerusalem, where he will end his earthly life. In the meantime, the people hail him as king and savior. On this day, willow twigs are blessed and God is thanked for his voluntary donation for the salvation of mankind.
Holy Monday dedicated to the memory of the Old Testament Patriarch Joseph, who was sold by his brothers to Egypt. By this day, all large household chores should be completed.
IN Tuesday remember how Jesus taught the people in the Temple of Jerusalem. It is also customary to prepare clothes for the celebration and get rid of trash.
Big Wednesday – the day when Christ is doomed to death. Mention is made of the council of the high priests who sentenced him, as well as the decision of the Apostle Jude to betray the teacher. From this day, preparations for baking Easter cakes begin – the dough is kneaded, they also begin to cook Easter eggs.
IN Good Thursday mention the establishment in the church of the sacrament of communion. This day is popularly called Maundy Thursday, which means that believers must complete the cleaning of the house for the holiday on Thursday.
Good Friday – the saddest day of the Christian calendar, because it was on Friday that the Romans executed Christ. Believers are recommended maximum abstinence in food and behavior. It is also allowed to bake Easter cakes on this day.
Easter Saturday – the beginning of preparations for the celebration of Easter. Believers collect baskets for the church, and in the evening Easter services begin.
Easter celebration starts at nightwhen the churches proclaim the resurrection of Christ. Believers at this time consecrate Easter cakes, Easter eggs and other products. Then the family returns home and breaks the fast with sacred foods after fasting, commemorating the Savior’s victory over death. Children and adults knock on Easter eggs, treat each other with their Easter cakes and have fun in every possible way.
Catholic Easter
For Catholics, the celebration of Easter in 2023 falls on April 9th. The big holiday is preceded by a 45-day fast, although the restrictions are much softer than those of the Orthodox. Eating bans apply only to meat products. It is much more important during this period to refrain from everything that could stain the soul – evil thoughts and words, evil deeds.
The symbols of Catholic Easter also vary. For example, one of the main images of the holiday is a rabbit. It is believed that it is he who hides chocolate eggs in the garden at night before the holiday. In the morning, the children go out to search. Catholics generously decorate their homes for Easter, and the festive meal begins with eggs, then they move on to Easter cake, and only at the end they eat meat.
Jewish Passover
According to Christian tradition, it was for the celebration of Pesach that Christ arrived in Jerusalem. For the Jews, this holiday has a completely different meaning, it honors the liberation of the Jews from 400 years of Egyptian slavery and is celebrated for a week starting from the 14th day of the spring month of Nisan. This year Passover will be celebrated from the evening of April 5 until the night of April 13.
The protagonist of the celebrations among the Jews is the prophet Moses, who, by the will of God, led the Jews out of Egypt. In particular, the miracle he created when he forced the waters of the Red Sea to part so that people could leave Egypt, although they were being chased by the army of the pharaoh, who changed his mind about letting the Jews go. Then the Jews managed to pass through the dry bottom, and the Egyptians perished in the water that covered them.
On the 15th day of the month of Nisan, the Jews hold a festive meal called the Seder. It gathers all relatives and friends who read prayers, remember the history of their people and eat unleavened bread – matzah. Any leavened dishes are prohibited during Passover.
Each of the dishes that must be served at the Seder has a symbolic meaning:
Matzo – the bread of poverty, it is also the bread of freedom, the food of the Jews in Egyptian slavery. It symbolizes that people had to gather so quickly to leave Egypt that they did not even have time to leaven the dough for ordinary bread.
Zroa – a piece of meat with a bone inside. Remembrance of the Passover Sacrifice.
Beyza – hard-boiled egg. Another dish is a symbol of sacrifice. Interestingly, it is customary for Sephardim Jews to color eggs for the Seder.
Maror – a bitter herb, the consumption of which should remind the Jews of the bitterness of slavery.
Horosset – a sweet mixture of grated fruits and nuts, symbolizing the clay from which the enslaved Jews made bricks for construction.
Karpas – any greenery, “grass growing underfoot”, symbolizing lawlessness in slavery.
Wine – for each participant in the meal there should be 4 glasses, according to the number of promises given by God.
Salted water – a symbol of the tears of Egyptian slaves.
Earlier, GLOBAL HAPPENINGS told whether Ukrainians will receive an additional day off for Easter in 2023.
Source: Obozrevatel
I work as a news website author and mostly cover the opinion section. I have been writing since I was a teenager, and have always enjoyed telling stories. I studied journalism at university and loved every minute of it. After graduating, I decided to move to London and take up a position with a Global Happenings. It has been an incredible experience, learning about all sorts of different cultures and meeting some amazing people. My goal is to continue learning and growing in my career so that I can provide readers with the best possible content.
