The Great Day of Resurrection most fully represents the main Christian dogma – the belief in the resurrection of the righteous in a better world. Easter or Resurrection of Christ is the biggest, brightest holiday for Orthodox Christians. Catholics celebrate Christmas more.
In the Christian religion, Resurrection (Easter) celebrates the return of Jesus Christ to life on the third day after he was crucified and buried. The empty tomb was seen by the myrrh-bearing women who visited the tomb. Jesus Christ appears to Mary Magdalene and the apostles.
The events related to Christ’s resurrection took place in the days surrounding the Jewish holiday of Passover. Therefore, from the very beginning, the celebration of Easter is connected with the Jewish Passover. Because of its connection with the lunar calendar, Passover is a moving holiday, so Easter also changes its date. But there is an ancient rule that dictates that Easter should not be celebrated together with the Jewish holiday, but on the Sundays around it and always after the day of the vernal equinox.
Ever since the time of the First Ecumenical Council in 325, there has been a wish that Easter be celebrated on one day by all Christians. Then the principle was established, according to which Easter is celebrated on the Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
Why do Catholics and Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on different dates?
The Orthodox Church determines the date for celebrating Easter according to the Julian calendar, and the Catholic Church – according to the Gregorian calendar. Protestants celebrate Easter according to local tradition – in the West with the Catholics, in the East with the Orthodox.
In the West, the calculation for the holiday begins on March 21 – the day of the actual vernal equinox, for the Julian calendar, which lags behind astronomical time, this day is thirteen days later.
When the full moon after the astronomical day of the vernal equinox falls after April 4, the East and West celebrate Easter on the same date, but if the full moon occurs between March 21 and April 4, the West celebrates Easter much earlier than the Orthodox Church. Sometimes this difference reaches a whole month. Over the next 20 years, the dates for celebrating Easter coincide six more times.
And if you want to calculate the date of Easter and the moving holidays in the following years, you can do it using the Gauss formula for any year at the following Internet address: http://synpress.bglink.net/pasha/
Is egg dyeing 4,000 years old?
Since ancient times, many cultures have associated the egg with the universe. The Persians, for example, believed that the Earth had hatched from a giant egg. In the 4th century, eating eggs during Lent was forbidden. In the spring, however, hens lay the most. Then people started boiling eggs to preserve them longer. Many peoples saw the egg as a symbol of rebirth in the spring.
Eggs were painted, decorated and painted by Romans, Gauls, Persians and Chinese. After the emergence of Christianity, the egg began to be perceived as a symbol of the birth of man from nature. In Germany, green eggs were eaten on the Thursday before Easter. In the Orthodox world, eggs are used as a special Easter greeting. People hit each other with eggs and greet each other with “Christ is Risen”.
In the Catholic world, the colored eggs were hidden from the children who had to find them on Easter, which gave rise to the Easter egg hunt. On the second day of Easter, according to Western European tradition, eggs are rolled. Children in some of these countries play an Easter game that consists of rolling eggs against each other or down a hill. The egg that stays healthy the longest wins, and its owner is believed to be healthy for a whole year.
Eggs of gold?
In 1885, in St. Petersburg, the jeweler Carl Faberge began making Easter eggs by order of Tsar Alexander III as a gift for his wife Maria Feodorovna. Their decoration of gold and precious stones represents various events of the imperial court. It was the beginning of a tradition that lasted three decades. Each of the eggs was crafted by Faberge over a year. After the October Revolution, the famous jeweler closed his company.
Currently, there are about 50 Fabergé eggs left in different countries around the world.
Where did the Easter Bunny come from?
In the last dozen years, chocolate, ceramic, sugar and plush rabbit figurines abound in local shops as an invariable attribute of the Easter holiday. Many people wonder why a rabbit is more often drawn around the patterned eggs than, for example, a hen with chicks.
The tradition of the Easter Bunny dates back to pagan times. People sacrificed rabbits to the Saxon goddess of spring, Eostre (the English Catholic holiday of Easter, Easter, is named after her). A ritual rabbit hunt was held. Now it is still part of the Easter celebration, but no one perceives it as a sacrament.
The Easter Bunny was first mentioned in a German fairy tale from the 15th century. There is a story about a rabbit who hid colorful eggs in the garden from the children. In American folklore, the Easter Bunny was introduced in the 17th century by German settlers in Pennsylvania. The children there believed that if they were obedient, the Easter Bunny would leave them a nest of colorful eggs.
Why eat lamb?
The lamb is an extremely important symbol of Easter in Central and Eastern Europe. It represents Jesus and is associated with his death as he was sacrificed on the day of Resurrection. Christian tradition presents Jesus as the Lamb of God. In many homes, tradition dictates that lamb be eaten on the first day after the 40-day fast.
Why put on new clothes?
This is an Easter tradition for most Christians. New clothes are a symbol of the rebirth of new life in spring and of the Resurrection.
Why is there a basket of goodies in the home decoration?
In Catholic tradition, a basket full of bread, cheese, ham and other foods for the Easter lunch is left during the morning Easter Mass in the church to be consecrated. This tradition has evolved into souvenir baskets filled with chocolate eggs, candies, toys and bunny figurines.
What do the ancient Bulgarian traditions dictate on this holiday?
Easter is a Christian and Bulgarian national holiday associated with the idea of Christ’s Resurrection. It is celebrated on the Sunday after the first spring full moon (can be from April 4 to May 8). Preparation for the holiday begins in the week before Easter, called Passion. Eggs are usually dyed on Maundy Thursday.
Until the advent of artificial dyes, decoctions of herbs, nuts, etc. were used. A decoction of oregano produced a red dye, with sumac – orange, green – with nettles, yellow – with walnuts and apple skins or a decoction of old onions.
With the first egg dyed red, the grandmother draws a cross on the children’s foreheads so that they are healthy and ruddy throughout the year. This egg is placed in front of the house icon, in the chest with a maiden’s chaise, or buried in the middle of the levels to protect it from hail. On Maundy Thursday, the leaven is renewed and the dough for the Easter bread is kneaded.
They bear the most diverse names in Bulgaria: Easter kravai, god’s pita, koshara, threshing machine, kvasnik, eggnog, plenitsa or doll. They are usually decorated with an odd number of red or white eggs and dough twisted around them. Women also prepare smaller Easter breads with a red egg in the middle, which are given to the first guest, the best men, the brother-in-law and relatives.
Easter celebrations last for three days.
At midnight on Saturday and Sunday, everyone goes to church and after the solemn service announcing the resurrection of Christ, they go home with a lighted candle in hand.
At the festive table, it is mandatory to break the fast (this is how the fast started on Zagovezni) is put to an end with Easter eggs and ritual breads. Everyone “beats” themselves with colored eggs – for health.
On Sunday morning, everyone goes to church again for the solemn Easter Mass. On this day, the newlyweds visit their best men, parents and in-laws. They bring Easter loaves and a basket of red eggs. They are welcomed with richly arranged tables, on which there is usually lamb.
It’s time for the “swings” custom. After lunch, everyone goes to a place where there is a tall tree and ties a swing. The boys have also come here now. Everyone looks to swing to protect themselves from dragons and disease.
The Easter greeting is “Christ is Risen” and the answer is “Truly Risen”.
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