Resurrection of Christ - Easter. Dates of Catholic and Orthodox Easter What time does the hockey match Russia - Sweden start, where to watch it live

The word "Easter" originates from the name of the Old Testament holiday of Passover, which was named from the Hebrew word "passover" ("passes by") - in memory of the ancient event of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and from Egyptian slavery, when the angel who struck the Egyptian firstborn When he saw the blood of the Passover lamb on the doors of Jewish homes, he passed by, leaving them untouched. Another ancient interpretation of the holiday connects it with the consonant Greek word for “suffering.”

In the Christian church, the name "Easter" acquired a special meaning and began to mean the transition from death to eternal life with Christ - from earth to heaven.

This ancient holiday of the Christian Church was established and celebrated in apostolic times. The ancient church, under the name of Easter, combined two memories - the suffering and 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.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ testifies that he was “risen like God.” It revealed the glory of His Divinity, previously hidden under the cover of humiliation, shameful death for that time on the cross, like the criminals and robbers who were executed along with him.

Having risen from the dead, Jesus Christ sanctified, blessed and approved the general resurrection of all people who, according to Christian doctrine, will also rise from the dead on the general day of resurrection, just as an ear of grain 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 date 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 Saint Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, in the middle of the 2nd century. The First Ecumenical Council of 325 determined that Easter should be celebrated everywhere at the same time. This continued until the 16th century, when the unity of Western and Eastern Christians in the celebration of Holy Easter and other holidays was disrupted by the calendar reform of Pope Gregory XIII.

Orthodox local churches determine the date of Easter celebration according to the so-called Alexandrian Paschal: on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, between March 22 and April 25 (old style).

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, during which the priest and deacon approach the Shroud (a canvas depicting the entombment of the body of Jesus Christ) 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.

The clergy put on festive vestments. Before midnight, the solemn ringing of bells - the bell - announces the approach of the Resurrection of Christ. Exactly at midnight, with the Royal Doors of the temple iconostasis closed, the clergy quietly sing the stichera: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven, and grant us on earth with a pure heart to glorify Thee.” After this, the curtain is pulled back (the curtain located behind the Royal Doors and covering them from the side of the altar) and the clergy again sing the same stichera, but in a loud voice. The Royal Doors open, and the stichera, in an even higher voice, is sung by the clergy for the third time until the middle, and the temple choir sings the ending. The priests leave the altar and, together with the people, like the myrrh-bearing women who came to the tomb of Jesus Christ, walk around the temple in a procession of the cross, singing the same stichera. The procession of the cross means the procession of the church towards the risen Savior. Having walked around the temple, the procession stops in front of the closed doors of the temple, as if at the entrance to the Holy Sepulcher. The rector of the temple and the clergy sing the joyful Easter troparion three times: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life (life) to those in the tombs!” Then the rector pronounces the verses of the ancient prophecy of the holy King David: “May God rise again and His enemies (enemies) be scattered...”, and the choir and people in response to each verse sing: “Christ is risen from the dead...”. 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 service of Easter Matins consists of the singing of the canon composed by St. John of Damascus. Between the songs of the Easter Canon, priests with a cross and censer walk around the entire church and greet parishioners with the words: “Christ is Risen!”, to which the believers 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 meaning of Easter. After the service, all those praying in the church greet each other with Christ, congratulating each other on the great holiday.

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 blessed.

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

Easter is celebrated for seven days, throughout the week, which is called Bright or Easter Week. Every day of the week is also called Light. During Bright Week, daily services are held with the Royal Doors of the iconostasis open (which are closed during the usual liturgy) as a sign that Jesus Christ has forever opened the gates of the Heavenly Kingdom to people.

The entire period before the Feast of the Ascension, celebrated on the 40th day after Easter, is considered Easter, and Orthodox Christians greet each other with the greeting “Christ is Risen!” and the answer “Truly he is risen!”

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

The explanation for the custom of painting Easter eggs red goes back to the late apocrypha (a work of early Christian literature not included in the biblical canon), which talks about the conversion of the Roman emperor Tiberius to Christianity. Wanting to stop the preaching of St. Mary Magdalene, Tiberius declared that he would rather believe in the transformation of a white egg into red than in the possibility of reviving the dead. The egg turned red, and this became the final argument in the controversy, which ended with the baptism of the Roman king.

The custom of exchanging colored eggs became firmly established in the life of the church. The red color of the Easter egg symbolizes all-conquering Divine Love.

Easter cake is shaped like artos. Easter artos is a symbol of Jesus Christ himself. The Easter cake, transferred to the festive table, contains baking, sweetness, raisins and nuts. Properly prepared Easter cake is fragrant and beautiful, it does not go stale for weeks and can stand without spoiling for all 40 days of Easter. Easter cake on the holiday table symbolizes God's presence in the world and in human life. The sweetness, richness, and beauty of Easter cake express the Lord’s care for every human being, his compassion and mercy for people.

Sweet cottage cheese Easter is a prototype of the Kingdom of Heaven. Her “milk and honey” is an image of endless joy, the bliss of saints, the sweetness of heavenly life, blissful Eternity. The shape 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, in the words of the Apocalypse ("Revelation of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian"), "The Lord God Almighty Himself is its temple and the Lamb."

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

Catholic Easter 2016 is the most long-awaited and brightest holiday not only for Orthodox and Christians, but also for Catholics. For those who do not know, Catholic Easter is not much different from the Orthodox Easter, with the exception of only some features and subtleties.

Easter for Catholics.

The main center of all events and celebration of this great holiday for Catholics for many centuries has been Italy, or more precisely, in the Vatican. As a rule, and in accordance with all traditions and rituals, the entire mass is held in the open air, so a large number of people gather in the square, including guests of the city who came especially for this celebration. After all, visiting the Vatican, and especially during holy holidays, is considered the personification of the Lord.

The history of the origin of Catholic Easter.

If we touch on the issue of history and the origin of this bright holiday, then it goes far into antiquity and, above all, is associated with the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. According to historical information, during the period of the Egyptian plagues taking place in the Torah at that time, the Lord passed by houses that were marked with blood from a young and innocent lamb. It is believed that the crucifixion and the events that happened to Christ are closely intertwined with this story. After all, according to legend, Jesus, with his blood, just like the lamb of God, saved the innocent human race.

The meaning of Catholic Easter.

Catholic Easter, like any other religious holiday, has its own specific meaning, which is that Christ was resurrected after being crucified by the priests of Jerusalem. Everyone is well aware of the fact that Jesus rose again on the third day from the crucifixion. And the third day always falls on Sunday. Although it is worth noting that Easter is not the first most important holiday, like among the Orthodox. Catholics most of all honor Christmas, the day when Jesus Christ was born and came into the world.

What date is Catholic Easter celebrated?

Everyone knows that Catholics usually celebrate the Sunday of Christ a week before Orthodox Easter. Although, in different years the date of Easter may be much earlier than usual. According to calculations, Catholics will celebrate Easter on March 27, just 5 weeks before the Orthodox. As for the start of preparation, it will begin simultaneously with Lent, or, more precisely, on February 10, that is, on “Ash Wednesday.” The peculiarity of the beginning of Lent among Catholics is that they do not impose any serious restrictions, which the Orthodox have. In other words, absolutely any foods and dishes are allowed to be eaten, with the exception of meat; this is perhaps the only restriction for Catholics.

Attributes and symbols of Catholic Easter.

As in Orthodox Easter, the main and important symbol of this holiday is also considered to be colored eggs, which, as elsewhere, are associated with the birth of a new and bright life. But among Catholics, on Easter it is customary to bake not Easter cakes, but rabbits. The Easter bunny should definitely be on every holiday table and basket. If anyone doesn’t know, this tradition came to Catholics from Germany. According to German beliefs and predictions, the rabbit delivers and gives gifts in the form of eggs to all children, of course, if they behaved well throughout the year, studied diligently and obeyed their elders. As a rule, you can always find the most unusual and original eggs in his basket. It is believed that this particular gift is the most valuable, which also brings happiness and good luck to the home. It is worth noting that this tradition originated in the 19th century, and to this day is very relevant and enjoys great love not only among Catholics, but also among other believers and Orthodox Christians.

Easter is the main religious holiday, and everyone celebrates it according to their own customs and traditions, which should also be treated with care and respect.

Easter is celebrated by all Christians, regardless of the branch of Christianity, whether Orthodox or Catholic. In all of Christianity there is one God - Jesus Christ. In Christianity, the date of Easter is unclear. It usually falls in March-April. However, for Catholics it is either earlier, or they coincide in both branches. Catholic Easter 2016 will be on March 27th.

Catholic Easter 2016: date

In Catholicism, Easter is of great importance. Holy Week before Easter is of great importance in church terms, since it is customary to celebrate every day of the week. So, for example, on “Maundy” Thursday the housewives cleaned the apartment; Good Friday is the day of Jesus' crucifixion.

How is Catholic Easter different from Orthodox Easter?

1. The main symbol of this day are Easter eggs. But if Orthodox Christians usually use only chicken eggs, Catholics also have chocolate eggs. According to their signs, eggs are laid by rabbits or hares.

Therefore, one of these animals becomes another symbol of the celebration of Catholic Easter. They are depicted everywhere. The eggs are hidden in the house, and the children look for them the next morning. Children. after they have been found, they begin a kind of competition among themselves: a boiled egg is lowered from a hill. Victory goes to the one whose egg rolls first.

2. Adults have a different tradition. They go to other people's houses, sing songs to them, and for this they receive a reward: eggs and Easter bread.
Since Easter is one of the main church holidays for Catholics, they go to their temple at this time, which is called a church. Festive services take place there.
All believers go to church on the eve of the holiday. There are services going on there. Then eggs and other Easter food are blessed with holy water.

3. For Catholics, as was written above, the symbol is a rabbit or hare. Therefore, it is baked from dough, made from chocolate and other products. Some people hide an egg in it.
Orthodox Christians kiss three times on the holiday. This is how they congratulate each other. Catholics do not do this.

4. The difference is in the conduct of the service. Catholics and Orthodox Christians hold a religious procession. But Orthodox Christians, as a rule, hold it before the service, Catholics after it.

5. Keeping the fast. The fast that precedes Easter must be strictly observed in both branches of Christianity. But in Catholicism there is an exception, a group of people who are allowed not to adhere to it: nursing mothers, sick people and pregnant women.

6. And, of course, the dates of Easter itself do not coincide. For Catholics it is earlier than for Orthodox Christians. Rarely can they coincide.

1. You should definitely attend services (mass) in the church throughout Easter week and Easter itself.

2. Prepare holiday symbols: boil and decorate eggs and bake a rabbit or hare from the dough. But in some Catholic countries, chicken eggs are replaced with chocolate ones. In some countries, they put something like a cake on the table - a cupcake.

3. Catholics spend this holiday with their families. Read the article

Many tourists planning a trip in the spring are interested in when Easter is in Poland in 2019, rituals, and closed shops. Let's look in order at how Polish Easter is celebrated.

Easter in Poland 2019

Poland is a Catholic country, so in 2019 Easter will be celebrated here on April 21, as in other European countries where Catholics and Protestants predominate. Orthodox Easter in 2018 falls on April 28.

Polish Easter - Wielkanoc - is celebrated widely and solemnly, because it is one of the main holidays of the year, especially in such a religious country as Poland. Therefore, the second day of Easter, Monday April 22, will be an official holiday in the country. On the eve of Easter, April 20, everything is on a reduced schedule, until 13-14 hours, and April 21 and 22 are closed (with rare exceptions).

In many schools, children have a rest since Maundy Thursday (in 2019 it is from April 18), resulting in an Easter mini-vacation, 5 days.

Traditionally, religious Poles begin to prepare spiritually for the celebration of Easter at the beginning of Lent, which lasts 40 days. Particularly important is the last Great Week (Wielki tydzień), which begins on Palm Sunday (Palmowa niedziela).

Celebrating Easter in Poland

Easter in Poland is a major church, state and family holiday. As in many countries, here church celebrations are intertwined with folk customs and traditions.

Palm Sunday (Palmowa niedziela)

April 14 - “Palmova Nedziela”, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday was named because people greeted Christ with palm branches in their hands. Of course, the Polish climate does not allow the cultivation of such heat-loving trees, so here palm trees are a symbolic name for compositions of dried flowers, willow, and medicinal herbs. On this Sunday preceding Easter, parishioners bring their branches, decorated with flowers and sweets, to the cathedrals for blessing. You can also buy real palm leaves for some churches.

After the solemn procession, these “palemki” are brought home for the well-being and protection of the home. There is also a folk custom of patting loved ones with these branches, blessed in the church, so that they bring a person health and success in all matters.

Streets and buildings are decorated with large compositions several meters high.

“Palm branches” in Krakow, Easter, 2018.

Great Week

“Great Tydzhen” - the entire pre-Easter week, the last days of Great Lent. The churches hold solemn services on Maundy Thursday in memory of the Last Supper and on Good Friday - the day of Christ’s crucifixion. Throughout the week, parishioners observe strict fasting, pray a lot, and refuse secular entertainment.

On Holy Saturday, baskets with symbolic products (about them) are brought to church for blessing.

As a rule, in many large city churches there are warnings for tourists at the entrance - inscriptions that entry is only for those who pray, excursions and photos are prohibited.

Schedule of Easter services at Wawel Cathedral, Krakow

Bright Sunday begins with a morning solemn service, which is attended by families.

And after it, everyone goes home and sits down at the festive table, on which there are dishes blessed in the church: colored eggs, Easter cake (“velkanochna babka”), bread, salt, horseradish, cheese, sausages.

Happy Easter in Polish sounds like this:

- Chrystus zmartwychwstał! (Christus has risen from the dead!)

- Prawdziwie zmartwychwstał! (Pravdzhiva Zmartykh Rising!)

(The stress in Polish words always falls on the penultimate syllable.)

In Poland, on the eve of Easter, you can go to confession at night

In 2012, Poland launched the “Night of Confession” (Noc Konfesjonałów) campaign for those Catholics who did not have time to repent of their sins during Holy Week. In many churches, to do this you need to register on the website and come to confession on Saturday evening or even at night. The organizers of the action emphasize that before the great holiday of Easter, everyone has the right to repentance, and the absence of fuss in the late hours of the day promotes concentration and reflection on one’s life.

Easter traditions of the Poles

According to folk traditions, at the end of Holy Week, Poles begin to prepare their Easter baskets and arrange a “funeral of Lenten dishes” - flour soup “zhur” and herring. Somewhere in the villages this has the character of a playful celebration: disgusting dishes are literally buried in the ground, and a herring can be tied to a rope and dragged around the village.

The traditional basket is święconka (“chventsonka”), which is carried to church for consecration on Holy Saturday, and the following is placed in it:

• Painted eggs - pysanki and kraszanki (pisanki i kraszanki), traditionally they were painted with decoctions of onion skins, herbs, oak bark, beets, and then women painted them on top with paints or applied white patterns by scraping paint from the shell. Nowadays, simpler decorations are also used - stickers or plastic wrappers.

• Polish Easter woman (baba wielkanocna) is a cake baked by the lady of the house.

• • symbol of Christ’s atoning sacrifice - lamb (agnusek) in the form of cookies,
  • cheese, sausage, salt (for protection from evil spirits) and horseradish (for strength and health),
  • Easter mazurkas (mazurki) - baked goods decorated with icing, fruits, nuts, and chocolate.

True, now in cities many limit themselves to the blessing of only Easter colors in modest baskets.

Also popular at Easter (as well as at Christmas) is the national Polish pastry sękacz, which looks like wood; the manufacturing process over an open fire is quite labor-intensive, but you can buy them ready-made - for a holiday table or as a souvenir from Poland.

How people walk in Poland on Easter

Easter traditions of the Poles, in addition to those described above, include decorating the house with Easter wreaths and hanging compositions:

In some villages there is a custom on Maundy Thursday to make effigies from straw and old grass - Judaszki, denoting the betrayal of Judas, and burn them at the stake.

One of the modern symbols of Easter is a cheerful hare (in contrast to the church symbol of sacrifice - a lamb). Toy rabbits can be found everywhere, made from various materials, even dried grass, and sold at fairs.

There is fun for children - a search for eggs (real or chocolate) brought by the Easter Bunny. The hare hides them throughout the house and garden, and the kids really love this “hunt.”

There is also a familiar tradition of knocking Easter eggs against each other - whoever has the strongest egg will have good luck in the future; in Poland this is called the game of cue ball (w bitki).

Watering Monday Śmigus Dyngus

The second day of Easter - poniedziałek wielkanocny - Easter Monday in Poland is fun. It combines three folk customs at once, which have merged into common folk pastimes.

Śmigus (“Śmigus”) is the act of whipping each other with willow branches to get rid of diseases and get the strength of the flexible willow. Now they also clap loved ones with palmemkas (blessed Easter branches) for good luck, wealth and health.

Dyngus (“dyngus”) is children going home begging for sweets.

And they called wet Monday because of the ancient custom of dousing themselves with water, which has always been a symbol of purification and fertility.

So now, don’t be alarmed if on the second day of Easter you meet children or even adults on the street with buckets and water pistols, try to bribe them with pre-stocked candies or cookies.

Easter fairs

And of course, before Easter, as well as before Christmas, fairs are held in all cities where you can buy flowers, decorative painted eggs, figurines of lambs and hares, dried flowers for making “palm branches,” toys and handicrafts.

Baskets are sold everywhere - “schventsonki” and which will need to be placed in them for consecration.

So before Easter in Poland it’s time to do some shopping, and on Easter on April 21 and 22, it’s time to relax and enjoy your new life.

Easter fair on the market square in Krakow

Easter, or the Resurrection of Christ - the largest and most revered holiday in the Christian religion.

This is the main day of the year for Orthodox and Catholic Christians - it was on this day that Jesus Christ was resurrected.
The Resurrection of Christ is a historical event that has its roots in the distant past. According to ancient legends, it was on this day that a miracle happened - Christ is Risen! Easter is celebrated according to ancient traditions that are still observed today.
The name “Easter” itself comes from the Hebrew word “passover” (transition). Among the Jews, Passover is symbolized with the liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. For Christians, Easter is a symbol of the atonement for human sins through the death of Jesus Christ and his subsequent resurrection. It is on this day that all Christian believers (Orthodox and Catholics) are given hope for salvation and resurrection after death. The resurrection of Christ is the main meaning of faith in the Christian religion.
The date of Easter is determined according to the lunar-solar calendar and falls on Sunday - according to ancient legend, Christ was resurrected on the third day after his execution, on the night from Saturday to Sunday.

Easter is a moving holiday and each year the date is determined separately.
It is also necessary to know that the dates of Catholic and Orthodox Easter do not always coincide. This is due to the fact that the Orthodox Church uses the ancient Julian calendar for calculation, and the Catholic Church switched to the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. And only in 30% of cases do Catholic and Orthodox Easters fall on the same day. The rest of the time, Catholic Easter comes earlier - the time difference can reach up to a month.

Calendar of Orthodox and Catholic Easter for 2015-2025.