Easter is the greatest Christian holiday. The holiday originates from ancient times. And it will not be superfluous to look into the past, to see its origins. But before embarking on a journey through time, it is worth answering an important question: what date is Easter this year? The Christian Orthodox world will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on April 8.
Old Testament Passover
In the Old Testament, Pesach (the Hebrew name for Passover) was celebrated in honor of the liberation of the Jewish people from the power of the Egyptian pharaoh. From Hebrew, Pesach is translated as "past, passed by." And this translation reflects the very essence of the establishment of the holiday.
The Jews celebrated not only the liberation of their people from Egypt. They also triumphed because the punishment of the Lord had passed them. What car are you talking about? The fact is that the Egyptian pharaoh refused to let the Jewish people out of his country. And this provoked the wrath of God. God severely punished the Egyptians for the injustice of the pharaoh. All the males who were the firstborn in their families have died. Jews this punishment has passed,bypassed. Hence the translation of the word "Pesach".
New Testament Passover
In the New Testament, the feast is established in honor of the Resurrection of Christ. According to Christian teaching, God sent His Son to earth. The Son of God, Jesus Christ is the incarnation of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. He came into the sinful world to become the beginning of a new life. The Savior accepted death on the cross for the human race, offered Himself as a sacrifice for human sins. In the "Symbol of Faith" there are these lines:
"Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate. And suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day according to Scripture."
Christ suffered death on the cross, and on the third day after the crucifixion - resurrected. But all this is worth talking about in more detail.
Holy Week
What date is Easter this year in the Christian world, was indicated above. And what precedes the holiday? Holy Week. Holy, or Terrible (according to popular) week is the last week of Great Lent, which is set in memory of how Christ Himself fasted for 40 days in the desert after His Baptism.
In Holy Week, the church remembers the suffering of the Lord. According to legend, on Wednesday the Savior was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. He sold the Son of God for 30 pieces of silver to the high priests. And at his last earthly meal with his disciples, called the Last Supper, Jesus Christ speaks directly about this betrayal. Hoping that Judas will repent of his deed. But Iscariot did not repent at that moment.
The Last Supper was celebrated on Thursday - Good Thursday, orMaundy Thursday, as people call it. And on Friday, Good Friday, "at three o'clock in the afternoon", the Lord was crucified on the cross, executed by the most shameful execution of those times, along with the robbers.
On Holy Saturday, the day after the execution, the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women went to the cave where the tomb of the Savior was located. However, the deceased was not found there. The stone that closed the entrance to the cave has been removed, and the cave itself is empty. Mary Magdalene, according to the Gospel of John, was the first to come to the cave. And she was forced to return to the Apostles, saying that "we do not know where they laid Him." And then she remained at the cave alone. And she cried for a long time, she cried until the Savior appeared to her.
Bright Sunday
What date is Easter, this great day - the Bright Resurrection of Christ? This year the Orthodox will celebrate Easter on April 8th. This is truly the greatest day. The day when the Savior rose from the dead, thereby conquering the horrors of death and hell. "Death! Where is your sting? Hell! Where is your victory?" - the words of the Apostle Paul sound on this day. Christ is Risen, and life triumphs. Hell is trampled, its nets are destroyed. Believers triumph, Christ is Risen!
How to prepare for the holiday
What date is Easter and how to prepare for this holiday? Preparations for the festivities, such as spring cleaning, must be completed before Holy Week. During Holy Week, as well as during the entire period of fasting, it is advisable to attend Divine Services.
Otherbusiness - culinary preparation for Easter. It includes dyeing eggs and baking Easter cakes. Unfortunately, in the modern world, the last point is almost absent. Anyone can buy Easter cake, and few people know the recipe for a real Easter cake. And the tradition of congratulating each other on the Resurrection of Christ and exchanging colored eggs has not died out.
As a rule, eggs are dyed on Maundy Thursday. There are quite a few ways of coloring: someone boils them in onion skins, someone uses dyes or stickers. And others work miracles and paint testicles with paints, turning them into a natural masterpiece.
There is another dish on the Easter table. His name is Easter. It is a sweet curd mass, lined with a trapezoid and decorated. Mandatory in the decoration is the inscription "Х. В.". That is, Christ is Risen. The inscription can be made in the form of multi-colored culinary shavings, it is not difficult at all.
Eggs are painted, Easter is ready, Easter cakes are bought and are waiting in the wings. The hour, or rather the rite of consecration of Easter cakes and eggs, comes on Holy Saturday. On this day, after the morning service, believers rush to consecrate the holiday products.
Easter Service
What date is Easter in Russia and when can you get to this special service? On April 8, 2018, liturgies will be held in all Orthodox churches in Russia.
Easter service is something special. It cannot be described in words, it must be visited. Night service is great. What are the red priestly robes, the joyful faces of the faithful. "ChristRisen!” the priest proclaims from the pulpit. And the parishioners childishly loudly and joyfully answer: “Truly Risen!” The Gospel is read in several languages of the world - when else does this happen, if not on Easter? it seems to be frozen in. Joy and merriment overflow, flooding the temple, and "Angels sing in heaven."
Catholic Easter
Not only the Orthodox celebrate Easter. Catholics also have such a holiday. What date is Catholic Easter? Does it match the Orthodox? Sometimes it matches. This year Easter falls on April 1st. That is, a week before Orthodox.
Some traditions of the Catholic celebration coincide with the Orthodox. For example, Catholics also paint eggs, bake muffins and muffins for the holiday, decorated with icing and vaguely resembling Easter cakes. As for the Divine Service, there are no coincidences here.
Shrovetide
What date is Easter - understandable. What is Shrovetide? The Maslenitsa holiday precedes the beginning of Lent. Shrovetide, or Cheese Week, implies the rejection of meat. This is the time when meat can no longer be eaten, but other animal products can.
Shrovetide is a week of fun and noisy festivities, games and, of course, pancakes. On Maslenitsa days, people say goodbye to winter, and this is expressed in the burning of an effigy of Maslenitsa. Pancakes - a symbol of the sun - are eaten all week. What date is Maslenitsa andEaster this year? Believers will celebrate Easter on April 8, and Shrovetide days have passed. They lasted from February 12 to February 19.
Parent Easter
Easter is not limited to one day. Festive, or Bright Week (week) will last from April 8 to April 17 this year. These days are intended to rejoice believers after Great Lent, to go to the Temple, Communion and meet with loved ones.
But what about those who are no less close, but already deceased? Is it really impossible to go to the cemetery on Bright Week? In order to visit the deceased relatives, there is a separate day. This is Radonitsa, or parental Easter. What date does it fall, that is, when can you go to the cemetery? April 17th. On this day, it will be possible to take eggs and pieces of Easter cake to the grave, tidy up there, visit the deceased relatives. Better yet, go to the temple and light a candle for the repose of the soul of a dear person.
Some interesting facts
What date is Orthodox Easter - it was indicated above. Now some interesting information about the holiday.
- Easter is a passing holiday. Therefore, what date Easter will come is calculated using special formulas. There is a similar calculation. Orthodox Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon. Moreover, this full moon should come no earlier than the day of the vernal equinox.
- The Russian Orthodox Church adheres to the Julian calendar. In addition to her, the Jerusalem, Georgian, Serbian and Sinai churches live according to this calendar. And this list includes Athos. The rest of the Orthodox churches live onGregorian calendar.
The custom of dyeing eggs red dates back to ancient times. According to legend, Mary Magdalene, having learned that Christ had risen, hurried with this message to King Tiberius I. She prepared an egg as a gift for the king. Tiberius, having heard about the miraculous Resurrection of the Lord, did not believe Magdalene. He said that he would believe in her words only if the egg brought by Mary turned red. And the egg turned red. Tiberius believed in the Resurrection, and the Orthodox paint eggs red and other colors in memory of this.
Conclusion
Preparing for Easter isn't all about cleaning the house and coloring the eggs. This is first and foremost the preparation of your soul. Frequent church attendance, confession, communion and unction. Fasting and taming one's own passions. However, on the day of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, everyone rejoices and rejoices, regardless of how they spent Great Lent.
What should you remember from the article? What date is Easter - the most important event for a Christian. We must prepare for it in advance. And the Lord, seeing how a person strives for Him, will help to meet the holiday joyfully.
