One of the main Christian holidays is Easter, which represents the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This holiday is considered the most ancient, as well as the most important in the church year.
This name comes from the Hebrew word “passover”. It is a symbol of the deliverance of the Jewish people from enslavement by the Egyptians. Christian Easter is dedicated to the memory of how humanity atoned for its sins through the death of Christ and his subsequent resurrection.
Today Easter is celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar all over the world. It falls on the first Sunday immediately after the new moon following the spring equinox.
Catholic Easter 2020 is celebrated for 8 days, as it is one of the two main events of all Catholics in the world (along with Christmas). This period is called the Octave of Easter.
At first in the West, the solemn service began on the evening of Holy Saturday, but from the 14th century the service began to be held on Saturday morning. It is at this time that the servants of the Lord begin to bless water and fire. They light a new fire with the help of a chair, after which the Easter candle is blessed, and then the chanting of the hymn Let him rejoice! (Exultet). After this, 12 prophecies are read and the baptismal water is blessed. In small towns and villages, it is customary to take candles home from services. It is believed that their wax has miraculous properties to protect against evil and disease. However, that’s not all - according to believers, Easter water also has these properties, which is why it is customary to wash your face with it, sprinkle the house and add it to food.
The celebration begins at home. Eggs, especially painted ones, have long been considered a symbol of Easter. This custom exists not only in our country, but also in all Catholic families around the world. Believers bring eggs and other Easter food for blessing to church on the eve of the holiday, so that in the morning they can eat the already blessed food. It is customary to start the meal with the eggs themselves, which in any form are the most important Easter food. The table may also include rich bread and meat dishes made from lamb or pork.
Sunday morning is somewhat reminiscent of Christmas carols, as young people and children begin to go from house to house with congratulations and songs.
One of the main Easter entertainments is games, the main attribute of which is the Easter egg. They fight with them, throw themselves at each other, scatter shells everywhere, roll them down the slide and much more. It is customary for relatives and friends to exchange blessed eggs, godparents give them to godchildren, and lovers exchange eggs for palm branches. Festive prayers and services continue throughout the week, and on the streets you can now and then find people singing holiday songs or Easter-themed performances.
Few people today understand the importance of this holiday, because its roots go back to the distant past. Today, believers celebrate the resurrection of Christ on this day, but in pre-Christian times it was a cult of dead and resurrected plant gods, which were still revered in the East. But the essence of this holiday is nature awakening from winter, the return of the spring spirit. Only later did the Europeans rethink this idea and bring it into our life as it is now.
As for the day of celebration, it is fickle and moving, that is, every year the date of the holiday is calculated anew. Orthodox Easter in 2020 falls on May 1st. Catholic Easter in 2020 will be celebrated on March 27.
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