Orthodox Easter. Easter of Christ: history and traditions of the holiday Why do people celebrate Easter of Christ, if Easter was celebrated even before the Nativity of Jesus Christ

Easter is called a festival of festivities and a celebration of all celebrations. They begin to prepare for the long-awaited holiday ahead of time, and the first thing we ask when talking about Easter 2018 is the date. What date is Easter in 2018 for Orthodox people? This question always arises, because the Resurrection of the Lord is one of those holidays, the date of which is not fixed and varies from year to year.

Easter is the main holiday of Christianity, and of all its directions, Catholic and Orthodox churches. Suffice it to recall that the dates of many religious holidays are "tied" to the date of the celebration of Bright Sunday - Trinity, for example, is celebrated on the fiftieth day from Easter. However, in the Catholic and Orthodox branches of Christianity, this holiday is celebrated on different days.

How to find out the date of Easter in 2018?

In 2018, Orthodox Easter falls on April 8th. The period from the 1st to the 8th day (Holy Week) is the last week of Great Lent, preceding Bright Resurrection. This period is popularly called the Great Days, because each of the days of the week has its own characteristics:

Resurrection	The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)	It is allowed to eat hot meals, fish, vegetable oil and wine.
Monday	The Temples recall the conversations that the Savior had with his disciples and read the Psalter	Dry eating is recommended
Tuesday	The last entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, as well as his sermons, are remembered.	Dry eating is recommended
Wednesday	They remember the betrayal of Judas. Confession has special power on this day.	Dry eating is recommended
Thursday	The Last Supper, the sacrament of the Eucharist. They clean houses, bake Easter cakes, paint eggs.	It is allowed to eat hot, as well as use vegetable oil for cooking.
Friday	Crucifixion of Christ (Good Friday)	You can't eat anything. In extreme cases, bread and water are allowed after sunset.
Saturday	Burial of Christ.	You can't eat anything. In the evening, everyone goes to Church and blesses the food for the festive table.

As you can see, the Severe fasting preceding Easter in the Orthodox faith is particularly strict. Although, there are categories of parishioners who are allowed not to give up food entirely. These are the sick, children and women who carry babies.

April 8 - Bright Resurrection of Christ! A holiday that marks the victory over death and gives hope for salvation.

In 2018, Easter will be early, which means that early spring can be expected in many regions of Russia. What will be the weather for the holiday in your city, read the appropriate section of our website.

Orthodox holidays calendar and calculation method

The principle of calculating the day of the holiday is not too simple - it is based on the combination of the solar and lunar calendars. The main rule when displaying the date: "The holiday always falls on the first Sunday after the first spring full moon." In this case, the spring - means the equinox that came after March 21. Difficult enough to calculate the date of the holiday yourself, isn't it?

To make our calculations easier, Easter was created long ago - special calendars, where Easter days are marked for many years in advance.

Easter

Looking at the Easter calendar, we can accurately answer the question when Easter in 2018 is for Orthodox Christians.

Why is Christmas always January 7th and Easter differently?

This question worries a lot of people, because, for the ignorant people, it is a little against logic. The history of Christianity has evolved very difficult and it so happened that many of the holidays are usually celebrated according to the solar calendar, which has long been adopted in Europe. But there are those who count, according to the lunar calendar adopted in the Ancient East and Asia. Their dates are inconsistent relative to our calendar.

Easter traditions

The first thing the day starts with is a greeting. On Bright Sunday, it is customary to greet each other in a special way. A guest entering the house says to the hosts: "Christ is Risen!" - and hears the answer: "Indeed he is risen!" These words are accompanied by three kisses. Such solemn actions are popularly called "christianization", that is, "christening" - "congratulating each other on Easter."

Blessed fire

The symbol of the Light of God that was shed on all nations after the Resurrection of Christ, the symbol of His forgiveness and mercy is the Easter fire. On the night of Christ's Sunday, the Holy Fire descends from heaven on the believers gathered in the temple in Jerusalem. A real miracle is a flame appearing from nowhere.

One feature of the Holy Fire is interesting - in the first minutes of its appearance, the flame does not burn it. Believers immerse their hands in flames, wash themselves with them - and no burns remain on the skin. Annually, the ceremony of the descent of the Holy Fire is broadcast live not only on international, but also on central Russian TV channels. There is an ancient legend: the year when the Holy Fire does not flare up in the temple will be the last year of life on earth, the year of the beginning of the Judgment Time.

Bell ringing

The crimson chime of bells floats over Russia - for many of us, the memories of the first spring holiday are associated with bells. According to church canons, bells can be rung only during the service - believers are called to the service with a loud melodic sound. And only in Easter week the bells ring at any time - in honor of the great holiday. Many years ago in Russia there was a tradition to open bell towers, giving access to the bells to everyone. And today everyone can climb up and ring the bell in honor of Bright Sunday. Of course, this applies to a greater extent to temples in villages, since in cities, not to mention megacities, this is physically impossible.

Treat and meal

Well, and most importantly, with which the majority, and especially children, associate Easter with delicious sweet cakes and bright multi-colored dyed eggs. Initially, the tradition prescribed to paint Easter eggs red - in honor of the blood of Christ. However, today we are happy to paint this symbol of the holiday in the brightest colors, showing how we rejoice at Easter. By the way, it was not by chance that the egg became a symbol of the Resurrection. According to legend, Saint Mary Magdalene came to the emperor Tiberius, who ruled the Roman Empire, with a gift - a hen's egg painted bright red. It was impossible to approach without an offering, but Maria was poor, and one egg was all she could afford. Therefore, she decided to dye it to draw attention to the gift. The saint presented her gift with the words: "Christ is risen!"

The second culinary Easter tradition is cake baking. Each housewife has her own special recipe for sweet pastries. By the way, bread made from fancy dough should be called Easter cakes, and curd “rolls” - Easter. True, in modern culinary creativity all these concepts have long been mixed, and today the main thing is a delicacy baked with soul and love, which can be put on the table during a festive dinner.

Other Easter

Easter at Catholics

The dates for Catholic and Orthodox Easter are calculated differently. It so happens that they coincide and the holiday is celebrated on the same day, but this happens extremely rarely. In 2018, the difference between the dates will be 1 week, but it also happens that it reaches one and a half months. Almost always, first there is Catholic Easter, and, after that, Orthodox.

Catholics use the Gregorian calendar in their calculations, and Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar.

The traditions of Catholic and Orthodox Easter are somewhat different, despite the fact that the essence is the same. So, Catholics begin to celebrate Easter on Saturday and make bonfires in front of churches, from which Easter is lit.

One of the symbols is a rabbit, from which dishes are prepared, as well as figures and pictures. For Western Christians, the rabbit is the same symbol of Easter as for us dye eggs and Easter cakes.

Jewish Easter

In Jewish culture, Passover has a special meaning. If for us this is the resurrection of Christ, then for the Jews this is the holiday of the deliverance of the people of Judea from the Egyptian oppression, which is also commonly called the Exodus. It is customary to celebrate the holiday with the family.

Easter (Greek πάσχα, lat. Pascha, from Hebrew. פסח), Resurrection of Christ (Greek Ἡ Ανάστασις τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ), Bright Resurrection of Christ - the main liturgical event of the church calendar, the oldest and most important Christian holiday, celebrated in the days of the apostle and established in honor of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the center of all biblical history and the foundation of all Christian teaching. In Orthodoxy, the status of Easter as the main holiday is reflected in the words "holidays are a holiday and a celebration of celebrations." Currently, the date of Easter in each specific year is calculated according to the lunisolar calendar, which makes Easter a rolling holiday. The name of the holiday in Russian and many other languages \u200b\u200bcomes from the Hebrew word Pesach, which denotes the Jewish Passover and is associated with the word pass - "passed" (sometimes the name is interpreted as "passed, bypassed").

Easter Sunday dates:

Easter of Christ 2016 -The 1 of May ; Easter of Christ 2017 -16 april ; Easter of Christ 2018 -April 8 ; Easter of Christ 2019 -28 april; Easter of Christ 2020 -April 19

The Aramaic name of the holiday sounds like Piskha, and there is an opinion that it was through the Aramaic language that the word "Easter" entered Greek.

Old Testament Passover was celebrated in memory of the exodus of the Jewish people from Egyptian captivity. Among Christians, the name of the holiday has acquired a different interpretation - "the passage from death to life, from earth to heaven."

The Old Testament Passover, like the current holiday of Pesach (Jewish Passover), was celebrated in memory of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, that is, the liberation of the Jews from slavery. The name "Pesach" (Hebrew פסח) means "passed", "passed by". It is related to the story of ten Egyptian executions.

One disaster (“execution”) was replaced by another, and finally, for Pharaoh's refusal to release the Israelite people, God “punished Egypt with a terrible execution,” killing all the pervents, that is, all the first male descendants, both among people and among cattle. The execution passed only the first-born of the Jews, whose dwellings God discerned by the conventional sign (the blood of a lamb on the doorpost of the door) and passed by:

“And this very night I will go through the land of Egypt and smite every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man to cattle, and I will execute judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. And your blood will be a sign on the houses where you are, and I will see the blood and I will pass over you, and there will be no pernicious plague between you when I smite the land of Egypt. And may this day be remembered for you, and celebrate on this feast to the Lord in all your generations; celebrate it as an everlasting institution. Ref. 12:12 "

After the last execution, Pharaoh dismissed the Jewish people along with their flocks, and the frightened Egyptians rushed the Jews to leave as soon as possible (Ex. 12: 31-33).

Both historically and etymologically, Old Testament Passover was associated with the exodus of Jews from Egypt through the Red Sea (Bardavil Bay in the north of Sinai, or the Red Sea Gulf of Suez).

Passover lamb

In memory of these events, “the entire community of Israel” was ordered to sacrifice a lamb on the evening of Niśan 14 (the first month of the Hebrew calendar) - a one-year-old male lamb or goat, without blemish, which should be baked on a fire and eaten completely without breaking bones, with gum and bitter herbs in the family circle during Easter night (Ex. 12: 1-10, Num. 9: 1-14). Eating the Passover meal served as "evidence of the main event of the entire Old Testament history" - the exodus of the Jews from Egypt.

The Passover lamb was otherwise called "Passover" ("Passover"). This usage can be found, in particular, in the stories of the Evangelists about the Last Supper (Matt. 26: 17-19, Mark. 14: 12-16, Luke 22: 8-15).

Easter in the New Testament

Easter is repeatedly mentioned in the Gospels, but the story of the Last Supper occupies a special place in them, which is described by Matthew, Mark and Luke as a festive Passover meal (Matthew 26: 17-19, Mark 14: 12-16, Luke 22: 8-15), and about the subsequent crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

It was during the Last Supper that Jesus Christ uttered words and performed actions that changed the meaning of the holiday. Jesus replaced the place of the Passover sacrifice with Himself, and as a result, "the old Passover becomes the Passover of the new Lamb, slain for the purification of people once and for all," and the Eucharist becomes the new Passover meal.

Since the execution took place on Friday, “the Jews, so as not to leave the bodies on the cross on Saturday ... asked Pilate to break their legs and remove them” (John 19:31), and the soldiers broke the legs of the crucified robbers, however, “ when they came to Jesus, as they saw Him already dead, they did not break His legs ”(John 19: 32-32). John the Theologian, who talks about these events, finds in them the fulfillment of the words of Holy Scripture: “For this happened, that the Scripture might be fulfilled; let not His bone be broken” (John 19:36).

The new understanding of the Passover sacrifice is well reflected in the words of the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 5: 7):

"... Our Passover, Christ, was slain for us."

Termination of Old Testament sacrifices

After the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70, the ritual slaying of the Passover lamb ceased, and in the modern Passover ritual it is reminiscent of the command to “eat a small piece of baked meat” during the night meal.

Early christianity

After Pentecost, Christians began to celebrate the first services of the Eucharist, dedicated to the commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ. Liturgies were celebrated as the Last Supper - Easter of suffering associated with the death of the Cross. Thus, Easter became the first and main Christian holiday that stipulates both the liturgical charter of the Church and the doctrinal side of Christianity.

Some early sources speak of weekly celebrations: Friday was a day of fasting and mourning in remembrance of the suffering of Christ ("Shepherd of Herma", III, V: 1), and Sunday was a day of joy (Tertullian, "De corona mil.", Ch. 3 ). These celebrations became more solemn during the Jewish Passover, the anniversary of Christ's death.

In the churches of Asia Minor, especially by Jewish Christians, in the 1st century A.D. e. the holiday was annually celebrated together with the Jewish Passover - Nisan 14, as both Jews and Christians expected the coming of the Messiah on this day (Blessed Jerome, Commentary on Matthew 25.6 - PL 26.192). Some churches postponed the celebration to the first Sunday after Jewish Passover, because Jesus Christ was executed on Passover and resurrected according to the Gospels on the day after Saturday - that is, on Sunday. Already in the II century, the holiday takes on the character of an annual one in all Churches. In the writings of early Christian writers - in the epistle of St. Irenaeus of Lyons to Bishop Victor of Rome, "The Word about Passover" by Meliton of Sardis, in the works of Apollinarius of Hierapolis, Clement of Alexandria, St. Hippolytus of Rome - there is information about the celebration of the annual day of the death of the cross and the Resurrection of Christ. From their writings it can be seen that initially the suffering and death of Christ were marked with a special fast as "Passover of the Cross" - πάσχα σταυρόσιμον, pascha crucificationis, it coincided with Jewish Passover, fasting lasted until Sunday night. After it, the actual Resurrection of Christ was celebrated as Easter of joy or "Easter Sunday" - πάσχα άναστάσιμον, pascha resurrectionis. Traces of these ancient holidays have been preserved in the modern liturgical Statutes. This is especially noticeable in the festive elements of the services of Maundy Thursday, Friday and Saturday and in the structure of the night service on Easter Week, which consists of a minor Easter midnight office with the canon of Great Saturday, and of solemnly joyful Easter Matins. The Rite also reflected the ancient tradition of celebrating Sunday Easter up to the Ascension.

Soon the difference in the traditions of the Local Churches became noticeable. The so-called. "Easter dispute" between Rome and the churches of Asia Minor. The Christians of Asia Minor, called the four-tenths or quartodetsimans (from the 14th of the month of Nisan), strictly adhered to the custom of celebrating Easter on Nisan 14, relying on the authority of Apostle. John the Theologian. With them, the naming of the Jewish Passover passed to the name Christian and subsequently spread. Whereas in the West, which was not influenced by Judeo-Christianity, the practice of celebrating Passover on the first Sunday after the Hebrew Passover, while calculating the last as the full moon after the equinox, has developed. In 155 A.D. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, visited the Roman bishop Aniketus to agree on a joint celebration of Easter, but no agreement was reached. Later, in 190-192, the Roman bishop Victor, at cathedrals in Palestine, Pontus, Gaul, Alexandria, Corinth, insisted that the Christians of Asia Minor abandon their custom and demanded that other churches break off communion with them. St. Irenaeus of Lyons, opposed the excommunication of the Asia Minor, pointing out that differences on formal points should not jeopardize the unity of the Church.

Many communities were guided by the calculations of the Passover month accepted by the Jews. By this time, a firm connection between the equinox and the month of Nisan was not observed, and in some years this led to the celebration of Easter until the day of the vernal equinox (that is, the onset of a new astronomical year). This practice was not accepted by other communities.

First Ecumenical Council

The issue of a single day for celebrating Easter for the entire Christian ecumene was considered at the council of bishops convened in Nicaea in 325, later called the First Ecumenical. At the council, it was decided to agree on the day of the celebration of Easter between the communities, and the practice of focusing on the Jewish date that fell before the equinox was condemned:

“When the question arose about the holiest day of Easter, with general agreement, it was considered expedient that this holiday should be celebrated by everyone on the same day everywhere ... And truly, first of all, everyone found it extremely unworthy that in celebrating this most holy celebration we should adhere to the custom of the Jews ... "

According to the historian, bishop and member of the council Eusebius of Caesarea in the book "On the Life of Blessed Basileus Constantine", at the First Ecumenical, all bishops not only accepted the Creed, but also signed to celebrate Easter for everyone at the same time:

“Chapter 14. The Council's unanimous definition of Faith and (celebration) of Easter:

For a concordant confession of the Faith, the saving celebration of Easter was to be performed by all at the same time. Therefore, a general decision was made and approved by the signature of each of those present. Having finished these matters, the Basileus (Constantine the Great) said that he had now won a second victory over the enemy of the Church, and therefore made a victorious, dedicated feast to God. "

Eusebius of Caesarea, retelling the words of the emperor Constantine, also gives the arguments that guided the fathers of the First Ecumenical Council for such a decision:

“We, of course, will not tolerate our Easter celebrated in the same year another time.

So, let the prudence of your reverend ponder how bad and indecent it is that at a certain time some observe fasting, while others have feasts, and that after the days of Easter, some spend time in celebrations and peace, while others keep the prescribed fasts. Therefore, the divine Providence favored that this was properly corrected and brought to one order, to which, I think, everyone will agree. "

The first Sunday after the first full moon, which occurs no earlier than the vernal equinox, was chosen as Easter day.

The bishop of Alexandria had to calculate this day and report it to Rome in advance to ensure a single day of celebration. However, after a while, this message stopped. The East and Rome began to celebrate Easter, each according to their own calculations, often on different days. In Alexandria, Easter tables were created - an Easter calendar that allows you to determine the date of Easter for a long period. They were based on the 19-year lunisolar cycle, and March 21 was taken as the date of the vernal equinox. In the VI-VIII centuries, this Paschalia was adopted by the Western Church.

The original definition of the First Ecumenical Council regarding Easter became the basis for the church charter.

The local council of Antioch of 341 in its first canon requires strict adherence to the decisions of the First Ecumenical Council on the day of the celebration of Easter on pain of excommunication and ejection from the priestly dignity.

Evidence from the 4th century says that Easter and Sunday on the Cross were already united at that time both in the West and in the East. The celebration of Easter on the Cross preceded the celebration of Easter Sunday, each lasting a week before and after Easter Sunday. Only in the 5th century did the name Easter become generally accepted to denote the actual holiday of the Resurrection of Christ. Subsequently, the day of Easter began to stand out in the liturgical plan more and more clearly, for which it received the name "king of days."

Middle Ages and Modern Times

In the 6th century, the Roman Church adopted the Eastern Passover. But for almost 500 years after the Cathedral of Nicea, Easter was celebrated on different Easter days. The Alexandrian Paschalia was used throughout the Christian world until the end of the 16th century, for over 800 years. Eastern or Alexandrian Paschalia is built on four restrictions set forth by Matthew Vlastar:

“Four restrictions are laid down for our Easter, which are required necessary. Two of them legitimize the Apostolic Canon (7th) and two derive from unwritten tradition. First, we must celebrate Easter after the vernal equinox; the second is to do not on the same day with the Jews; the third is not just after the equinox, but after the first full moon, which has to be after the equinox; the fourth - and after the full moon, not otherwise than on the first day of the week according to Jewish reckoning. Therefore, in order for these four restrictions to be observed equally wise and simple, and so that Christians throughout the universe celebrate Easter at the same time, without having anywhere need for special astronomical calculations, the fathers compiled a canon and betrayed the Church, without violating the said restrictions. "

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new Paschalia in the Roman Catholic Church, called Gregorian. As a result of the change in Paschalia, the whole calendar also changed. In the same year, Pope Gregory sent ambassadors to Patriarch Jeremiah with a proposal to adopt a new Gregorian calendar and a new Gregorian Easter. In 1583, Patriarch Jeremiah convened a large local council, inviting the Eastern patriarchs, at which not only those who accept the Gregorian Easter, but also the Gregorian calendar were anathematized, in particular, the rule of the Great Council of Constantinople of 1583 says:

"Ζ. Whoever does not follow the customs of the Church and how the seven holy Ecumenical Councils ordered us to follow Holy Pascha and the month and the good, but wants to follow the Gregorian Easter and the month, with godless astronomers opposes all the definitions of St. cathedrals and wants to change and weaken them - let it be anathema "

As a result of the Easter reform, Catholic Easter is often celebrated earlier than Jewish or on one day, and in some years ahead of Orthodox Easter by more than a month.

Modernity

In 1923, Patriarch Meletius IV (Metaxakis) of Constantinople held the so-called. "Pan-Orthodox" meeting with the participation of representatives of the Greek, Romanian and Serbian Orthodox Churches, at which the New Julian calendar was adopted, even more accurate than the Gregorian one and coinciding with it until 2800. Eastern churches condemned this decision, and Alexandria held a Local Council, deciding that there was no need to introduce a new calendar. In the Russian and Serbian churches, after an attempt to change the calendar, they left the old one because of the possible confusion among the people.

In March 1924, the Church of Constantinople (already under Gregory VII) and the Church of Greece switched over to the new style. The Romanian Church adopted the New Julian calendar on October 1, 1924.

The indignation of the clergy and people with the innovations of Meletius forced him to resign on September 20, 1923. On May 20, 1926, Meletius becomes Pope and Patriarch of the Alexandrian Church, where, contrary to the previously adopted council decision, he introduces a new calendar. In the Greek churches, a large-scale church schism took place, which has not been healed to this day. Several independent old calendar Greek Synods were formed.

At the Moscow Meeting of 1948, it was decided that Easter and all rolling holidays are celebrated by all Orthodox churches according to the Alexandrian Easter and the Julian calendar, and non-moving holidays according to the one according to which this Church lives. In the same year, the Antiochian Orthodox Church switched over to the New Julian calendar.

Today, only the Russian, Jerusalem, Georgian and Serbian Orthodox churches, as well as Mount Athos, fully use the Julian calendar.

The Finnish Orthodox Church has completely switched to the Gregorian calendar.

The rest of the Churches celebrate Easter and other rolling holidays in the old style, and Christmas and other non-rolling holidays in the new style.

In Great Britain, the Easter Act of 1928 set the date for Easter on the first Sunday after the second Saturday in April; however, this ruling did not come into force. In 1997, at a summit in Aleppo (Syria), the World Council of Churches proposed to fix Easter in the solar calendar (also the second Sunday in April) or to approve a uniform Easter for the entire Christian world, based on astronomical requirements. The reform was scheduled for 2001 but was not accepted by all Council members.

General rule for calculating the date of Easter:

"Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring full moon." The Spring Full Moon is the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Both Paschalia - Alexandria and Gregorian - are based on this principle.

The date of Easter is determined from the ratio of the lunar and solar calendars (lunisolar calendar) (Matthew Vlastar, Syntagma. About Holy Easter).

The complexity of the calculation is due to the mixing of independent astronomical cycles and a number of requirements:

The revolution of the Earth around the Sun (date of the vernal equinox);

The revolution of the moon around the earth (full moon);

The established day of celebration is Sunday;

To calculate the date of the full moon in year Y, you need to find the golden number G - the order of the year in the 19-year cycle of full moons (Metonic cycle);

At 1 A.D. e. the golden number was 2, respectively in the year Y A.D.

G \u003d (remainder of Y / 19) +1;

The base of the moon is a number showing the age of the moon on March 1, that is, how many days have passed by March 1 from the previous lunar phase. The difference between the bases of subsequent years is 11. The number of days in the lunar month is 30.

Base \u003d remainder from (11 G) / 30.

New Moon \u003d 30 - Base;

Full Moon \u003d New Moon + 14;

If the full moon is earlier than March 21, then the next full moon (+ 30 days) is considered Easter. If the Easter full moon falls on a Sunday, then Easter is celebrated the next Sunday.

However, Eastern (Orthodox, Greek Catholics and believers of ancient Eastern churches) and Western (Latin Rite Catholics and Protestants) Christians use different Paschalia, which leads to the fact that the same rule leads to different dates.

According to Eastern tradition, Easter is calculated according to the Alexandrian Easter; the date of the first day of Easter (Easter Week) falls on one of 35 days in the period from March 22 to April 25 according to the Julian calendar (which in the XX-XXI centuries corresponds to the period from April 4 to May 8 BC). If Easter coincides with the holiday of the Annunciation (March 25), then it is called Kiriopasha (Lord's Easter). Orthodox Christians attribute the descent of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem to the miraculous testimonies of Easter, which takes place on Great Saturday before Orthodox Easter.

In the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, the date of Easter is calculated according to the Gregorian Easter. In the 16th century, the Roman Catholic Church carried out a calendar reform, the purpose of which was to bring the calculated date of Easter in line with the observed phenomena in heaven (by this time the old Easter had already given the dates of the full moons and equinoxes, which did not correspond to the real position of the stars). The New Easter was compiled by the Neapolitan astronomer Aloysius Lilius and the German Jesuit monk Christopher Clavius.

The discrepancy between the dates of Easter in eastern and western churches is caused by the difference in the dates of church full moons and the difference between solar calendars (13 days in the 21st century). Western Easter in 30% of cases coincides with Eastern, in 45% of cases it is ahead of it by a week, in 5% - by 4 weeks and in 20% - by 5 weeks. There is no difference between 2 and 3 weeks.

Perpetual calendar from Sweden for calculating the day of Easter in 1140-1671 according to the Julian calendar. Each rune corresponds to a certain number of the week in which the holiday will fall

Easter in the church year

The most important rolling holidays are tied to Easter, celebrated in the sequence of evangelical events:

Lazarev Saturday; Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem - a week before Easter:

According to the ancient Jewish tradition, the Messiah - the King of Israel must be manifested on Passover in Jerusalem. The people, knowing about the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus, solemnly greet Jesus as the coming King (John 12:12);

Holy Week - the week before Easter:

Great Monday, Good Monday - Monday of Holy Week. On this day, the Old Testament patriarch Joseph, sold by the brothers to Egypt, is remembered as a prototype of the suffering Jesus Christ, as well as the gospel story of Jesus cursing the barren fig tree, symbolizing a soul that does not bear spiritual fruit - true repentance, faith, prayer and good deeds.

Great Tuesday - Tuesday of Holy Week, which commemorates the preaching of Jesus Christ in the Jerusalem Temple.

Great Wednesday, Passionate Wednesday - Wednesday of Holy Week, which recalls Judas' betrayal of Jesus Christ and his anointing with myrrh.

Maundy Thursday - Christ establishes the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the upper room of Zion in Jerusalem. The Synoptic Gospels describe this day as the day of unleavened bread, that is, the Jewish Passover (Passover). The Gospel of John and the subsequent events of other Gospels show that the Jews of Jerusalem celebrated Passover after the day of Christ's execution, that is, two days later. One of the explanations, also taking into account the Qumran finds, suggests that the Galilee calendar was two days behind the Jerusalem calendar. Thus, at the Last Supper, the Old Testament Passover - the lamb, wine and unleavened bread, is mystically associated with the New Testament Passover - Christ, His Body and Blood;

Good Friday - according to tradition, before the Passover holiday, Pontius Pilate wanted to release one prisoner, in the hope that the people would ask for Jesus. However, incited by the high priests, the people demand that Barabbas be released. John emphasizes that the crucifixion takes place on the day of Easter, since the slaughter of the Passover sacrificial lamb on the Old Testament Passover (Passover) is a prototype of the New Testament Passover - the slaughter of Christ as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. Just as the bones of the Passover lamb (firstborn and without blemish) should not be broken, so Christ's legs are not broken, unlike other executed. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, having asked Pilate for the burial of Jesus' body, wrap a shroud soaked in incense around it and put it in the nearest coffin - a cave until the Sabbath rest. Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” are present at the burial;

Great Saturday - the high priests, remembering that Christ spoke about his resurrection on the third day, despite the current holiday and Saturday, turn to Pilate to put a guard for three days so that the disciples would not steal the body, thus depicting the teacher's resurrection from the dead;

Enamel miniature "The Resurrection of Christ" (shoulder pad of Andrey Bogolyubsky, c. 1170-1180)

Easter - Bright Resurrection of Christ:

Resurrection of Christ (the first day after Saturday) - after the Sabbath rest, the Myrrh-Bearing Wives go to the sepulcher. Before them an Angel descends to the grave and rolls the stone away from him, an earthquake occurs, and the guards are thrown into fear. The angel tells the wives that Christ is risen, and will precede them in Galilee. The appearance of Christ to the disciples;

Antipaskha in Orthodoxy, the Octave of Easter in Catholicism - the appearance of the risen Christ to the disciples on the 8th day of Easter and the assurance of Thomas:

After 8 days (Antipascha, Fomina Nedelya) Christ again appears to the disciples, including Thomas, through a closed door. Jesus tells Thomas to put his fingers in his wounds to be sure of the reality of the resurrected body. Thomas exclaims "My Lord and my God!"

Christ continues to appear to the disciples for forty days after his Resurrection, in particular, in the sea of \u200b\u200bTiberias (in Galilee) when fishing (as reported by John the Theologian), as well as to more than five hundred witnesses (1 Cor. 15: 6);

Ascension of the Lord - fortieth day after Easter:

On the fortieth day after the Resurrection, Jesus ascends to heaven, blessing the apostles;

Pentecost - the fiftieth day after Easter (in Orthodoxy coincides with the Day of the Holy Trinity):

On the fiftieth day after the Resurrection, the apostles receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit according to the Lord's promise.

Easter traditions

Almost all Easter traditions originated in the divine services. Even the scale of Easter folk festivals is associated with breaking the fast after Lent - the time of abstinence, when all the holidays, including family ones, were postponed to the celebration of Easter. Everything that expresses Renewal (Easter streams), Light (Easter fire), Life (Easter cakes, eggs and hares) becomes symbols of Easter.

Easter service

On Easter, as on the most important holiday of the church year, a particularly solemn service is performed. It was formed in the first centuries of Christianity as baptismal. Most of the catechumens were baptized on this special day after the preparatory fast.

Since ancient times, the Church has developed the tradition of celebrating the Easter service at night; or in some countries (for example, Serbia) in the early morning - at dawn.

Easter greeting

Starting from Easter night and the next forty days (until the end of Easter), it is customary to "christen", that is, to greet each other with the words: "Christ is Risen!" - "Truly he is risen!", While kissing three times. This custom dates back to apostolic times: "Greet one another with a holy kiss" (Rom. 16:16), also 1 Pet. 5:14, 1 Cor. 16:20.

Easter fire

The fire of the Passover plays a large role in divine services as well as in folk festivals. It symbolizes the Light of God, which enlightens all nations after Christ's Resurrection. In Greece, as well as in large cities of Russia, in Orthodox churches, before the start of the Easter service, believers wait for the Holy Fire from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. In the event of a successful arrival of fire from Jerusalem, the priests solemnly carry it to the temples of the city. The believers immediately light their candles from him. After the service, many take the lamp with fire home, where they try to maintain it throughout the year.

Easter

In the Catholic service, before the beginning of the Easter service, Easter is lit - a special Easter candle, the fire from which is distributed to all believers, after which the service begins. This candle is lit at all Easter week services.

In pre-revolutionary times in Russia, and in the West to this day, a large fire is kindled on the parish territory. On the one hand, the meaning of a fire is the same as that of an Easter candle - fire is Light and Renewal. The Easter fire is also made for the symbolic burning of Judas (Greece, Germany). On the other hand, those who left the temple or did not reach it can bask near this fire, therefore it is also a symbol of the fire at which Peter was warming himself. In addition to the light illumination of bonfires and fireworks, all kinds of firecrackers and "firecrackers" are used for the solemnity of the holiday.

Easter meal

During Great Saturday and after the Easter service in churches, cakes, cottage cheese Easter and Easter eggs prepared for the festive table for breaking the fast after Lent are blessed.

The Easter egg in the Christian tradition means the Holy Sepulcher: the egg, although it looks dead from the outside, inside contains new life that will come out of it, and therefore the egg serves as "a symbol of the coffin and the emergence of life in its very depths."

Easter eggs. Easter cottage cheese

In the Orthodox tradition, the custom of giving eggs is associated with the legend of the egg presented by Mary Magdalene to Emperor Tiberius.

According to the exposition of Demetrius of Rostov, St. Mary Magdalene, Equal to the Apostles, found an opportunity to appear before the emperor and presented him with an egg, painted in red, with the words: "Christ is risen!" The choice of the egg as a gift, according to St. Demetrius, was caused by the poverty of Mary, who, however, did not want to appear empty-handed, while the color of the egg was intended to attract the attention of the emperor.

Although eggs are painted in different colors, it is red that is traditional: it symbolizes the blood of the crucified Christ. (In general, red is typical for Easter. In particular, this is the color of the liturgical vestments of this holiday.)

In the Orthodox tradition, Easter is associated artos - a special bread used during the services of the Bright Week, which in Russian parish practice is consecrated at the end of the Easter Liturgy, after the prayer outside the ambo. This bread is kept in the church throughout Bright Week and is distributed to the faithful after the liturgy on Bright Saturday. “In Russia, the custom is not to consume the entire artos on this day, but to keep it at home for eating on an empty stomach,” which occurs in special cases, for example, in case of illness.

They try to finish the preparation of the Easter table on Maundy Thursday, so that nothing distracts from the services of Good Friday, the day of taking out the Holy Shroud and prayer (in practice, of course, this is rarely observed).

Easter procession

Immediately before Easter, believers gather in the church, from where the procession of the cross begins at midnight with the loud singing of the stichera of the holiday. Then the procession approaches the doors of the church and the Easter Matins service begins.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the procession of the cross is performed during the Easter service, but not before the Liturgy, but after it. The Easter procession should not be confused with the service of the Way of the Cross, a special Catholic Lenten service in commemoration of the Passion of the Lord.

Easter chime

In Russia, as well as in other Orthodox countries, after the silence of the bells during the Holy Days, on Easter itself, the gospel is especially solemnly ringing. Throughout Bright Week, anyone can climb the bell tower and ring in honor of Christ's Resurrection.

In Belgium, children are told that the bells are silent until Easter, because they have left for Rome and will return with a rabbit and eggs.

The soundtrack of the holiday also has an evangelical meaning. For example, in some churches in Greece, as soon as they start reading about the earthquake in Jerusalem in the Gospel, an unimaginable noise rises in the church. The parishioners, having waited, begin to bang with sticks on the wooden stairs, and the elderly clatter the benches, chandeliers-chandeliers swing from side to side. The man-made "earthquake" thus symbolizes the opening of the tomb at the resurrection of Christ.

The rolling holiday is celebrated on different dates every year. To be sure on what day to celebrate Easter in 2016, check the Orthodox calendar.

Why Easter has a different date every year

Easter, the Bright Sunday of Christ, is the main rolling holiday in the calendar of an Orthodox person. Its dating is directly related to the lunar cycle, since the Easter celebrations fall on the next Sunday after the first full moon. The lunar cycle has a clearly established number of days, which does not coincide with the calendar year we are used to, and therefore Easter is shifted annually by a certain number of days. It has been established that the holiday cannot start earlier than April 4 or later than May 8. The dates for Easter celebrations are calculated by the church for many years to come.

The "Feast of Holidays" - as the Orthodox Church traditionally calls Easter - marks the end of the longest (more than 40 days) of Great Lent. In 2016, Lent will begin on March 14 and will continue until April 30. The most important time of fasting is Passion Week - the week that symbolizes the last days of Christ's life, beginning on Palm Sunday (the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem) and ending with the holiday of Easter.

When Easter is celebrated in 2016

In 2016, the Bright Sunday of Christ falls on May 1... For the church, this is considered a fairly late Easter. The day before (on Saturday), it is customary to illuminate ready-made cakes, Easter and eggs painted in different ways in the temple. After that, the day should be spent without physically straining too much, since the night service is ahead - the peak of the celebration, from which the Easter miracle begins.

Most Orthodox Christians aspire to take communion on Easter night, which is not easy due to the mass gathering of people in the church. Therefore, a small recommendation for those wishing to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ: do it on Thursday (the day when the church commemorates the events of the Last Supper, that is, the very first sacrament of the sacrament).

The celebration of Easter continues for another 40 days, starting from Bright Week - the most solemn week in the calendar of an Orthodox Christian. The church charter for this time provides for the shortest services (on average they last about 30 minutes) when the Royal Doors are open (a symbol of the fact that the Lord opened the gates to Paradise for people with his sacrifice on the cross.) At the same time, long tearful prayers are prohibited for all 40 days of the Easter celebration. kneeling and bowing to the ground. This is a time of joy, exultation, which must be spent in a proper emotional state.

The sacred meaning of this event for believers is the voluntary ascension of Christ to Calvary, in order to atone for the sins of people with the sacrifice of the cross and open the way for eternal life.

Why Orthodox Easter does not coincide with Catholic

The Catholic Church, in contrast to the Orthodox, lives according to the Gregorian calendar, which is now widespread throughout the world. The Orthodox Church, however, did not recognize the Gregorian calendar, deciding to continue to conduct services according to the Julian calendar familiar to itself. That is why there is such a difference in the dates of Easter celebrations of the Catholic and Orthodox churches. For example, in 2016, Catholic Easter is celebrated on March 27, and the Orthodox Church will approach the celebration of Holy Christ's Sunday only on May 1.

Traditionally Easter is a family holiday to be spent with your loved ones in joy and harmony. Preparation for Easter celebrations is also one of the means of family rallying, since painting eggs and baking fragrant Easter cakes is interesting for both children and adults. The joy of the Bright holiday is multiplied by the joy of close spiritual communication with loved ones. Spend more time with loved ones and remember to press the buttons and

18.11.2015 00:40

How to spend Maundy Thursday of Holy Week with benefits for body and soul? What is customary to do on this day ...

When is Easter this year? And when is Shrovetide? When does Great Lent begin? People ask such questions to each other from year to year. Many people wonder: why are some church holidays celebrated on the same day from year to year, while others fall on different dates every time? How are these dates determined? Let's figure it out.

Easter in the Old Testament

The celebration of Passover among the Jews was established by the prophet Moses in honor of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt (see Passover). "Make the Passover to the Lord your God, because in the month Nisan (Abib) the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt at night" (Deut. 16: 1). In memory of the exodus on Easter, the ritual slaughter of a one-year-old male lamb was prescribed, without blemish, it should be baked on fire, and eaten completely, without breaking bones, with unleavened bread (unleavened, yeast-free bread) and bitter herbs in the family circle during Easter night ( Ex. 12: 1-28; Num. 9: 1-14). After the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, the ritual slaughter became impossible, therefore, the Jews on Passover eat only unleavened bread - matzo.

Easter for the first Christians

In the Christian church, Easter has been celebrated since the first centuries, but due to local traditions, the peculiarities of the calendar and calculations in the communities of different cities, the days of Easter did not coincide. Therefore, at the First Ecumenical Council in 325, it was decided to adopt a single method for the entire Christian world for determining the date of Easter. At the same time it was decided that Christians should not adhere to the custom of the Jews in determining the day of this most holy celebration. At the Council it was forbidden to celebrate Passover "before the vernal equinox with the Jews."

When is Easter this year?

In 2019, Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter on April 28. The date of the celebration of Easter is determined by a special calculation called Orthodox Easter.

Easter is a calculation system that allows, using special tables that determine the relationship of a large number of calendar and astronomical values, to determine the dates of the celebration of Easter and the transitional church holidays for any given year.

The Russian Orthodox Church uses the traditional Julian calendar, created during the reign of Julius Caesar in 45 BC, to calculate the date of the celebration of Easter and the rolling holidays. This calendar is often referred to as the "old style". Western Christians use the Gregorian calendar introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. It is commonly referred to as "new style".

According to the rules of the First Ecumenical Council (325, Nicaea), Orthodox Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring full moon, which occurs after or on the vernal equinox, if this Sunday falls after the day of the Jewish Passover; otherwise, the celebration of Orthodox Easter is postponed to the first Sunday after the day of Jewish Passover.

Thus, the day of the celebration of Easter falls within the range from March 22 to April 25 of the old style, or from April 4 to May 8 of the new style. After calculating the date of Easter, the calendar of the remaining rolling church holidays is drawn up.

Church holidays

Each day of the calendar year is dedicated by the Church to the remembrance of one or another sacred event, the celebration of the memory of saints or the glorification of the miraculous icons of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The most important day of the church year is the holiday of Christ's Bright Resurrection, or Easter. Next in importance are the 12 Great Twelve Feasts (the very name - Twelve - indicates their number). Then, according to the meaning, the Church singles out 5 great holidays. There are other holidays marked with solemn services. Sundays stand out, which are also dedicated to the remembrance of the Lord's Resurrection and are called "Little Easter".

Twelve holidays are divided into non-passing and rolling. The dates of non-passing holidays do not change from year to year; the rolling holidays each year fall on different dates and depend on what day in the current year the celebration of Easter falls. The beginning of Lent, the popularly beloved Maslenitsa, Palm Sunday, as well as the Ascension and the day of the Holy Trinity also depend on the date of Easter.

Twelve holidays are divided into Lord's (in honor of the Lord Jesus Christ) or the Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God). Some of the events that became the basis for the holidays are described in the Gospel, and some are established on the basis of information from church tradition.

Twelve rolling holidays:

Bright Resurrection of Christ. Easter
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday (7 days before Easter)
Ascension of the Lord (on the 40th day after Easter)
Day of the Holy Trinity. Pentecost (50th day after Easter)

Twelve non-passing holidays:

September 21 - Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.
September 27 - Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord.
December 4 - Introduction to the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos.
January 7 - Nativity of Christ.
January 19 - Baptism of the Lord. Epiphany.
February 15 - Presentation of the Lord.
April 7 - Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos.
August 19 - Transfiguration of the Lord.
August 28 - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Great post

Easter is preceded by Great Lent - the strictest and longest of all Orthodox fasts. When does Great Lent begin? It depends on the date on which Easter falls in the current year. Fasting always lasts 48 days: 40 days of Great Lent proper, called the Forty Day, and 8 days of Passion Week, from Lazarus Saturday to Great Saturday on the eve of Easter. Therefore, the beginning of the fast is easy to determine by counting 7 weeks from the date of Easter.

The significance of Lent consists not only in the harsh rules of abstinence from food (eating only vegetable products is prescribed, fish is allowed only twice - on the Annunciation and on Palm Sunday), and avoiding various entertainments and amusements, but also in a very profound liturgical system ... The services of Great Lent are completely special, unlike anything else. Each Sunday is dedicated to its own special theme, and together they set the faithful to deep humility before God and repentance for their sins.

How is Easter date calculated?

During the era of the creation of Easter (the system for calculating the dates of Easter), people imagined the passage of time differently than they do now. They believed that all events occur in a circle ("everything returns to normal"). And all the variety of events is determined by the fact that there are many such "circles" ("cycles") and they are of different sizes. In a circle, day changes to night, summer to winter, new moon to full moon.

It is difficult for a modern person to imagine, since in his consciousness he builds a "straight line" of historical events from the past to the future.

The simplest and most famous (and still used) circle is the circle for changing the days of the week. Sunday is followed by Monday, Monday by Tuesday, and so on until the next Sunday, which is sure to be Monday again.

The calculation of the date of Easter is based on two cycles: solar (lasting 28 years) and lunar (lasting 19 years). Each year has its own number in each of these cycles (these numbers are called "circle to the Sun" and "circle to the moon"), and their combination is repeated only once every 532 years (this period is called the "Great Indication").

"Circle of the Sun" is associated with the Julian calendar, in which 3 years in a row are simple (365 days), and the fourth is a leap year (366 days). To align the 4-year cycle with the 7-day weekly cycle, a 28-year cycle (7 × 4) was created. In 28 years, the days of the week will fall on the same days of the months of the Julian calendar (in the “new” “Gregorian” calendar, everything is more complicated ...). That is, the 1983 calendar had exactly the same appearance as the 2011 calendar (1983 + 28 \u003d 2011). For example, 1st (14th according to the "new style") January 2011 - Friday; and January 1st, 1983 was also Friday.

That is, the "circle to the Sun" helps to find out on which days of the week the corresponding numbers of the months of the year fall.

The "Circle of the Moon" is designed to match the lunar phases (new moon, full moon, etc.) with the dates of the Julian calendar. It is based on the fact that 19 solar years is almost exactly equal to 235 lunar months.

Equinox is the moment when the Sun in its apparent motion crosses the "celestial equator". At this time, the length of the day is equal to the length of the night, and the Sun rises exactly in the East, and sets exactly in the West.

A solar year (otherwise called a "tropical") is the interval between two successive vernal equinoxes. Its duration is 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds (365.2422 days). In the Julian calendar, for convenience and simplicity, the length of the year is taken equal to 365 days 6 hours (365.25 days). In about 128 years, the spring equinox is shifted by one day (in the 15th century of the "new era", the equinox was on March 12-13, and in the 20th - on March 7-8).

The lunar month (otherwise called "synodic") is the interval between two new moons. Its average duration is 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes 3 seconds (29.53059 days).

That is why it turns out that 19 solar years (19365.2422 \u003d 6939.6018 days) is approximately 235 lunar months (23529.53059 \u003d 6939.6887 days).

After 19 years, the lunar phases (full moons, for example) will fall on the same numbers of the Julian calendar (this is not observed for long periods of time - an error accumulates in one day for about 310 years). Of course, we are talking about average values. The real dates of the lunar phases, due to the complexity of the moon's motion, may deviate from the average. For example, the real full moon in Moscow in April 1990 was on the 10th ("new style") at 06:19 pm, and in 2009 (19 years after 1990) - on April 9 ( "New style") at 17.55 pm.

Based on the tables obtained, you can determine the date of Easter for any year.

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) gives a less understandable, but more mathematically simple method of calculating the date of Orthodox Easter: “Of all the practical methods of calculus, the simplest is the method proposed by the greatest German mathematician Karl Gauss (1777 - 1855). Let's divide the number of the year by 19 and call the remainder "a"; the remainder of dividing the number of the year by 4 is denoted by the letter "b", and through "c" the remainder of dividing the number of the year by 7. Divide the value 19 x a + 15 by 30 and call the remainder the letter "d". The remainder of dividing by 7 of the value 2 x b + 4 x c + 6 x d + 6 will be denoted by the letter "e". The number 22 + d + e would be Easter day for March, and d + e would be 9 for April. Take 1996, for example. Dividing it by 19 will give the remainder 1 (a). When divided by 4, the remainder is zero (b). Dividing the number of the year by 7, we get the remainder of 1 (s). If we continue the calculations, we get: d \u003d 4, and e \u003d 6. Therefore, 4 + 6 - 9 \u003d April 1 (Julian calendar - old style - approx. edition)».

When is Easter for Catholics?

In 1583, in the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new Paschalia, called Gregorian. As a result of the change in Paschalia, the whole calendar also changed. As a result of the transition to more accurate astronomical dates, Catholic Easter is often celebrated earlier than Jewish or on one day, and in some years ahead of Orthodox Easter by more than a month.

The discrepancy between the dates of Orthodox Easter and Catholic Easter is caused by the difference in the dates of church full moons, and the difference between solar calendars - 13 days in the 21st century. Western Easter in 45% of cases is a week earlier than Orthodox, in 30% of cases it is the same, 5% is a difference of 4 weeks, and 20% is a difference of 5 weeks (more lunar cycle). There is no difference in 2-3 weeks.

1. G \u003d (Y mod 19) + 1 (G is the so-called "golden number in the methonic" cycle - 19-year cycle of full moons)
2.C \u003d (Y / 100) + 1 (if Y is not a multiple of 100, then C is the century number)
3.X \u003d 3 * C / 4 - 12 (correction for the fact that three out of four years divisible by 100 are not leap years)
4.Z \u003d (8 * C + 5) / 25 - 5 (synchronization with the lunar orbit, the year is not a multiple of the lunar month)
5.D \u003d 5 * Y / 4 - X - 10 (day in March? D mod 7 will be Sunday)
6.E \u003d (10 * G + 20 + Z - X) mod 30 (epact - indicates the day of the full moon)
7. IF (E \u003d 24) OR (E \u003d 25 AND G\u003e 11) THEN increase E by 1
8.N \u003d 44 - E (March N is the day of the calendar full moon)
9. IF N 10.N \u003d N + 7 - (D + N) mod 7
11. IF N\u003e 31 THEN the date of Easter (N? 31) April ELSE the date of Easter is N March

Photo - photo bank Lori

Easter in 2019, what date? For the Orthodox, the Bright Resurrection of Christ is one of the Great Holidays, according to the Orthodox calendar 2019, April 28 is the date of Easter. In 2019, April 28 is Easter for the Orthodox, on Sunday all Christians of the Orthodox faith celebrate the most important church holiday - Easter. The number of the church holiday changes every year, the date of the celebration of the Bright Resurrection of Christ in 2019 among the Orthodox falls on April 8, but the number of Orthodox Easter is transient and not constant.

The holiday was established by the church in honor of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As follows from the Easter hymns, this is a holiday and celebration of the celebrations that require special preparation from believing Christians. Before Easter, Christians pass Great Lent.

Easter is the most important celebration for believers, the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ continues for forty days, exactly as long as the Risen Jesus Christ stayed on earth. By the length of the celebration of this great holiday, Easter differs from the rest and surpasses in importance other church celebrations.

Razgadamus considers it cognitive. The celebration of the Resurrection of Christ does not end with the end of the Easter week. With the words of greeting "Christ is Risen!" and "Truly He is Risen!" one should greet one another for forty days before the Ascension of Christ.

The Resurrection of Christ is associated with the salvation of people, the Christian holiday symbolizes the triumph of the spirit over the flesh, the victory of life over death. Easter is a church holiday, but this day is celebrated with cakes and painted eggs by believers and atheists alone are celebrated in church, unbelievers at home eat traditional dishes prepared for the Easter meal.

When is Easter 2019

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Christian Easter is celebrated in the spring, when nature awakens, the celebration always falls on a Sunday. On Sunday, according to the date set in, Christians begin to celebrate the celebration, but every year the date of Easter changes.

The date of the holiday changes, but Sunday is considered a constant day, on Sunday Christ is Risen, having accepted a martyr's death, being crucified on the cross. The numbers of celebrating the Resurrection of Christ in Orthodoxy and Catholicism differ, Orthodox and Catholics celebrate an important event at different times, but every few years the number on the calendar coincides.

Orthodox Easter 2019: date and traditions

Why is Easter celebrated on different dates? What date is Easter in 2019? Why does the number change and how to determine the date of Easter? The exact date is difficult to determine on your own, the number of the holiday is calculated according to the lunar calendar, before the vernal equinox Easter does not come.

In 2019, Orthodox Easter is on April 28. The Orthodox church holiday has centuries-old traditions, rituals and signs that are significant for many Christian families.

The great holiday with established traditions is preceded by Great Lent, during which it is recommended to fast, help others, and lead a righteous life. Especially strict last week, in strict Great Lent, many foods are prohibited during Holy Week, Saturday is considered the last day of Great Lent.

Easter comes on Sunday, Orthodox Christians kiss, kiss each other, while congratulating with joyful greetings "Christ is Risen!" and in response to congratulations they say "Truly I am Risen!"

Easter is a holiday of life and renewal, symbols of the solemn day, which are obligatory Easter dishes, are Easter cakes and colored eggs. The egg represents the Holy Sepulcher, the red color in which eggs are painted, symbolizes the shed blood of Jesus Christ crucified for human sins.

Believing Christians, observing church traditions, paint eggs and bake Easter cakes on Maundy Thursday, the last week before the Great Feast. On the eve of Easter, on Saturday, Easter cakes, cottage cheese Easter, painted eggs are consecrated in the church.

In the morning, on Sunday, after the night Easter service in the church, candles are lit in the church; it is customary to break the fast at home of believing Christians. By tradition, families set the table with festive dishes that were prohibited during Lent, start the meal with a colored egg, after which they taste the Easter cake and move on to the rest of the festive treats.

What not to do on Easter

What can and cannot be done on Easter? The Easter holiday is a bright, pure and great event, the meaning of the celebration is to cleanse the human soul and body. On this day, you cannot do household chores: wash, wash, clean your home.

You can clean the house on the eve of the celebration, usually the housewives put things in order in the houses and apartments - they wash the windows, wash the linen, and distribute unnecessary things to the poor.

On Easter, many people commemorate the dead, go to the cemetery, but according to church canons, this cannot be done. You can and should rejoice, on this day you should visit your living relatives and loved ones, gather together at the family table, make plans for the future.

Before the celebration and during the celebration, the church does not hold a panikhida; on Easter days, you cannot get married in a church or be baptized. Each housewife on the pre-holiday week traditionally bakes Easter, paints eggs, and prepares traditional Easter from cottage cheese.

Easter cottage cheese: a classic recipe without baking

According to the classic recipe, Easter cottage cheese is prepared without baking, the dish is obtained by infusing the curd mass in molds. Easter is made with custard, raw or boiled, Tsar. The classic Easter dish is considered to be cottage cheese Easter without baking, we offer a classic way of preparing the obligatory Easter dish.

Ingredients for making raw curd Easter

cottage cheese - 1.5 kg;
chicken eggs - 8 pcs.;
sour cream or cream 30% - 500 g;
butter - 300 g;
sugar - 600 g; pitted raisins - 300 g;
nuts (any) - 200 g;
vanillin - a bag.

How to cook Easter cottage cheese at home without baking in the oven

Grind eggs with sugar, vanilla and three tablespoons of sour cream. Heat the cream, not boiling, cool.
Pass the dry cottage cheese through a meat grinder, add the cooled cream, mix.
Add washed and dried raisins, fried nut kernels, softened butter, the remaining sour cream or cream to the curd. Stir until smooth.
To form Easter, you need a collapsible form made of wood or plastic. Instead of a shape, you can buy a flower pot with a hole in the bottom.
Lay wet gauze inside the mold so that the ends hang outward, put the curd mass in it, tamp and close with the ends of the gauze on top. Place a plate under the mold, onto which the whey will drain.
From above, the Easter must be pressed down with a load and placed in the refrigerator overnight.
After that, take out the dessert, turn it over and decorate it with sprinkles, and you can put it in an Easter basket and go to the church to sanctify.

How to properly paint eggs for Easter with onion peels

The Easter egg is painted in various colors, but Easter eggs, painted in onion skins, having a red color, as a reminder to people of the shed blood of the Most High, have been and remain traditional.

Eggs are dyed with natural dyes, housewives buy whole sets for dyeing eggs, but the most persistent, indelible red color is obtained by dyeing in onion skins. The rules for coloring with husks are simple, but not all housewives know how to paint eggs for Easter so that one of the main symbols of the holiday turns out to be beautiful.

Before coloring, the eggs must be removed from the refrigerator, check for cracks in the eggshell.
Cracked ones should be set aside, they can be used later when cooking, rinse whole ones with strong shells so that the paint from onion peels on the eggs lay more uniformly.
Rinse the onion husks, pour hot water - the amount of water and the peel is taken at random, but so that the eggs are completely in water during staining, and are not visible from under the husk.
Boil the peel in a saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes, cool the broth. Place the eggs in a single row in a saucepan, placing them under the leaves.
It takes 10 minutes to paint eggs in onion skins from the moment of boiling, with a weak boil of water in a saucepan.
After that, the red eggs are taken out one by one, transferred to cold water for several minutes, and cooled. The cooled colored eggs are wiped dry and smeared with vegetable oil so that the red paint on the eggs shines.

On April 28, 2019, all Orthodox Christians will celebrate the Bright Resurrection of Christ. The Razgadamus site team congratulates all its readers on the holiday, wishes peace and prosperity. Christ is Risen!