Catholics, Protestants and representatives of some other branches of Christianity on Sunday celebrate one of the main Christian holidays – Easter. This year it is celebrated a week before Orthodox.
The central mass was held in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Pope Francis led the Easter Vigil. Despite the fact that the pontiff had not yet fully recovered from bronchitis and missed the procession in the Colosseum, he still came to the main celebration.
The service lasted about two hours. After that, the Pope still found the strength to personally baptize several believers. This year, citizens of Albania, the United States, Nigeria, Italy and Venezuela were awarded this honor.
Orthodox Christians celebrate today the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, or Palm Sunday.
Note that the word “Passover” comes from the Hebrew “Pesach” and literally translates as “passing by”, “deliverance”. Passover among the Jews is dedicated to the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and their liberation from slavery. These events are described in the Old Testament. The last gospel events – the betrayal of Judas, the arrest of Christ, the Passion of Christ and the crucifixion – took place on the eve of the Jewish Passover. The resurrection of Jesus Christ happened the next day.
In memory of this event, Easter is celebrated in the New Testament church.
Today, the date of Catholic Easter is determined from the ratio of the lunar and solar calendars. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. The spring full moon is the first full moon after the spring equinox.
Catholic Easter is often celebrated earlier than Jewish or on the same day, sometimes ahead of Orthodox Easter by more than a month.
Every country has its own Easter traditions. In Italy they bake “dove”, in England – Easter hot cross buns, which are cut on top with a cross before baking. On Easter morning in Poland, they eat okroshka, which is poured with water and vinegar – a symbol of Christ’s suffering on the Cross. In Portugal, priests go from house to house, spreading Easter blessings, and he is treated to blue and pink dragees, chocolate eggs, biscuits and port wine. In Belgium, children are sent to search the garden, where they find eggs under a chocolate Easter chicken.
All over Europe, housewives put colorful eggs, toy chickens, chocolate bunnies in wicker baskets on young grass. These baskets are on the table by the door all Easter week.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
