EASTER SUNDAY
Easter Sunday (often just called Easter or Easter Day) is the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after March 21st. The Beginning of Eastertide, or Paschaltide, the season of Easter, begins on Easter Sunday and lasts until the day of Pentecost, seven weeks later. The name Easter comes from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. The month of April was called "Eostremonat," or Eostre's Month. In Medieval Europe, eggs were forbidden during Lent. Eggs laid during that time were often boiled and preserved. Eggs were an important part of the Easter meal. Christians in the Middle East and in Greece painted eggs bright red to symbolize the blood of Christ. Hollow eggs (created by piercing the shell with a needle and blowing out the contents) were decorated with pictures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and other religious figures in Armenia. Hiding surprises in the eggs is believed to have originated in Russia where Marie wife of Alexander III would hide jewelry, gold and gems in a special egg made for her by Peter Carl Fabergé in 1885. The Easter bunny originated in Germany, where it was called the "Easter hare", who laid eggs for children to find. Hares and rabbits have long been symbols of fertility. German immigrants brought the tradition with them to America where it spread. With it came baked cakes for Easter in the shape of hares, as well as chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs. Other early easter treats at this time were Pretzels and Fresh Buns. Easter has since become a Christian holiday (often called Pascha). to celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion at Calvary as described in the New Testament. Easter is preceded by Lent, a 40 day period of penance, fasting, and prayer. The last week of Lent is called Holy Week, and it contains the days of the Easter Triduum, including Maundy Thursday (commemorating Maundy and the Last Supper), Good Friday (commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus), and Easter Sunday (also referred to as Easter Day, Easter, Resurrection Day and Resurrection Sunday). Easter is followed by a 50 period called Eastertide or the Easter Season, ending with Pentecost Sunday. The people would attend church in their best clothes, march through the streets. This is believed to be the origin of the Easter Parades. The date for Easter is determined on a lunisolar calendar similar to the Hebrew calendar. The First Council of Nicaea established the date of Easter to be the first Sunday after the full moon following the northern hemisphere's vernal equinox (the Paschal Full Moon). In Western Christianity, using the Gregorian calendar, Easter always falls on a Sunday from March 22nd to April 25th. The following day, Easter Monday, is a legal holiday in many countries with predominantly Christian traditions.
EASTER TRADITIONS
In Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Lithuaniania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the Ukraine, Easter Sunday is celebrated by decorating Easter Eggs. In Belgium, and The Netherlands, Easter Sunday is celebrated with the coloring of eggs, the giving of hollow chocolate shaped like eggs or rabbits, and the return of the Church bells, which have been silent since Maundy Thursday. In Bermuda, Easter Sunday is celebrated by flying kites, symbolizing Christ's ascent to heaven. In Bulgaria, Easter Sunday is called Velikden (Easter Day) and is celebrated by having Easter eggs that were decorated decorated on Maundy Thursday "fight", the last surviving egg is called borak. People knock the tips of two eggs together. If the shell of one egg cracks it loses, a process that continues until just one egg remains. This game is called Egg Tapping in Louisianna. It is performed as a tournament in Marksville, Louisianna (one egg per person). In Cyprus, Easter Sunday is celebrated by painting easter eggs and lighting organized great fires in the yards of Schools and Churches. In Croatia and Slovenia, Easter Sunday is celebrated by bringing a basket of bread, colored eggs, ham, horseradish, and potica (traditional nut-cake) to the local church and having it blessed. In Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, Easter Sunday is celebrated with egg painting and children dressing as witches, going door to door exchanging pussy willows for candy. In France, Easter Sunday is celebrated with the coloring of eggs, the giving of hollow chocolate shaped like eggs or rabbits, and the return of the Church bells, which were silent the day before (Holy Saturday). In Germany, Easter Sunday is celebrated by decorating eggs and hanging them on branches on trees or bushes (Easter Egg Trees). In Norway, Easter Sunday, besides painting eggs, is celebrated by watching Murder-Mysteries on television. In Scotland, Northern England, and Northern Ireland, Easter Sunday is celebrated by racing eggs down steep hills. In Sweden, and Denmark, Easter Sunday is celebrated with a smörgåsbord (large meal of herring, salmon, potatoes, eggs, and other kinds of food).
PASCHA
Pascha is the most important festival of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches, more so than Christmas. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion at Calvary as described in the New Testament. In Eastern Christianity, Pascha begins with Great Lent, which is 40 days, starting with Clean Monday. The last week of Great Lent (following the fifth Sunday of Great Lent) is called Palm Week, and ends with Lazarus Saturday. After Lazarus Saturday comes Palm Sunday, then Holy Week. Holy Week consists of Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Holy Friday, Holy Saturday and finally Pascha. Pascha is immediately proceeded by a service called "Midnight Office" which ends just before the stroke of midnight on Holy Saturday night. At midnight the Paschal celebration begins with Paschal Matins, Paschal Hours, and the Paschal Divine Liturgy.