Meaning of Easter. Christian holiday Easter: history and traditions

Speaking about public holidays in Russia, it is first necessary to clarify the concept of "public holiday". So, a public holiday is a system of days off, which are built on the basis of a combination of religious and national holidays.

Currently, eight public holidays are celebrated in Russia. Among them are both those that remained from previous historical periods, and those that are associated with the country's modern history - the acquisition of sovereignty, a change in state ideology. The number of public holidays in Russia does not coincide with the number of official holidays, non-working days: for example, Christmas is a day off, without having the status of a public holiday. Two calendar days are allotted for the celebration of the New Year and the Day of Spring and Labor, so the total number of non-working days in a year is 11 (Article 112 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

Before the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the new year came in March. From the 10th century, according to the Julian calendar, the new year began on September 1, but officially this date began to be celebrated at the end of the 15th century. Since 1700, with the light hand of Emperor Peter I, the New Year in Russia is celebrated simultaneously with European countries - on January 1, that is, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.

In 1991, this day was declared non-working.

Established in 1919 as Red Army Day. The date for this holiday was chosen in honor of the victories of the Red Army over the troops of Kaiser's Germany in 1918 near Pskov and Narva. After the renaming of the Red Army into the Soviet Army, the name of the holiday also changed - it became the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy. Currently, it is celebrated as Defender of the Fatherland Day in accordance with the Federal Law of the Russian Federation "On the days of military glory (victory days) of Russia" (1995). Since 2002, by decision of the State Duma of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, February 23 is a non-working day.

For the first time in Russia, it was celebrated in 1913 in St. Petersburg. Since 1966, in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 8, 1965, the 8th of March holiday has become a non-working day.

The holiday in honor of the international solidarity of workers in Russia began to be regularly celebrated since 1890. After the October Revolution, the holiday became official: on this day, demonstrations of workers and military parades were held (the first May Day parade of the Red Army took place in 1918 on the Khodynka field). On the second day of the holiday, as a rule, the so-called "may days" were held throughout the country - mass celebrations in nature. On May 1, 1990, the leadership of the USSR and the CPSU went up to the podium to take part in the official May Day demonstration for the last time. Since 1992, the popularly beloved holiday has been renamed the Spring and Labor Day. This day, celebrated by part of the world community as the day of solidarity of workers, is used in Russia for political actions by parties and movements of the left political spectrum.

The national holiday of the Victory of the Soviet people over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War has been celebrated in our country since 1945. But for the first time it was widely celebrated in the USSR only 20 years later. In the same anniversary year of 1965, Victory Day became non-working. After the collapse of the USSR, parades on Victory Day were not held for some time; this ritual was resumed in the anniversary year of 1995. Then two parades were held in Moscow: on Red Square (on foot) and on Poklonnaya Hill (with the participation of troops and military equipment). Since then, parades on Red Square have been held annually - however, now without military equipment. On this day, veterans traditionally meet, wreaths are laid at the monuments of Glory and military prowess, festive fireworks are thundering.

On this day in 1990, the First Congress of People's Deputies of the RSFSR adopted the Declaration on State Sovereignty of Russia. On June 12, 1991, the first elections of the President of Russia took place. Since 1994, according to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation "On the State Holiday of the Russian Federation", the Day of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Russia was celebrated. In 2001, the holiday received its current name. Formally, the Day of Russia is the main state holiday of the Russian Federation.

Until 1977, this holiday was celebrated on December 5, the day the Constitution of 1936 was adopted. Then the holiday was moved to October 7 (the day the new constitution of the USSR was adopted - the "Constitution of Developed Socialism"). The tradition of celebrating the Constitution Day is continued in modern Russia. On December 12, 1993, the Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted at a referendum, and since 1994, by Decrees of the President (“On the Day of the Constitution of the Russian Federation” and “On a non-working day on December 12”), December 12 was declared a public holiday.

Along with state holidays, some professional holidays are celebrated in Russia. Some of them are tied to specific dates, others are celebrated on one or another day off of the month (first Saturday, last Sunday, etc.). These days, not being official days off, are celebrated by members of various professional communities.

Holidays established by international public organizations and professional associations are mainly "memorable days", which coincide with the holding of humanitarian and educational events, the awarding of various prizes, etc. The list of international and world holidays established by the UN, UNESCO and other major international organizations and unions, can serve as a visual aid on the global problems of our time.

Establishing this or that international holiday, the UN General Assembly sometimes makes an appeal to celebrate it in all member countries of the UN. Such appeals, as a rule, remain unanswered - at least at the state level. This happened, for example, with the week of struggle against racism and racial discrimination. In 1979, the General Assembly called for it to be celebrated annually from March 21, however, at least in the last decade and a half, hardly anyone remembers this in Russia. World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, International Days for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, Cooperatives, Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development remain group holidays. An unenviable fate befell even UN Day (celebrated since 1948 on the day the Charter of this organization was adopted in 1945). In 1971, the General Assembly recommended that the member countries of the Organization celebrate October 24 as a public holiday, but, alas, this day cannot be found in the lists of national holidays.

The Significance of Public Holidays in the Advanced States of Western Democracy

The systems of public holidays in European countries are built on the basis of a combination of religious and national holidays. In the 20th century, in some countries, holidays of the so-called red cycle were included in this system - all kinds of days of labor and solidarity of workers.

There are three holidays that exist in the calendars of all European countries - New Year, Christmas (often two non-working days) and Easter (Easter itself falls on Sunday, and the non-working days are usually Good Friday and Easter Monday). Religious holidays in rare cases (such as St. Patrick's Day among the Irish) coincide with national holidays, but most often national holidays are related to the most important dates in the history of a particular country or are associated with its monarch.

The least ideological holiday cycle in Great Britain, where there are no national holidays at all, and their place is taken by bank holidays (bank holidays), which do not carry any symbolic load and are scheduled for Mondays in the warm season. Bank holidays fall on the first and last Mondays in May and on the last Monday in August. These additional days off were introduced in 1971 and are mandatory days off in almost all institutions (except the education system). The British Trade Union Confederation TUC is lobbying for three additional bank holidays, one each in June, July and September. The confederation also insists that the weekends be available to all employed in the country - now they do not cover 2.9 million people.

The tradition of not fixing the date of the holiday, but referring it to a certain day of the week (most often Monday) is generally characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon holiday system. So, in the USA, six out of ten days off are assigned not to numbers, but to the days of the week. The US is also one of the countries with a large number of national holidays. And among them there are very marginal ones - like Columbus Day. In addition, in the United States, as in Russia, there are no additional holidays for Easter.

 The Moscow Patriarchate proposes to make the question of whether to turn Orthodox Easter into an official all-Russian holiday the subject of a wide discussion. Indeed, in many secular European cities, Easter and Christmas days are holidays. And we got out with protests "fighters against clericalism", concerned about "the infringement of the rights of citizens who do not profess Christianity." On the other hand, Muslim muftis and Jewish rabbis turned out to be much more sensible and tolerant towards the Orthodox... Archpriest, Head of the Department of the Moscow Patriarchate for Interaction between the Church and Society Vsevolod Chaplin commented on the intention of the legislators of St. Petersburg to apply to the President of the country with a proposal to give Orthodox Easter the status of an All-Russian holiday:
"I think that this topic should be widely discussed in society, trying to understand which part of our society supports this idea, and which does not."

Earlier, the Parliament of St. Petersburg adopted a bill according to which Orthodox Easter became an official city holiday...
Deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg on Wednesday adopted an appeal to the Russian authorities with a request to consider the possibility of giving Easter the status of an all-Russian holiday.
In the appeal, the deputies point out that in many secular states of Europe and the world, the days when Easter and Christmas are celebrated are holidays. "This fact testifies to the recognition of Christian values, which had a significant impact on the formation of the statehood of these countries. At the same time, the rights of non-Christian citizens in these countries are not infringed at all."

In most of the national republics of Russia, national religious holidays are official, in the republics with a Muslim population, Eid al-Adha is celebrated ...
For Russians, Easter "is one of the most beloved holidays," and Russian society needs not artificially created holidays, often adopted from abroad, but long known and recognized by the people. "Russia is a huge country that, after the most difficult trials, has always been reborn, and therefore the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ is especially symbolic for our country." As Father Vsevolod noted, "it is known that in most European countries Easter is associated with a day off." "Of course, Easter is always Sunday, but in a number of countries the holiday is either Good Friday or the Monday following Easter. If Easter becomes a public holiday, then either the previous Friday or the Monday following may become a holiday."

But there are opponents of this point of view.
Deputy Head of the analytical center "Sova" Galina Kozhevnikova .: “In our country the church is separated from the state, and making any religious holiday a state holiday means calling into question the principle of secularism in our country.”
Preferences for Christian holidays may offend representatives of other religions, says the head of the historical, educational and human rights society "Memorial" Arseniy Roginsky : "This will not contribute to their unification and consolidation", but to division, contradictions and mutual irritation.
Head of the Moscow Helsinki Group Lyudmila Alekseev a : "It's not even about offending other confessions, but about our Constitution, according to which we should not have preferences for any religion." She called the St. Petersburg deputies "ignorant" who do not know what is written in the Basic Law of the country, and added that "every person is free to choose which religious holidays to celebrate"...

According to Vice Speaker of the Federation Council Yuri Vorobyov, giving Easter the status of a public holiday could cause tension and controversy in Russia, which is a multi-confessional and multi-ethnic state. Petersburg deputies came up with the initiative to introduce a new holiday.
The deputy head of the committee on legal and judicial issues, Mikhail Kapura, called the proposal of the St. Petersburg legislators "absolutely harmful and ill-conceived." At the same time, he stressed that Islam is the second most important religion in our country. “What Orthodox public holidays can we talk about in these conditions?” - said the senator.

Interestingly, Muslims themselves are not at all against the emergence of a new day off. “The Orthodox make up the majority in our country and have every right to celebrate Easter at the federal level,” said the first deputy chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of the European part of Russia on Wednesday. Damir Gizatullin . “We would love to rest one more day, especially closer to May, this would not interfere with Russia.” At the same time, he recalled that in a number of Russian regions populated predominantly by Muslims, the main Islamic holidays - Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Adha - are non-working.

Head of the Press Service of the Council of Muftis of Russia Gulnur Gazieva noted that “Muslims have great respect for the faith of Orthodox Christians” and “welcome such a good undertaking as the recognition of the main Orthodox holiday as a national holiday.” However, according to her, it is also necessary to "take into account the interests and rights of believing Muslims" and make for them "if not public holidays, then at least official days off" two days a year - on Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Adha. “According to the laws of Islam, believing Muslims must attend the holiday prayer these days. Now they are forced to take time off or simply take time off from work. But if this were reflected in the legislation as additional days off, we would consider it as attention to the needs of Muslims who are full citizens on the territory of Russia, and not guests.”

But the Russian Jews did not ask for anything for themselves. Press Secretary of the Chief Rabbi of Russia Andrey Glotse R : "It would be rather strange if representatives of Judaism began to demand from the state that Jewish holidays be celebrated." “It is also strange to demand from many atheist Russian citizens that they must celebrate Orthodox Easter,” he said. Mr. Glotser is perplexed, “they want to make this holiday even more all-Russian,” because “and so the president always comes out with congratulations, and organizes some kind of celebrations, festivities.” “But our official position is that there is nothing wrong with giving people another day off. I don’t think that representatives of our confession will be offended by this.”

In general, it is simply illogical to oppose the celebration of Easter at the state level, given that Christmas has been celebrated for several years ...
There was a story a long time ago when students read an announcement on the doors of the classroom: "The exam in scientific atheism is postponed from January 7 to January 14 in connection with Christmas";)

Then what's the point of protesting Easter?

It is interesting to note how much calmer and more sensible are the representatives of such denominations as Islam and Judaism regarding the idea of ​​making Easter a public holiday.
But the pseudo-intelligent fighters against clericalism are enchantingly sausage and stomped. You definitely want to show them your hatred for the “fofudya” ... In the end, if you don’t feel like celebrating, don’t celebrate, but take it and work extra, what’s the problem?

Public holidays are holidays officially established by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation. Some public holidays are contained in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation and are non-working days. The other part of the holidays is working, but nevertheless, various festive events of an entertaining nature are officially held these days.

Official holidays in Russia, including public holidays, are enshrined in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. So, in article 112. of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation non-working holidays are listed, which include:
January 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 - New Year and New Year holidays;
January 7 - Christmas;
February 23 - Defender of the Fatherland Day;
March 8 - International Women's Day;
May 1 - Spring and Labor Day;
May 9 - Victory Day;
June 12 - Day of Russia;
November 4 - National Unity Day.

Public holidays in Russia - a brief description.

January 15 -

Peter I, referring to the inconvenience in relations with the European peoples, issued a decree to celebrate the New Year from the day of the Nativity of the God-man, i.e. January 1 instead of September 1. It was forbidden to celebrate the New Year on September 1st.
In our time, this date is enshrined in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation (Labor Code of the Russian Federation) dated December 30, 2001 N 197-FZ, as amended. Federal Law of December 29, 2004 N 201-FZ. New Year holidays last from 1 to 5 January.
New Year is one of the most solemn and beloved by all holidays. The main attribute of this wonderful winter holiday is considered to be a New Year tree, usually installed at home, as well as in places of festivities. Speaking about the attributes and features of the New Year, one cannot help but recall such a fabulous character of primordially Russian folk art as Santa Claus. The New Year's address of the head of state a few minutes before the new year has also become traditional. A common fun on New Year's Eve is the use of various pyrotechnics: sparklers, firecrackers, Roman candles, rockets and various firecrackers.

Jan. 7 -

Christmas is rightfully considered one of the most important Orthodox holidays. This solemn day is dedicated to a great event for believers, the birth of Jesus Christ. In terms of significance for the church, this most holy holiday is immediately after another bright holiday - Easter. On the night of Christmas, solemn services are held in the temples. One of the main symbols of the Nativity of Christ is the Christmas tree. Despite the fact that Christmas is a purely religious holiday, this holiday is firmly entrenched in the minds of people as a pleasant day that can be spent in a warm family atmosphere. At Christmas, as well as at New Year, it is customary to give gifts to relatives and friends.

February 23 -

Existed in the days of the USSR.

On February 10, 1995, the State Duma of Russia adopted the federal law "On the Days of Russia's Military Glory". In it, this day is named as follows: "February 23 - Day of the victory of the Red Army over the Kaiser troops of Germany in 1918 - Defender of the Fatherland Day."
Previously, this wonderful holiday was called the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy. In addition to changing the name, the holiday has undergone a change in content. Despite the fact that officially this is the day of all defenders of the Fatherland, both male and female, today, Defender of the Fatherland Day is increasingly perceived as the day of all men, being a kind of analogue of March 8 for men.

March 8 -

For the first time, "international" women's day was celebrated in 1911 in four countries - Austria, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland, but on different days. In Russia, International Women's Day was first celebrated in 1913, but only in one city, and in 1914 - throughout the country.
1975 was declared by the United Nations the "International Year of Women", and on March 8, at the suggestion of the USSR delegation, by decision of the same UN, it received the official status of "International Women's Day".
International Day of All Women, celebrated in many countries as the day of women's struggle for their rights. Historically, this holiday was the result of a number of marches and strikes of the beautiful half of humanity against discrimination at work, for a reduction in the working day, for an increase in wages. Due to the fact that today the need for the struggle of women for their rights has practically disappeared, March 8 has become a solemn holiday dedicated to all women. On this wonderful day, it is customary to congratulate and give gifts to absolutely all women: mothers, grandmothers, wives, beloved ladies of the heart and simply wonderful work colleagues.

The 1 of May -

For the first time on the territory of the Russian Empire, he appeared in 1890-1891. The original name is International Workers' Day. In the Soviet Union, the holiday was often called simply by the number - May 1 (May Day).
A holiday formerly known as International Workers' Day. Almost immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the holiday was renamed the Spring and Labor Day. Along with the name change, the general perception of this day has also changed. Once the main day when one could express one's concern over a number of social and political problems, it has become more and more perceived as a glorious warm spring holiday at the beginning of the last month of spring, when you can relax with your family at home or in the country.

9th May -

Victory Day is a holy holiday for each of us, which has been celebrated since 1945.

At the same time, a solemn and bitter celebration of the victory of Soviet troops over the invader in the Great Patriotic War. On this significant day, it is customary to congratulate veterans and celebrate the merits of the Soviet people, who took upon themselves all the hardships of wartime for the future of their Motherland. On May 9, meetings of veterans are traditionally held, a parade of troops and military equipment is held, flowers are laid at the places of Military Glory. The importance and solemnity of this day is emphasized by the festive fireworks roaring in many Russian cities. On Victory Day, people sincerely rejoice at the victory in this difficult war and honor the masculinity and extraordinary stamina of the Soviet people.
It is on May 9 that we especially strongly feel our responsibility for preserving the true history of our country, we feel pride in our long-suffering people and we want to believe that the horrors of the war will not happen again.

12 June -

Russia Day or Independence Day of Russia, as this holiday was called until 2002, is one of the “youngest” public holidays in the country.
In 1994, the first President of Russia Boris Yeltsin, by his decree, gave this day a national significance - the Day of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Russia. And since 2002 - June 12 is celebrated as the "Day of Russia".

Celebrated since 2005.

This is not a new holiday, but a return to the old holiday after a long break (from 1917 to 2005).
The alleged reason for the approval of the holiday was the cancellation of the Day of the Great October Socialist Revolution. November 7 was replaced by National Unity Day, which is celebrated on November 4 and is officially a non-working holiday. On December 16, 2004, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted simultaneously in three readings amendments to the federal law "On the Days of Military Glory (Victory Days of Russia)". One of the changes was the introduction of a new holiday - National Unity Day. There was an actual transfer of the state holiday from November 7 (was the Day of Accord and Reconciliation) to November 4 (Became - the Day of National Unity).

The biggest holiday of Christians is undoubtedly Easter (Holy Resurrection of Christ), which, along with Christmas, is one of the most important - "twelfth" - holidays of Orthodoxy. “Celebration of holidays” and “triumph of celebrations” - this is how the people call it. This year, Easter is quite early and falls on April 8th.

Even among people who are far from religion, Easter is associated with a solemn service, procession and Easter cakes, as well as colored eggs and bell ringing. Volzhsky.ru decided to understand the true meaning of the holiday and prepared a special material about the history and traditions of Easter, about why it falls on different days every year, what you should and should not do on this day, as well as other related Orthodox holidays - Palm Sunday and Annunciation.

Easter: where did the holiday come from?

The roots of the word "Passover" go back to the history of the liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. The holiday originated long before the birth of Christ, but even then its significance was great for the Jewish people. In the Old Testament, it serves as a reminder of how the Almighty bypassed Jewish homes during the last of the “Egyptian plagues”, when the firstborn of all Egyptians died: in Hebrew, “pesah”, or “pasah” literally means “passed”, “passed by” .

Later, among Christians, the holiday acquired a slightly different interpretation: the transition from death to life, from earth to heaven. In this sense, Easter is strongly associated with the biblical resurrection of Christ, whose crucifixion took place after the Jewish Passover, on Friday, subsequently called "passionate." This event complements the meaning of the holiday with new meaning, traditions and attributes. In other words, the word "Easter" still means both the Old Testament and New Testament holidays.

Why does Easter always fall on different days?

Easter is the main moving holiday of the church calendar. This means that it does not have a specific date, and each year is calculated according to the lunar calendar. So, since ancient times, the first Sunday after the full moon on the day of the vernal equinox or immediately after it was chosen for the holiday. Thus, Easter can fall on any day between April 4 and May 8. By the way, it is from the date of Easter that all other passing holidays are calculated - Palm Sunday, the Ascension of the Lord, the Feast of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost).

This year, Easter is celebrated on April 8, as the vernal equinox is March 21, and the first spring full moon fell on March 31, 2018.

In accordance with the date of Easter, the beginning of the 40-day Great Lent this year fell on February 19, and ended on April 7, which coincided with the feast of the Annunciation. This holiday marks the day when the Virgin Mary received the good news: the Archangel Gabriel informed her of the immaculate conception and the birth of the Divine Infant Christ.

Great Lent: what is possible, what is not?

40 days before Easter, Orthodox believers begin to fast: the first day of fasting begins after Maslenitsa and Forgiveness Sunday. At the same time, the strictest two weeks of fasting are the first, when believers are just starting the path to repentance, and the last, when the purification of the soul is completed. On these days, believers do not eat animal products, and, in general, refrain from heavy meals. On some days of fasting, you can’t eat hot food and add vegetable oil to it, but on others, for example, fish and even red wine are allowed. Exceptions and indulgences, according to church canons, are made for the elderly, children, pregnant women, the sick and travelers.

On the Internet, there is a lot of information about the lenten menu and ways to observe church canons at the table these days. Let us note, however, that from year to year the “fathers of the church” tirelessly repeat: it is much more important during this period to observe a spiritual fast. That is, to refrain from bad deeds, words, thoughts, quarrels, despondency and other sins. Lent is a time of purification and internal perfection of the Orthodox, as well as approaching the understanding of faith and God.

Palm Sunday: How is it related to Easter?

Palm Sunday marks the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem and is celebrated exactly one week before the celebration of Easter. On this day, the disciples of Jesus and believers accepted him as the Savior and Messiah, welcoming and recognizing him as a type of God. Clothes were laid before him, expecting blessings and salvation from worldly suffering. Also, believers walked in a solemn procession with palm branches in their hands. However, in Rus' the climate was cold, and palm trees did not grow, therefore, over time, they were replaced by willow among the people, on which fluffy earrings bloom at that time. Hence the popular name of the holiday - Palm Sunday.

In Rus', on this day, parishioners prayed during Matins with consecrated willow, and when they came home, they swallowed willow buds to protect themselves from illness and drive away the ailment. Women baked nuts from dough and gave them for health to all households, not excluding animals. The consecrated willow was protected until the first cattle pasture, and then it was stuck under the roof of the house. It was believed that this would keep the cattle intact and help her return home after a walk.

Holy Week: "Week of Suffering"

The entire last week of Lent is called Passion Week, and in translation from the Church Slavonic language means "a week of suffering." Each day has its own special meaning and history. At this time, according to the biblical writings, Christ began his journey to death for all the sins of mankind and the subsequent resurrection. Therefore, during Holy Week, Christians pray intensely, observe the strictest fast, and remember the last days of Christ's earthly life. Holy Week this year will begin on April 2 and end on April 7.

Priests recommend going to church at this time, leaving all worldly affairs. It is the attendance of divine services and spiritual fasting during Holy Week that is much more important than the “table” fast. Also at this time, it is desirable to take communion at least twice: on Maundy Thursday and on Holy Pascha.

Holy Week: strictly by day

Many Orthodox do not have the opportunity to fast all 40 days, but they try to limit themselves in food at least in the last, Holy Week.

So, for example, on Monday, food is taken only 2 times a day, limiting its volume and adhering to dry eating. On this day, you can eat raw, boiled, pickled vegetables, bread, nuts, berries, dried fruits. Food should be cooked without vegetable oil. On Tuesday, you should also stick to a dry diet, but boiled porridge and dried fruit compote are allowed. Great environment: only boiled and fresh vegetables, bread, light soups prepared without vegetable oil and meat. Maundy Thursday suggests a slight indulgence: for example, vegetable oil, hot soups and salads. But Thursday is replaced by a complete refusal to eat on Good Friday, called "Good Friday". For those who cannot completely refuse to eat food, it is recommended to adhere to dry eating. On Holy Saturday, the laity should also adhere to a dry diet or refuse to eat at all before midnight.

Bright Week: how long is Easter celebrated?

Many mistakenly believe that Easter is celebrated for only one day. But, in fact, the celebration of Easter lasts 40 days (it is believed that this is how much the Lord stayed on earth after the resurrection). At this time, believers greet each other with the words "Christ is Risen!" and “Truly Risen!” and praise Christ.

Especially bright and joyful for the Orthodox is the first week after Easter - Easter (Bright) week. In 2018, Bright Week will be held from 9 to 15 April. The church canons say that it is celebrated “as one day”: the night Easter service is completely repeated throughout the week. How widely Easter is celebrated at this time is evidenced by the fact that during the entire Bright Week one cannot arbitrarily impose a fast on oneself - even for those who are preparing for communion. By the way, “orthodox” adherents of Orthodox dogmas consider any work during the entire Easter week to be a great sin.

Easter table

On the day of the Resurrection of Christ, special dishes are put on the table that are prepared only once a year: Easter cake, real curd Easter, painted eggs. At the beginning of the Easter meal, it is customary to eat food consecrated in the temple, and only then all other dishes.

An egg dyed red with onion peel was previously called “krashenka”, a painted one was called “pysanka”, and wooden Easter eggs were called “eggs”. At the same time, from time immemorial, Orthodox eggs have been dyed exactly in red, which marks the atonement of human sins by the blood of Christ. Other colors and patterns with which eggs are painted are not welcomed by strict church canons. For example, thermal stickers with the image of the face of Christ, the Virgin, images of temples and inscriptions, although they are widely represented on store shelves, ultimately go to the trash can, which is unacceptable.

One of the legends that explains the tradition of dyeing eggs for Easter is associated with Mary Magdalene. According to legend, she visited Rome and the emperor Tiberius with a sermon, giving him an ordinary chicken egg. But Tiberius did not believe Mary's story about the Resurrection of Jesus and exclaimed: "It is as incredible as if the egg turned red!" And then, right in front of the emperor's eyes, the egg turned red. Since then, Orthodox Christians have been painting Easter eggs, which symbolize the creation of a miracle.

By the way, many believers who observe Great Lent believe that Easter should be “compensated” with a plentiful feast. The priests say that they are waiting for this day not in order to indulge in sinful excess, but in order to understand why they led a strict lifestyle for all 40 days. Yes, and a sharp transition from abstinence to abundant food is dangerous from a medical point of view.

At the cemetery on Easter: to go or not to go?

Orthodox "fathers of the church" from year to year strongly recommend not to go to the cemetery on Easter.

At the same time, Orthodox priests note that every year fewer people go to the cemetery on Easter Eve. According to the clergy, the tradition of leaving treats in the cemetery is, in a way, a relic of paganism. The ancient Slavs, during the funeral process, poured a large mound and arranged a memorial meal on it. The tradition survived several centuries later, while the treats left on the graves were more often collected by the poor. Today, the church considers this an absolutely normal phenomenon: after all, sweets in the cemetery are left not for the dead, but for the living - for a commemoration. At the same time, eating any mention - just like arranging any feasts - is better at home, and not in a cemetery.

Divine services in Volzhsky

On the night of Bright Sunday, solemn services are held in churches, glorifying the feat of Christ, his martyrdom and subsequent resurrection. Believers go to churches to consecrate the main symbols of the holiday - Easter cake, symbolizing life and painted eggs, symbolizing rebirth, the beginning of a new life.

Festive Easter services will be held in all churches of Volzhsky. Services will begin at 11:00-11:30 on April 7. At the same time, Volga residents will be able to consecrate Easter cakes and eggs both after the Easter service and in advance. The consecration begins in temples on Saturday at 11:00 and continues almost throughout the day.

Easter fairs in Volzhsky

On the eve of the celebration of Easter, from April 5 to April 7, exhibitions and sales of Easter cakes will be organized in the city. Volga residents will be able to buy Easter cakes from local producers at the following official addresses:

• Lenin Ave., 94 (territory in front of the market);
• st. Olomoutskaya, 31a (territory in front of the shopping center);
• st. Mira, 41 (territory in front of the entrance to the clinic);
• st. Mira, 75a (territory in front of the shopping center "Prestige");
• st. Gorky, 25.

Hello dear readers. Easter is one of the most significant dates for every Christian. But not only pious people are waiting for this day. In many countries, Easter is recognized as an official public holiday. As a result, this day has been declared a public holiday. And since every year the celebration falls on different dates, many are interested in the question in advance: Easter 2018 - what date is the Bright Resurrection of Christ? What is the Easter of Christ? The Easter feast is an ancient tradition. It goes back to the times described in the books of the Old Testament. Then the meaning of this celebration was different from the understanding of Easter today. But the semantic content of the holiday has changed more than once. Once upon a time, the celebration of Easter was associated with raising livestock, and a little later - with cultivating the land.

In the times reflected in the Old Testament, the Passover rites were dedicated to an important event in the life of the Jewish people, when they got rid of the Egyptian oppression and left the country. And already at the time of the heyday of Christianity, the celebration began to be associated with the greatest miracle of miracles - the resurrection of the Son of God from the dead.

And if earlier on this day they rejoiced at the liberation of the Jews from the oppression of the Egyptians, now the scope of deliverance has become much wider. Today, all of humanity has received a chance to be cleansed from the burden of earthly sins and the possibility of endless existence.

As you know, this became possible thanks to the greatest sacrifice - Jesus of Nazareth, laid down his life on the altar for the liberation of everyone who has ever lived on the planet.

So Easter took on its usual form, becoming the day of remembrance of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. Remembering the sacrifice of Jesus, Christians carefully prepare for the holiday. You should cleanse yourself both spiritually and bodily, prepare your home and on the appointed day have a bright and solemn mood.

What date is Easter in 2018

Easter 2018 - what date is the Bright Resurrection of Christ? The church calendar claims that this year the holiday falls at the beginning of April, on Sunday 04/08/2018.

It should immediately be noted that this date announces precisely the celebration of Orthodox Easter. In other Christian movements, the celebration falls on other days.

Although the holiday is essentially the same. So, in the Catholic church calendar, the first day of April is designated as Easter. Thus, Catholics will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ a week ahead of us.

As for the Jewish people, they celebrate Easter on a special scale - the celebrations will stretch for more than a week: from Friday evening 03/30/2018 until April 7th inclusive.

So, if you wish, you can have time to celebrate Easter twice (with Catholics and Jews) in anticipation of the designated date for Orthodox Christians.

Holy Resurrection of Christ among the Orthodox

To understand the importance of the holiday date in question for the Orthodox world, it is enough to know that it is called the Feast of Holidays, emphasizing right there that this is the triumph of celebrations.

Christ suffered and died on the cross, and subsequently resurrected and entered in the flesh into the kingdom of heaven. These events, described in detail in the Bible, became the basis of Christian faith in divine forgiveness, the possibility of liberation from earthly sins.

According to these beliefs, the atoning sacrifice of Christ to all true believers opened the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life within it.

Now any of the sinners, subject to certain conditions, can get into the heavenly chambers and have fun there with the angels forever, because Christianity does not support the idea of ​​rebirth and the opportunity to live life again.

The festive church service begins on Saturday evening and lasts all night, until Sunday morning.

Outside the church, parishioners celebrate Easter with consecrated traditional dishes - Easter cake and krashenka. Other dishes are also placed on the table.

Easter days are combined into Bright Week. The next forty days are also considered special. After their expiration, the Feast of the Ascension comes - a date dedicated to the departure (ascension) of the Son of God to heaven, and not in the form of a spirit, but in the flesh.

The date of Easter for Catholics

April 1 is the official date for the celebration of the great Easter by Catholics. Their rituals and traditions of celebration are very similar to ours.

1. The celebration begins on Saturday evening, when the clergy in all Catholic churches begin the festive service. An impressive size candle is lit, which is called Easter. This fire is considered sacred. People try to save it as long as possible by bringing home candles set on fire from it in the temple. Lampadas and other candles in the house are lit from them.

1. The traditional rite is the procession - a solemn detour around the temple, led by festively dressed clergy, who carry various attributes.

- A large cross, thanks to which the procession got its name.

- Banners - church banners with images of the Holy Virgin, Christ, various saints.

- Burnt candles.

- Holy Bible.

The procession is accompanied by the singing of church hymns.

1. The celebration is accompanied by a festive melodious ringing of bells.

1. Eggs painted in various colors have long been one of the main attributes of the Easter festival. But the most traditional is the red tone. The tradition of painting eggs is associated with a biblical story about a man who did not believe in the possibility of resurrection. He did not allow the idea that any miracles were possible at all, and even more so such an incredible event as a return to life after death. When the white egg, which he was clutching in his hand, suddenly turned scarlet, he believed.

1. The central dish of the festive table for Catholics on this day is chicken, turkey or rabbit. Figurines and images of the latter are quite traditional decorations for Easter. There is even a belief that it is the Easter Bunny that brings colored eggs and lays them around the house. This idea is instilled in the children, who gladly begin to search for them.

In different states, some traditions associated with Christ's Resurrection differ significantly. So, for example, some people do not consider it necessary to observe Great Lent at all. By the way, the limited diet during fasting among Catholics is not as strict as among Christians.

Some representatives of Catholicism believe that on Easter one should pay tribute to the memory of deceased relatives and be sure to visit their graves. Representatives of other Catholic movements categorically disagree with them, being sure that on a holiday you only need to have fun and rejoice.

And one more interesting point. On Easter, it is unlikely that you will be able to find a Catholic church where a priest can unite the young in marriage. And only English Catholics consider this date to be the most successful for getting married. Many wedding ceremonies take place on this day in England.

Jewish Easter

The Jews call this holiday Pesach (Pischa, Passover) and celebrate it for 7-8 days. To determine the start date of the festival, the Jewish lunar calendar is used - the holiday falls on the 14th day of the first month of spring, which is called Nisan (corresponds to our March-April).

During the entire festive period, the use of flour products, for the manufacture of which fermentation is used, is prohibited by religious injunction (torah).

Thus, the usual bakery products (leavened or chametz) are completely excluded from the diet, it is undesirable to have them in the house at all. They are replaced by dry unleavened cakes called matzah.

This tradition goes back to the legend that in ancient times the Jews were in such a hurry to leave the Egyptian territory that the bread dough did not have time to ferment. They were forced to hastily bake it in the form of cakes. In memory of this event, each Passover should be accompanied by the eating of such products. Our analogues are unleavened bread.

The beginning and end of the holiday are celebrated with special solemnity. In Israel, these days are days off. The remaining five are public holidays.

Why the feast of the Resurrection of Christ falls on different days

Once upon a time, all Christians celebrated the bright holiday on the same day, based on Jewish tradition and their lunar calendar. But very soon disagreements arose about the "correctness" of this date.

After consulting, the church fathers came to a consensus and began to again conduct Easter rites on the same day. It was determined according to the following scheme: after the first full moon in the spring, they took the next Sunday.

If this date fell on the day of the equinox (21.03 according to the current calendar) or before it, then Easter was transferred to the next Sunday.

Alexandrian and Gregorian Paschalia

Paschalia is a specific way of calculating the day on which Easter will be celebrated. After the new Gregorian calendar style was introduced, Orthodox Christians, unlike Catholics, continued to refer to the old church calendar.

Since the end of the 16th century, the Catholic Church has adhered to the Gregorian Paschal, based on which the day of the spring equinox falls on March 21 (according to the new style).

Well, many Orthodox churchmen conduct their calculations based on the fact that the equinox in the spring falls on the same date, but according to the Julian (old) calendar. This corresponds to 8.03 according to modern time.

In this regard, there are different intervals between Orthodox and Catholic Easter. Sometimes dates diverge by a week, and sometimes by a couple of days.

Often these holidays coincide, as, for example, it was in 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2017. The next time the days of the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ will coincide with us only in 2025.

Preparation for the holiday

Easter is a special holiday, and therefore it requires very careful preparation.

1. In the Orthodox tradition, the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ is preceded by a very strict Great Lent (Fourteen). During this period, a person must be cleansed both physically and spiritually. 40 days of abstinence in food correlate with the same duration of wandering and fasting of Jesus in the wilderness. The purpose of fasting is to purify and come to repentance.

1. Home cleaning. Preparation for Easter includes cleaning, often full-scale. You can start it ahead of time. But many housewives try to do it on Maundy Thursday, taking its name literally.

1. Easter cakes and egg coloring. It is believed that it is better to do this on Maundy Thursday, but you can postpone these classes until Saturday.

Housewives consider it a bad omen to bake on Friday - the dough will not rise and Easter cakes will be heavy and tasteless.

Easter traditions

Traditions include:

- to christen - to answer "Truly risen!" to the greeting "Christ is Risen!" and three kisses on the cheeks;

- treat or exchange krashenki;

- Organize a festive family lunch or dinner.

Descent of the blessed fire

The Holy Fire is taken out of the Lord's tomb during a festive church service in the Church of Christ's Resurrection (Jerusalem). It is a symbol of the resurrection of the Savior. According to the clergy, the fire flares up spontaneously.

The parishioners light their candles from the flames. Also, this blessed fire is distributed to many churches located in various countries of the world.

bell ringing

The ringing of bells on a festive day is of no small importance. He announces that a service is going on in the temple, reminds people of the greatest event that once happened. The sounds of the bell fill the hearts of believers with reverence.

They create a festive mood. An impression is formed of the importance and magnitude of what is happening.

Easter service and consecration of Easter dishes

The festivities begin in churches with an all-night service. But rituals are held not only within their walls.

They also go around the church in the procession in the direction against the movement of the sun across the sky. The ceremony is accompanied by chants.

The consecration of festive dishes is carried out the next morning in several visits to satisfy the requests of all comers.

Treats and meals

After visiting the church, the household is offered to treat themselves to eggs consecrated there and paska. After that, you can sit down at the festive table.

Lent is over, so you can enjoy a variety of meat and high-calorie dishes.

Traditional dishes for the Easter table

Traditionally, the Easter table consists of Easter cakes, colored eggs, Easter cottage cheese, meat dishes, vegetables and fruits.

1. Easter cakes also coexist with other rich pastries - poppy seed rolls, rolls, pies.

1. Chicken eggs. They are painted, painted, decorated with stickers.

1. Easter from cottage cheese is given a special pyramidal shape, without a top. This dish acts as a symbol of the Holy Sepulcher.

1. Meat dishes - poultry, chops, jelly, etc.

"Fights" with colored eggs

Easter, like any holiday, is accompanied by entertainment. Since ancient times, "egg fights" have become a traditional fun for both children and adults, when rivals hit each other with decorated eggs, finding out who has stronger eggs. The winner was the one whose shell did not crack. He took both eggs for himself.

What not to do on Easter

Based on the fact that the Resurrection of Christ is the main celebration in the Christian world, on this day one cannot be sad, enter into conflicts, and remember past grievances.

All important matters and hard work should be put aside. On this day, they also do not visit the graves of deceased relatives, so as not to darken the bright day. Also, most peoples do not get married or get married on Easter.