Easter is the most important and sacred day in the Orthodox calendar. The believers gathered to celebrate the greatest event in the history of the Christian faith. Christian celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the full moon of the church that takes place on or after March 21.
The Orthodox Easter season includes several celebrations, which are movable feasts to commemorate the resurrection from the dead after the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ.
Remember that the resurrection of Jesus is a way to regenerate our daily hope of victory over sin. According to the New Testament, Easter is three days after Jesus died on the cross.
What is the Significance of Orthodox Easter Sunday?
Western Christianity (Roman Catholicism, Episcopal Church, Protestant Church, etc.) all obey this date. Orthodox Easter Sunday is usually later than the Easter date. Therefore, many American Orthodox Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.
How are the celebrations carried out for the Orthodox Easter?
Among Orthodox Christians, the Easter season begins with the Lent, which includes 40 days of introspection and fasting (40 days including Sunday). The holiday season starts on Clean Monday and ends on Saturday in Lazarus.
“Clean Monday” comes seven weeks before Easter Sunday. The term is used to denote sinful attitudes that occur in the hearts of believers throughout Lent. Lazarus Saturday (Lazarus Saturday) came to an end eight days before Easter Sunday, marking the end of Lent.
The day after Lazarus Saturday is the celebration of Palm Sunday. This holiday is a week before Easter. Palm Sunday commemorates the triumph of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday ushers in Holy Week and ends on Easter Sunday or Pascha.
Celebrators of Easter fast throughout Holy Week. Many Orthodox churches adhere to Paschal Vigil, which ends before midnight on the last day of Holy Week on Easter Eve, Holy Saturday (also known as the Great Saturday).
Holy Saturday is to commemorate the placement of the body of Jesus Christ in the tomb. The vigil usually starts with a candlelight parade outside the church. When believers march into the church, the tinkling bell marks the beginning of Easter morning prayer.
Immediately after the vigil, Easter service starts with Paschal Matins, Paschal Hours, and Paschal Divine Liturgy. Passions Matins may include early morning prayer services or overnight vigils.
Passover time is a short chanting service that reflects the joy of Easter. Paschal Divine Liturgy is Holy Communion or Holy Communion service.
These solemn celebrations of the resurrection of Jesus Christ are considered the most sacred and important service of the Orthodox Christian Annual Church. After the sacrament, the fast ends and the Easter feast begins.
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How do Christians greet Easter to each other in Orthodox traditions?
In the Orthodox tradition, believers greet each other in Easter with the following words: “Christ is risen!” (“Christos Anesti!”). The traditional answer is: “He is indeed resurrected!” (“Alithos Anesti!”). This greeting echoes the angel’s words. These women found the tomb of Jesus Christ empties on the first morning of Easter:
“The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead.’ ” (Matthew 28:5–7, NIV)”
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History of Easter
The earliest Christians celebrated the resurrection on the 14th of Nisan, the Jewish Passover (our March to April). The Jewish days counted from night to night, so Jesus celebrated his last supper on the night of Passover and was crucified on the day of Passover.
Early Christians celebrating Passover worshiped Jesus as the Passover Lamb and Redeemer.
Since Jesus rose on Sunday, some Gentile Christians began celebrating Easter on the most recent Sunday of Passover. This is especially true in the western part of the Roman Empire. In Rome itself, different churches celebrate Easter on different days!
Many people believe that the date should continue to be based on the time of resurrection during the Passover.
Once the Jewish leaders have determined the date of the Passover, Christian leaders can determine the date of Easter by determining three days after the Passover. Following this schedule means that Easter will occur on another day of the week every year, only occasionally on Sunday.
Others believe that since the rise of the Lord’s Day on Sunday, this day is designated as the Lord’s Day, which is the only possible day to celebrate His resurrection.
As Christianity gradually moved away from Judaism, some people were reluctant to use Christian celebrations as the basis of the Jewish calendar. Constantine wanted Christianity and Judaism to be completely separate and did not want to celebrate Easter on the Jewish Passover.
Therefore, the Council of Nicaea requested that the feast of the resurrection be celebrated on Sunday, not on the Jewish Passover. Easter is the Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
Since the date of the vernal equinox changes every year, it is difficult to calculate the correct date. This is still the way to determine Easter today, which is why we have Easter earlier in some years than others.
What is the Significance of Easter?
The origin of the word Easter is uncertain. Eighth-century monks and scholars, the distinguished Bede suggested that the word might come from the Anglo-Saxon Eastre or Eastre, the Teutonic spring and fertile goddess.
Recent scholars cannot find any reference to the mentioned Bede goddess, nor have they considered the theory of being discredited.
Another possibility is the Nordic eostur, eastur or Ostara, which means “season of the sun rising” or “season of the newborn”. The word east comes from the same root. In this case, Easter will be associated with changes in the season.
The most recent and more complex explanation comes from the Christian background of Easter, not from heretics. The early Latin name of Easter Week is hebdomada alba or “white week”, and the Sunday after Easter is called Dominique in the white robe of the newly washed people in the white bis.
The word alba in Latin means both white and dawn. Old German-speaking people made a mistake in the translation. Dawn used the plural word ostarun, and white used the plural. From ostarun, we can get German Ostern and British Easter.
What is the Orthodox Easter Calendar?
| Year | Day and Date |
| 2020 | Sunday, April 19 |
| 2021 | Sunday, May 02 |
| 2022 | Sunday, April 24 |
| 2023 | Sunday, April 16 |
| 2024 | Sunday, May 05 |
| 2025 | Sunday, April 20 |
| 2026 | Sunday, April 12 |
| 2027 | Sunday, May 02 |
| 2028 | Sunday, April 16 |
| 2029 | Sunday, April 06 |
What was the Orthodox Calendar dates for Easter 2009-2019? (Orthodox Easter)
| Year | Day and Date |
| 2019 | Sunday, April 28 |
| 2018 | Sunday, April 08 |
| 2017 | Sunday, April 16 |
| 2016 | Sunday, May 01 |
| 2015 | Sunday, April 12 |
| 2014 | Sunday, April 20 |
| 2013 | Sunday, May 05 |
| 2012 | Sunday, April 15 |
| 2011 | Sunday, April 24 |
| 2010 | Sunday, April 04 |
| 2009 | Sunday, April 19 |
Conclusion
Easter is the celebration of the resurrection from the grave on the third day after Jesus was crucified. Easter is the fulfilled prophecy of the Messiah. He will be persecuted, die for our sins, and be resurrected on the third day.
The fasting period after Easter is called Lent, during which many churches have set aside time to repent and commemorate. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Good Friday, the day of Good Friday. Pope Gregory, I used Israel, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus to establish 40 days in the 40-day model of the wilderness.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
What’s the difference between Easter and Orthodox Easter?
Many Orthodox churches base their Easter date on the Julian calendar, which often differs from the Gregorian calendar that is used by many western countries. Therefore the Orthodox Easter period often occurs later than the Easter period that falls around the time of the March equinox.
Are Catholic and Orthodox the same?
No, Catholic and orthodox aren’t the same as The Catholic Church believes the pope to be infallible in matters of doctrine. Orthodox believers reject the infallibility of the pope and consider their patriarchs, too, as human and thus subject to error. In this way, they are similar to Protestants, who also reject any notion of papal primacy
What are Orthodox Christianity beliefs?
Essentially the Orthodox Church shares much with the other Christian Churches in the belief that God revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and a belief in the incarnation of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection. The Orthodox Church differs substantially in the way of life and worship.
What is Greek Orthodox Easter called?
Many Orthodox Christians in the United States celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday. The Orthodox Christian date for Easter Sunday often occurs at a later date than the Easter date observed by many western churches. The day is also known as Pascha, Easter, and Easter Day.
What does Orthodox eat on Easter?
The feast has regional brushstrokes, but in general, everyone enjoys red-dyed eggs and mageiritsa, a soup of organ meats, lettuce, dill, scallions, and egg-lemon liaison, right after midnight on Saturday. This is the meal that breaks the fast. On Easter Sunday, lamb or goat is the meat of choice.