Catholic Easter: traditions, interesting facts, how they celebrate. How Catholics Celebrate Easter What the Rabbit Means for Easter

The Holy Resurrection of Christ or Easter is one of the most revered and oldest church holidays. Easter does not have an exact celebration date - it is calculated annually according to a special church calendar and falls in the spring.

In 2019, Orthodox Easter will be celebrated on April 28, and Catholic Easter on April 21.

Usually Orthodox and Catholics celebrate the Holy Resurrection of Christ at different times. The last time Easter was celebrated by Catholics and Orthodox Christians was in 2017.

Story

Easter is the first Christian holiday not only in meaning, but also in time. The disciples of Jesus celebrated it from the very moment of this greatest event and commanded it to all believers.

The word "Passover" comes from the Hebrew "passover" and means "passing, deliverance." The Old Testament Passover (Passover) was celebrated in memory of how the Lord led the Israeli people out of Egyptian slavery.

© photo: Sputnik / Valery Shustov

Pharaoh did not want to let these people leave his country. After Pharaoh’s next refusal, God warned that if his persistence continued, then the first-born, that is, the eldest son, would die in every Egyptian family.

According to the Bible, according to God's command, the fathers of families anointed the doorposts in Jewish homes with the blood of a sacrificial lamb, and the destroying angel passed by their houses without harming them.

The next day Israel left Egypt. The sacrificial lamb was baked and eaten by the whole family before a long journey in every Jewish home. This was what Easter was all about. And subsequently, from year to year, until Golgotha, on the eve of Easter, the Passover lamb was slaughtered.

© photo: Sputnik / Vitaly Belousov

The lamb symbolized the Son of God - Christ, who one day, just as innocently as the lamb, will die for the sins of people on the Cross. But after the Calvary sacrifice of Christ, this holiday, according to the Bible, was abolished, “for our Easter, Christ, was sacrificed for us.” This is how the Apostle Paul explains Easter in the New Testament.

Date difference

At first, all Christians celebrated Easter according to the Jewish calendar. The holiday began on the 14th of the month Nisan - the first month of the year in the Jewish calendar, which corresponds to March - April according to the Gregorian (modern) calendar.

But, already from the 2nd century, the date of the celebration of Christian Easter was moved to another day that did not coincide with the Easter of the Jews. The date of the celebration was moved on the initiative of Bishop Sixtus, who headed the Roman Church from 116 to 126.

The new date for Christian Easter caused disagreements within the Church, which continued between bishops using different "paschalia" (a system for calculating the date of Easter) until the Council of Nicea, convened by Emperor Constantine in 325.

© photo: Sputnik / Nataliya Seliverstova

At the First Ecumenical Council, a general rule was adopted - Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring full moon, but not earlier than the spring equinox (March 21).

The difference in determining the date of celebration between Catholics and Orthodox Christians arose after the Roman Catholic Church carried out a calendar reform in 1582 and adopted new rules for calculating Paschal, which were not recognized by the Orthodox Church.

Pope Gregory introduced a new, Gregorian calendar (new style), and the Orthodox Church continued to celebrate church holidays in the old way - the Julian calendar.

Because of the 13-day difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars this century, Catholic and Orthodox calculations of the date result in different dates for Easter in different years. Sometimes it is one week, sometimes several, and sometimes these dates coincide.

Similarities and differences

The Easter holiday is preceded by Lent - a time of spiritual and physical preparation for the “triumph of triumphs” - the Bright Resurrection of Christ.

Lent was established back in apostolic times. Initially, the fast lasted from 24 to 40 hours, during which Christians completely abstained from food. At the beginning of the 5th century, all local Churches came to the idea of ​​a 40-day Great Lent, like the tithe of the year.

Despite the general meaning, Orthodox Lent is very different from the pre-Easter fast of Western Christians.

The Orthodox one is longer and stricter - it consists of two parts - Holy Pentecost and Holy Week and lasts a total of seven weeks. Especially the last one - Holy Week, which is dedicated to memories of the last days of earthly life, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

Fasting for Catholics lasts 45 calendar days - the fasting time is 6 weeks (excluding Sundays) and 4 days. In 2019, the Orthodox fast begins on March 11, Clean Monday, and the Catholic fast begins on Ash Wednesday, March 6.

Catholic fasting differs from Orthodox fasting not only in duration, but also in traditions. Refusal of certain foods and physical cleansing is one of the important components of Lent.

Orthodox Christians who do not have health problems should first of all give up any food of animal origin during the period of fasting. It includes all varieties of meat and poultry, eggs, animal fats, dairy products, as well as everything that contains elements of these products.

© photo: Sputnik / Vladimir Fedorenko

On these days it is also forbidden to eat fish, with the exception of two days. The main foods that can be taken during fasting are cereals, fruits, vegetables, dried fruits and all other products of plant origin.

According to Orthodox church canons, a Lenten menu must be drawn up according to the following principles: Monday, Wednesday, Friday - dry eating, that is, it is allowed to eat bread, fruits, vegetables; Tuesday, Thursday - you can eat hot food of plant origin without oil; Saturday, Sunday (except for the final week of fasting) - food of plant origin with vegetable oil is allowed.

Alena Savelyeva

Painting by Niko Pirosmani "Easter"

The Catholic Church requires strict fasting only on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. These days you cannot eat meat and dairy products. On other days of fasting, it is forbidden to eat meat, but dairy products and eggs are allowed. This “softening” of fasts among Catholics came into force after the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).

Fasting is not only abstinence from food, it is grief, repentance and renunciation of all pleasures. And this is much more than simply not eating enough. Any clergyman, whether Catholic or Orthodox, will tell you this.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

There is no exact date for the celebration of Easter - it is calculated annually according to a special church calendar and falls in the spring.

After a large-scale calendar reform in the 16th century, Catholic and Orthodox Easter began to be celebrated at different times. In 2019, Catholic Easter is celebrated on April 21, and Orthodox Easter on April 28.

Sometimes the difference is one week, sometimes several, and sometimes these dates coincide. The celebration of Easter coincided for the last time in 2017, the next time it coincides in 2025.

Catholic Easter

Catholic traditions of celebrating Easter are somewhat different from Orthodox ones, despite this, for all believers the essence of the holiday remains unchanged - the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Catholic Easter is also preceded by Lent, established in apostolic times.

Orthodox Lent, despite its general meaning, is very different from the fast of Western Christians - it is more strict and longer, lasting a total of seven weeks.

Western Christians fast for six weeks (excluding Sundays) and four days. In 2019, Western Christians begin fasting on March 6—Ash Wednesday.

Catholic fasting is distinguished not only by its duration, but also by its traditions.

Orthodox Christians, during the period of fasting, refuse any food of animal origin - this includes all types of meat and poultry, eggs, animal fats, dairy products, as well as everything that contains elements of these products. On these days it is also forbidden to eat fish, with the exception of one day - Palm Sunday.

The Catholic Church requires strict fasting only on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. On these days, you cannot eat meat and dairy products; on other days of fasting, you are prohibited from eating meat, but dairy products are allowed.

Traditions of Catholic Easter

Church celebrations begin on Holy Saturday - fire and water are blessed in Catholic churches and Easter services are held. At the end of the service there is a religious procession with prayers and songs.

Before the start of the Easter Eve, Paschal is lit - a special candle-torch, the blessed fire of which is a symbol of the light of God. After the consecration of the Easter candle, the fire of which is distributed to all Christians, there follows the singing of the hymn Exultet (Let him rejoice), the reading of 12 prophecies and the consecration of baptismal water.

According to tradition, the fire is carried home and Easter candles and lamps are lit. People consider the wax of the Easter candle to be miraculous, protecting against evil forces. Easter water is also credited with extraordinary properties, which is why it is sprinkled at home, added to food or water, and used to wash the face.

On Holy Saturday evening, all Catholic churches serve an all-night vigil.

On the festive night, baptism rites for adults are held in Catholic churches - becoming a Christian on Easter Eve is considered especially honorable. On Sunday, solemn services are held in churches in the morning, religious processions are held and bells are rung, announcing the onset of the holiday and the resurrection of Christ.

Customs and traditions of Western Christians

The main symbol of Catholic Easter, like Orthodox Easter, is a painted chicken egg. Easter eggs symbolically represent the resurrection, as from them a new being is born, and the tradition of giving them at Easter dates back to the time of Emperor Tiberius.

© Sputnik / Alexander Imedashvili

According to legend, Mary Magdalene, who believed in the resurrection of Christ, went to Emperor Tiberius to report the manifestation of a divine miracle and gave him an egg as a symbol of rebirth. The unbelieving ruler exclaimed that this was as incredible as if the egg turned red. After his words, the egg turned red.

The custom of dyeing eggs is widespread everywhere. Western European Catholics, by tradition, prefer red eggs without ornament; in Central Europe, eggs are painted using a variety of techniques.

According to tradition, on Easter Sunday morning after the service, youth and children go around the houses with songs and congratulations. The most popular Easter entertainment is playing with colored eggs. In particular, eggs are rolled down an inclined plane, thrown at each other, broken, scattering the shells, and so on. Relatives and friends exchange colored eggs - godparents give them in exchange for palm branches to their godchildren.

But in recent years, the West has increasingly preferred chocolate eggs or Easter egg souvenirs over real ones. When congratulating Easter, Western Christians usually give each other Easter baskets filled with eggs, candies and other sweets, which are blessed in church the day before.

The Easter egg bunny has become a popular Easter character in many European countries. According to legend, the pagan goddess of spring, Estra, turned a bird into a hare, but it continued to lay eggs. Therefore, Western Christians give each other a rabbit, which comes only to kind and good people who do not offend children and animals.

In Belgium, children are traditionally sent to the garden where they find chocolate eggs under the Easter chicken. And in France there is a belief that church bells fly to Rome for Holy Week, and when returning they leave sugar and chocolate eggs, as well as rabbits, hens and chocolate chicks in the gardens for children.

At Easter, according to tradition, in Italy they bake “doves”, in England they bake Easter hot cross buns, which must be cut with a cross on top before baking. On Easter morning in Poland they eat okroshka, which is poured with water and vinegar - a symbol of Christ's Passion on the Cross.

In Portugal, on Easter, a priest spends the entire day walking through the sparkling clean homes of parishioners, spreading Easter blessings, and is treated to chocolate eggs, blue and pink jelly beans, cookies and a glass of real port.

Housewives all over Europe place colorful eggs, toy chickens, and chocolate bunnies in wicker baskets on young grass. These baskets, according to tradition, remain on the table by the door throughout Easter week.

The material was prepared based on open sources

Catholic Easter, like Easter, is celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, so quite often it falls on a different day than Orthodox Christians celebrate this holiday. In 2015, Catholics will remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ on April 5th.

Easter is the central Christian holiday, equally honored by all churches. Like the Orthodox, Catholics adhere to the 40-day period of Lent and break their fast only on Easter morning.
The holiday begins with attending a divine service. Even at night, believers gather in churches to praise Jesus and his miraculous resurrection.

The main symbol of the holiday is considered to be fire, which personifies divine light. Therefore, large bonfires are lit in the courtyards of Catholic churches, and Easter candles are lit inside, from which fire is distributed to all parishioners. Candles lit from Easter are necessarily carried home - it is believed that their warmth and light cleanse the house and bring grace into it.

In general, different countries have their own national traditions of celebrating Easter, which, however, in any case are based on a religious component. For example, in Spain and Italy, costumed processions are held on this day, in which both ordinary townspeople and representatives of the clergy and monasticism take part.

People carry candles and crosses, images of saints and entire sculptural compositions, and during the course of the action they act out entire performances, depicting scenes from the life of Christ and his entourage. Each city has its own traditions of holding the Easter procession, but everywhere this event is citywide.

Catholics also love Easter fairs, where all kinds of sweets and decorative items are sold. Here you can also buy colorfully painted eggs - the main symbol of the holiday.

Fairs are brightly decorated with various compositions symbolizing renewal and joy. All kinds of entertainment events take place here: exhibitions, theatrical performances, fun programs for children. The most famous Easter fairs are organized in Vienna and Prague - these cities are rightfully proud of their customs of holding this traditional Easter holiday.

For Catholics, as for Orthodox Christians, Easter is a family holiday characterized by obligatory meals, tasty treats, visits to relatives and the exchange of colored eggs. Homes are decorated with flower arrangements, garlands, beautiful green wreaths that hang on the front doors, and candles.

Children are especially looking forward to Easter, since on this day they will receive traditional gifts from the Easter Bunny. This wonderful tradition has ancient roots and is widespread in many countries. Germany is considered to be the birthplace of the Easter Bunny - this is where this character appeared.

On the eve of the holiday, parents collect gift baskets for children with sweets, small souvenirs and colored eggs and hide them so that in the morning the kids will find what they have prepared, which, according to legend, the Easter Bunny left for them. Easter morning is marked by joyful bustle and childish joy from found gifts.

Similar children's parties are held in parks and city squares. Eggs are also hidden here for the kids to look for. The winner of the impromptu competition is the child who collects the largest amount of his favorite treat.

The rabbit is such a popular character during the holidays that his image can be found everywhere: on postcards, boxes of chocolates, tablecloths and other items. Another unchanging tradition is making chocolate bunnies, which are sold on every corner and are a must in gift baskets for children.

Treats for the festive table are prepared in large quantities so that there is enough for all the guests.

In Italy, lamb is always baked for Easter and served with artichokes. Here it is customary to make traditional pastries for the holiday, which is called “colomba”. Colomba is a lemon cake with almond glaze, a unique type of Easter cake.

In Great Britain, such ritual baked goods are buns with raisins, which are decorated with cross-shaped notches.

In Austria they bake randling - a yeast pie filled with nuts, cinnamon and raisins.

And in Spain, they serve special pastries with almonds and honey, called pestinos, for the holiday table.

In France, they prepare omelettes and other egg dishes and always serve baked chicken.

There is also an unusual tradition in this country: here on Easter it is customary to ring small bells. This melodious sound can be heard from all sides in this country during the holidays.
These are the wonderful traditions of celebrating Easter that Catholics observe. Each of them is a beautiful reminder of a bright day that is honored and loved in many countries around the world.

Bright Sunday, being one of the most important Christian holidays throughout the world, symbolizes the triumph of eternal life at the end of every Christian's earthly journey. Catholic Easter, like Orthodox Easter, is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first spring full moon. Since the Western and Eastern Churches use different Easter dates to calculate the date, the holiday itself, as a rule, falls on different days of the calendar, and only with rare exceptions does Catholic Easter coincide with Orthodox Easter. As a rule, Latin Rite Catholics and Protestants celebrate Easter one week earlier than Orthodox and Greek Catholics.

What date is Catholic Easter?

Catholic Easter in 2020 is celebrated on April 12. In other years it falls on the following days:

• 2021 - April 4
• 2022 - April 17
• 2023 - April 9
• 2024 - March 31
• 2025 - April 20
• 2026 - April 5
• 2027 - March 28
• 2028 - April 16
• 2029 - April 1
• 2030 - April 21

Catholic Easter in Rome: historical traditions

Spending spring break in the Eternal City is an excellent opportunity not only to enjoy the first warm days among the many, but also to plunge into ancient religious traditions, getting acquainted with the typically Roman customs that are associated with this most important Christian holiday.

Catholic Easter and the culinary traditions of the Romans

One of the most famous Roman traditions is the lavish Easter breakfast, which includes a large variety of snacks and sweets. The preparation of a festive breakfast in Rome is taken seriously. This is not the usual morning “snack” of a miniature cup of coffee with an Italian-style cornetto, but a full meal at a carefully prepared and served table, decorated with an appropriate Easter theme.

It is customary to celebrate the end of Lent with a Sunday breakfast, so rich and varied. What do Romans eat for breakfast on Easter Sunday? Yes all! Number one is Easter pizza (or pizza sbattuta), which can be either classically sweet, reminiscent of a pie, or the usual “salty” with cheese. The latter is used as an accompaniment for slicing sausages. By the way, Easter also has its own special variety of sausage – Corallina, which is distinguished by the presence of large inclusions of fat and without which it is impossible to imagine a typical Roman Easter breakfast.
In addition, on every table in Easter Sunday Eggs are a must. In addition to the boiled colored eggs familiar to Orthodox Christians, chocolate eggs... and hares occupy a special place at Catholic Easter.

Quite often, the Romans prepare a frittata (a type of omelette) with artichokes or asparagus, as well as all kinds of vegetable pies for a festive breakfast. Of the typical Roman Easter dishes that you simply cannot refuse, the most favorite is coratella - lamb giblets cooked with artichokes.
In addition to all of the above, at the Roman Easter breakfast you can see milk, coffee and various holiday sweets, the main one of which is the Easter cake called “colomba”.

The main feast at Catholic Easter is the panzo - festive lunch. Despite the fact that the Italians themselves came up with the saying “Natale con i tuoi e Pasqua con chi vuoi”, which means: “Christmas with your own (family members), and Easter with whoever you want,” they still prefer to spend this day in circle of those closest to you!

Easter lunch As usual, they start with lasagna or egg pasta seasoned with Ragù meat sauce. After this, traditional lamb is served, baked in the oven with potatoes and aromatic herbs. As an alternative to lamb for Catholic Easter, the Romans cook pig. As secondary dishes on the festive table there can be chicory poached with garlic in a frying pan, Puntarelle (asparagus chicory) with anchovies and seasoned with pesto, Roman artichokes (Carciofi alla Romana), vegetable cakes, etc. At the final stage of the meal you will definitely be served also typical Easter sweets. And don’t worry that you won’t be able to eat it all: the next day, in the same collection, it’s customary to eat up everything that didn’t fit!

Spending a few days in Rome during Catholic Easter in 2019 will give you the opportunity to admire the beauty of this wonderful city at a special moment, feel its spiritual mood, and get acquainted with the old traditions and customs of its inhabitants.

- the oldest Christian holiday, the most important holiday of the liturgical year, established in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is a moving holiday - its date in each year is calculated according to the lunar-solar calendar.

In 2018, Catholics celebrate the Holy Resurrection of Christ on April 1.

The word "Easter" comes from the Hebrew "Pesach" and is literally translated as "passing by", meaning deliverance, the transition from death to life. The celebration of Easter among the Jews was established by the prophet Moses in honor of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. The last gospel events take place during the Jewish Passover.

In the New Testament church, Easter is celebrated in memory of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Last Supper, suffering and death of Christ took place on the eve of the Resurrection of Christ, and on the first day of the week after the first day of the Jewish Passover, the Lord rose from the dead.

After Pentecost (the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles), Christians began to celebrate the first liturgies, similar in form to the Jewish Passover, as well as the sacrament of the Eucharist established by Jesus Christ. Liturgies were performed as the Last Supper - the Passover of suffering associated with the death on the Cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Initially, the death and resurrection of Christ were celebrated weekly: Friday was a day of fasting and mourning in remembrance of his suffering, and Sunday was a day of joy.

In the churches of Asia Minor, especially by Jewish Christians, in the 1st century the holiday was celebrated annually along with the Jewish Passover - the 14th day of the spring month of Nisan, since both Jews and Christians expected the coming of the Messiah on this day. Some churches moved the celebration to the first Sunday after the Jewish Passover, because Jesus Christ was executed on Easter day and resurrected according to the Gospels on the day after Saturday.

In the 2nd century, the holiday was celebrated annually in all churches. From the writings of Christian writers it follows that initially a special fast celebrated the suffering and death of Christ as “Easter of the Cross,” which coincided with the Jewish Passover; the fast continued until Sunday night. After it, the Resurrection of Christ was celebrated as Easter of joy or “Resurrection Easter.”

In 325, the First Ecumenical Council of Bishops in Nicaea forbade celebrating Easter “before the spring equinox with the Jews.”

In the 4th century, Easter on the Cross and Easter on Sunday were already united both in the West and in the East. In the 5th century, the name Easter became generally accepted to refer to the actual holiday of the Resurrection of Christ.

In the 8th century, Rome adopted the Eastern Paschal. In 1583, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new Easter into the Roman Catholic Church, called the Gregorian Easter. Due to the change in Easter, the entire calendar also changed. Currently, the date of Catholic Easter is determined from the relationship between 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 that occurs after the spring equinox.

Catholic Easter is often celebrated earlier than Jewish Easter or on the same day, and sometimes precedes Orthodox Easter by more than a month.

On Easter, as the most important holiday of the church year, a particularly solemn service is held. It was formed in the first centuries of Christianity as baptismal. Most of the catechumens, after the preparatory fast, were baptized on this special day. Since ancient times, the church has had a tradition of holding Easter services at night.

The Easter fire is of great importance in worship. It symbolizes the Light of God, enlightening all nations after Christ's Resurrection.

In Catholic services, a large bonfire is lit on the church grounds, from which, before the start of the Easter service, Paschal is lit - a special Easter candle, the fire from which is distributed to all believers.
Easter is carried into the dark temple under the ancient hymn Exsultet (“Let them rejoice”). This hymn informs believers about the resurrection of Christ, and believers take turns lighting their candles from Easter.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the procession of the cross takes place during the Easter Eve service after the liturgy.

Starting from Easter night and the next forty days (before Easter is celebrated), it is customary to christen, that is, greet each other with the words: “Christ is risen!” - “Truly he is risen!”, while kissing three times. This custom has been going on since apostolic times.

On the Bright Resurrection of Christ after the solemn Easter Mass, from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, the Pope announces the good news of the resurrection of Christ to thousands of believers who came to the square.