What is Easter and how it is celebrated in different confessions

What is Easter for a secular post-Soviet person? In olden days, the country met this day with an all-union subbotnik, and Sunday was a regular day off, except that the detachments of the Komsomol members and the Dnieper-Shnikov were on duty at the churches. Then, with the fall of the regime, all massively rushed to eat holiday cakes, paint eggs and drag all kinds of food, including vodka, to the temple for consecration. But the period of purification preceding the holiday, and the very meaning of the Resurrection of Christ remains for many "behind the brackets."

Cultural tradition, another reason to drink or still a feast for the soul - what is Easter? In fact, Peisah's holiday was celebrated by the ancient Jews in memory of the great outcome of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. The meaning of this day can be read in the biblical book Exodus. Religious Jews on this holiday eat a sacrificial lamb - a lamb, whose blood was lubricated by the door jambs. But our Lord also honored that day: "The Passover was nearing the Jews, and Christ came to Jerusalem ... He sent the disciples and said:" Find where we can prepare the Passover, "we read in the New Testament. However, He put a new meaning in this concept.

What is Easter for Christians? First of all, this is the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus for all mankind. He came to this world to give us his commandments, and that everyone who believes should be saved. He showed by his death that death was corrected, that it is possible for all people to rise to eternal life. But the Easter Lent precedes Easter: believers, like Christ in the desert, have to fast for 40 days. The whole week preceding the onset of the bright Resurrection is called the Passionate Seven in honor of the Passion of the Lord.

If we are preparing for the Passover "for the soul", we must go through all the stages of preparation. In the beginning - restriction in food, to purify your body and thoughts. The Orthodox Great Post is rather severe. It starts on Monday, and ends on Good Saturday. The Orthodox do not eat at this time not only meat, but also dairy products, and on some days the clergy and especially earnest believers use only bread and water. Sunday is a week before Easter called Palmov (in Russian tradition - Palm Sunday). On this day our Lord entered Jerusalem, and the people honored Him, laying palm branches on the way. Since palm trees do not grow in our region to honor the coming of Christ, the willow branches are cut and put in water so that fluffy "fur seals" can be seen in the warmth.

A special date for those who know what Easter is, is the Passionate (in Russian Immaculate) Thursday. On this day, the Lord's Secret Supper with the Apostles took place, when He broke bread and gave it to them, saying: "This is my body." Later Christ retired to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he prayed that the cup of suffering would bypass him, was arrested after the betrayal of Judas and brought to Pilate. On Holy Thursday it is customary to take communion, and also to bathe in cold water, purifying your body of sins. For Protestants, the key day is Great Friday, when Jesus Christ was crucified on Calvary and died on the cross. On this day the Orthodox and Catholics fast very strictly. Saturday is a day of sorrow and expectation.

And then, finally, Sunday comes - not just the day of the week, but the Resurrection of the Lord. All night in the temples, the All-Night Liturgy is celebrated, believers consecrate cakes and painted eggs. It is customary to give gifts for Easter: in the Russian tradition it is krasanki (eggs cooked with food colors or simply with onion husks to give them red - as a sign of the shed blood of Christ - the color). In Ukraine, they exchange pysankas - beautifully painted eggs, as well as paskami - round cakes, symbolizing the sun. It is also customary to make a sweet dough with raisins in the shape of a lamb. But in Germany in the XVI century arose a sweet custom, which then spread to other countries. It is believed that on Easter night in the garden in front of the house come magical hares, which leave children under the bushes gifts - chocolate marzipan eggs. The morning begins with the fact that a lot of children are scamming under the bushes in search of a little bag left by "hares" (dads and moms, of course).