Why Easter was called Easter? Why Easter cake is called Easter cake?

The meaning of the word "Easter" can be found in many languages, such as Hebrew, Latin or Greek. What is noteworthy, the translation of this term in all languages is absolutely the same - "passing by." People who profess Orthodoxy are more familiar with this word, which serves as the name of the most important festival in their confession. This triumph is also called Ascension of the Lord. It is celebrated after the Great Lent, each year falls on different dates. But why Easter was called Easter? The answers to this question can be obtained further.

As celebrated Easter

Looking through old manuscripts and literature, it's easy to find out that the Easter celebration was celebrated before Christmas. The event was an entrenched festival of Jewish residents. It was customary to celebrate this day in a narrow family circle. The main celebration occurred on the day of the new phase of the moon.

And yet, why the holiday is called "Easter"? On this day it was supposed to make a sacrifice, which was called Easter. A young lamb or goat was killed so that the heavenly grace descended on the herd and his leader. The sacrifice was brought with caution, since it was considered shameful to damage at least one animal's bone in the barrette. The lamb's blood smeared the doors, and the meat was eaten in the house. From this ancient festival and the tradition has gone so to call this day.

Why is Easter called Easter? What are the other arguments? The holiday itself took on a different, more extensive and sacred significance. After all, the Son of God himself was sacrificed for the protection of all mankind and for the power of his father to condescend to all people. With metaphysical significance, the triumph of Easter today is considered the most important thing for the people. According to legend, just on this day, humanity has found a second chance, purifying itself by the sacrifice, which was brought by the power of love, and receiving a blessing. That's why people stick to the strict fast before Easter.

Easter cake is a symbol of Resurrection

A large fragrant bread (yeast cake) with the image of the Resurrection or with a cross is considered an orthodox church by ritual baking and denotes the rebirth of Jesus. Why was Easter called Easter? Yes, because this cake is also an integral part of the holiday. He is usually baked on the main religious celebration of all the Orthodox - Easter. Christians, in addition to Easter bread, also serve sandy "grandmothers" to the table. Together with dyed eggs curd Easter and Easter cake are the main dishes of the festive feast.

Spirit designation of the cake

Artos (in translation from the Greek language "leavened bread"), a high yeast meringue with a silhouette of a halo and a cross pattern, as well as prosphora are baked separately for the celebration of the Holy Easter and the Resurrection of Christ. According to the Old Testament, the apostles, beginning to trapeze, left a part in the center of the table empty to put the bread for Jesus Christ invisibly nearby.

Why was Easter called Easter? There are still some legends that can tell about it. On the day of Easter, artos is carried with the procession and put it in the church on a special table. The whole morsel lay all week in the monastery. After the blessing on the Saturday Holy Week, it is given to all believers. This is a symbol of the fact that Christ turned to the Orthodox for the true bread of life.

The cake itself is akin to artos. Bake such a bun during the Holy Week on a clean Thursday and consecrated in the church. For baking bread used yeast (this dough replaces the Old Testament unleavened bread). Hence, the Easter cake is also a sign of progress from the Old Testament to the New Testament.

What does the Old Testament say?

In this commandment of the Passover, the lamb, killed at the festival, was called the pattern of the next sacrifice of Jesus. He, sacrificing himself, protected the people of the people from grief, torment, punishment and hell. When Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared in a new flesh.

Why Easter cake is called Easter cake? The answer to this question is. In the Old Testament, in its time, there was no concept of a cake. The Easter lamb was eaten with tasteless unleavened bread (flat cakes) and bitter herbs. Easter bread has a pagan birth and is considered a symbol of the Phallus - the pagan god of fertility. The spiritual essence of the cake is that, by eating it, the Orthodox people came to the light of the Resurrection.

Why Easter is called Light

In the common folk tradition, Easter was celebrated as a celebration of the renewal and development of life. This was predetermined not only by the Orthodox thought of the Renaissance of Jesus, but also by the existence in the folk customs of pagan opinions about the spring awakening of nature after winter sleep.

According to widespread religious concepts, any person had to celebrate Easter restored physically and spiritually, prepared for it during the long Lent. Before Easter, it was necessary to put things in order in the streets, in houses, wash walls, floors, windows, bleach ceilings and stoves, repair fences, take out the garbage accumulated after the winter. In addition, it was required to wash well in the bath and sew new clothes. On a bright holiday a person should forget all grievances and evil, remove all bad thoughts, not enter into conjugal ties and not sin.

Different beliefs

Why is Easter called Easter? After all, this holiday is fraught with many legends. Easter is so pious and pure that demons and devils fall through the earth, and their cries and sobs can be heard during the Easter All-Night Vigil.

The peasants believed that on this day you can see what is imperceptible in ordinary everyday life, and asked the Lord for everything they wanted. It was believed that if during the Easter service to lower the candle with a flame down, you can see the wonderworker. And if you stand at the threshold with cottage cheese, then you can easily recognize the walking by and wagging tail witch.

What happened on Easter night

Easter was associated with the fulfillment of desires by the Russian people. People believed that on this day you can ensure your success in the work for the whole year. If an elderly person on the Easter day will brush his hair, he will have as many grandsons as he has hair on his head. And if during the service a young woman turns to God with requests for the message of her good husband, then the groom will make her an offer soon.

The idea of the resurrection from the dead formed the basis of the opinion that on the night of Easter, the spirits of the deceased descend on the earth. If desired, one who yearned for the death of his loved one could see him in the church at the liturgy, listen to his complaints and appeals.

Why cottage cheese is called Easter

Often people can not distinguish Easter from Easter cake, and it is very common. In fact, Easter cake is a flour product, and Easter is curd. The tradition of creating a cottage cheese product for Easter is more common in the central parts of Russia. In other regions, they simply do not know about this product, and Easter cakes are called there.

Why was Easter called Easter? And also because the preparation of a curd product is as important as the baking of cakes. There is an opinion that this culinary product stands for the Holy Sepulcher (its shape is like a truncated pyramid). This dish, as well as cake, is considered one of the main symbols of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. And similarly, being a dessert dish, means the pleasure of an endless life. There are also suggestions that Easter is a symbol of Heavenly Zion - the origin of the New Jerusalem.

Secrets of the Easter Island

Easter Island is a piece of desert land, lost among the Pacific Ocean and owned by Chile. The whole world knows it thanks to unusual stone monuments. So why was Easter Island named that way? What is special about it?

The Dutch admiral named Jakob Roggeven, who sailed from Amsterdam to explore the Land of Davis, was by no means the first European to discover the island of Easter. However, he was the first to establish its location. And he named the island exactly Roggewen (his ships moored to him just on the day of the great Orthodox holiday of Holy Pascha). This was April 5, 1722.

Having gone ashore, the sailors noticed that the local inhabitants had lit fires before the huge stone statues. These monuments have long surprised visitors who still can not understand how those people could build them without resorting to the help of construction equipment and technology. At that time, about three thousand natives lived in the square discovered by Roggeven. They called their island Rapa Nui ("the navel of the earth").