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This is the day when Christ, crucified on Golgotha for the sins of all people, rose from the dead. This event is the foundation of the Christian faith. Christ did not have any personal sins, therefore, after death, his soul descended into hell, and hell could not hold him. Christ destroyed the gates of hell and flew to God the Father in paradise. So he opened the way to heaven for all the righteous, whose souls languished in hell or on its eve. People received from Christ as a gift eternal life in the villages of paradise. “Death, where is your sting? Hell, where is your victory? asks the Apostle Paul, and we, rejoicing, repeat these words.
We list the main traditions and customs of Easter followed by believers in Our Country.
Great Lent: Seven-Week Preparations for Easter
First of all, we must remember that believers are preparing for Easter very thoroughly, during Great Lent. The latter is divided into weeks.
On the first week all believers read the Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete in the church. And they strictly fast – they do not eat milk and meat. Interestingly, Japanese believers consider it obligatory not to shop at this time. Why? Because during Great Lent we strive with all our might to be with God. To do this, we move away from all distractions. Everyone determines the measure of the severity of fasting for himself personally, according to his own strength, so as not to drive himself into despondency, despair or illness.
Before Easter, from the beginning of Lent, except for Sunday, the Church does not serve the Liturgy of John Chrysostom, but only the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, which St. Gregory the Dialogist wrote especially for Great Lent. The Great Lenten Liturgy differs from the usual one in that the gifts — the body and blood of Christ — are not consecrated at it. They are prepared in advance. At the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, it is not customary to give communion to infants.
Second week Great Lent is dedicated to the mystical prayerful experience of St. Gregory Palamas. After preparation in the first week, believers are immersed with prayer in the teaching of the Tabor Uncreated Light and Divine Energies.
On the third week – Adoration of the Cross – believers are immersed in prayerful remembrance and comprehension of the Cross, as a tool for the salvation of mankind.
fourth week dedicated to John of the Ladder. John of the Ladder is a monk who described the path of spiritual growth and cleansing from sins in the form of steps of a ladder.
Fifth week reminiscent of Mary of Egypt, who ran away from home as a teenager and became a harlot. She led a dissolute life for a long time, it was her choice, but one day she decided to venerate the honest tree of the Cross. Some force did not let her into the temple. Mary began to pray before the icon of the Mother of God. The whole abyss and the abomination of her sin were revealed to her, she went into the wilderness. There she prayed and wept for her sins for 37 years. The Lord accepted her repentance. She became a saint, she was able to take communion. To the place where she was communed, Mary reached the water. Christians remember Mary by fasting, because the main thing for a sinner is the determination to leave sin
sixth week dedicated to the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, it ends with Palm Sunday.
seventh week Lent – passionate. Before rejoicing with great joy that Christ is risen, grateful people remember the sufferings of our Savior with trepidation and compassion.
This week on Great, or Clean, Thursday, all believers receive communion in the church.
Easter kiss
From Easter Sunday until the Feast of the Ascension, Christians greet each other with the words “Christ is risen!”. The answer to this is heard: “Truly Risen!”. With this greeting, the Orthodox kiss each other three times on the cheek with the Easter kiss.
Preparation of Easter cakes and colored eggs
Preparations for Easter last throughout Great Lent. On Holy Week, on Maundy Thursday, it is customary to paint eggs and bake Easter cakes, to cook Easter cottage cheese. Thursday is called Pure, because on this day all Orthodox strive to cleanse their minds and thoughts, take communion in the temple, and devote this day to putting the house in order. There is a tradition to wash windows on this day.
Bell ringing for everyone
The week after Easter is called Bright. The tradition of Easter is free access for everyone to the church bells: after the service and until the evening, anyone can climb the bell tower and ring the bells. Ringing competitions are held these days.
Popular questions and answers
Where did the tradition for Easter come from to paint eggs and exchange them?
What are drag songs and what are they?
Let’s go, brothers, along the street.
Christ is Risen, Son of God!
Let’s go, brothers, to the master’s house.
Christ is Risen, Son of God!
Around the house is a silver tyn.
Christ is Risen, Son of God!
And near the tyna silk grass.
Christ is Risen, Son of God!
There is honeydew on the grass!
Christ is Risen, Son of God!
The songs were very long and had a lot of verses.
The Christoslavs entered every house, sang their songs, congratulated the owners, wished them joy, happiness, and a good harvest. The hosts gave the Christoslavs food and money. Generosity to the drawers was the key to prosperity.