As a rule, Catholics and Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter at different times. This is mainly due to the fact that Catholics live according to the Gregorian calendar, and Orthodox Christians live according to the Julian calendar. The difference between these calendars is 13 days. However, the date of Easter is also determined by the phases of the sun and moon, so the discrepancies can be different: a week or two.
And sometimes, and this is not as rare as it seems, Orthodox and Catholic Easter are celebrated on the same day. This is exactly what will happen in 2017. Let's believe that this is a good sign. The next time there will be a joint holiday will be in 2025 and 2028. On average, such an event occurs 2-3 times per decade.
A night procession of the cross, joyful singing, bells ringing, fragrant Easter cakes, vanilla-scented sweet Easter eggs and bright colored eggs on the table - these are what first come to our hearts when we hear the word “Easter”. But these, of course, are only its external attributes. Enormous spiritual work, salvation of the soul - this is the true meaning of the Resurrection of the Lord. The “holiday of celebration and the celebration of celebrations” is preceded by a long and concentrated preparation - Lent.
For some, this is news, but the holiday itself does not end on the same day and not even with the end of Bright Week, but for another 40 days, until the Ascension of the Lord, Easter rejoices in the hearts of the Orthodox. This holiday begins with the Lenten Midnight Office, the procession that continues it symbolizes the myrrh-bearing women who came to the tomb of Jesus Christ, and Matins begins in front of the closed doors of the temple - we remember the stone closing the entrance to the cave, and the priest symbolizes the angel opening it.
Movable and fixed holidays
The church year is a cycle, or, if you like, a circle of holidays and services. It starts on September 1 (or 14 according to the old style). The church guides every step of a person’s life through sacrament and prayer. All church holidays are divided into moving (or moving) and stationary. That is, those holidays whose dates change from year to year, and those whose dates remain unchanged. The dates of the moving holidays depend on the day of Easter, which in turn is determined by the solar and lunar calendars. Fixed holidays are assigned to a specific day.
The twelfth holidays – from the word “twelve” – are the 12 most important holidays after Easter. They are dedicated to the events of the earthly life of the Mother of God and Jesus Christ.
Church twelfth holidays in 2017
Twelfth fixed holidays, their dates are constant:
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – September 21
Exaltation of the Holy Cross – September 27
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the Temple - December 4
Christmas – January 7
Epiphany or Epiphany – January 19
Presentation of the Lord – February 15
Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – April 7
Transfiguration of the Lord – August 19
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary – August 28
The twelfth moving holidays in 2017 are celebrated on the following days:
The entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem or Palm Sunday is celebrated exactly one week before Easter - April 9
The Ascension of the Lord takes place on the 40th day after Easter - May 25
The Day of the Holy Trinity is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter (this holiday is also called Pentecost) - June 4.
Great non-twelfth holidays in 2017:
Circumcision of the Lord and the memory of St. Basil the Great - January 14
Nativity of John the Baptist - July 7 (exactly six months before the Nativity of Christ)
Day of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul – July 12
Beheading of John the Baptist – September 11
Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary – October 14
Church multi-day fasts in 2017
For a churchgoer, the year does not proceed according to calendar dates, but from holiday to holiday. And for the most important holidays, an Orthodox Christian prepares for many days with fasting and prayer. There are 4 multi-day fasts in total per year.
The Nativity Fast or Filippov Fast lasts from November 28, 2016 to January 6, 2017. It precedes the bright holiday of Christmas.
Lent begins on February 27 and lasts until April 15. Easter is the crown of this fast.
Peter's Fast or Apostolic Fast: June 12 – July 11. Until the very day of the apostles Peter and Paul.
The Dormition Fast lasts from August 14 to August 27 and precedes the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
And again the Nativity fast, which will begin on November 28, 2017, and end on January 6, 2018.
The circle closed and began again - the endless and eternal path to God.
“I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6)
- in 2016 May 1,
- in 2017 April 16,
- in 2018 April 8,
- in 2019 April 28.
- in 2016 March 27,
- in 2017 April 16,
- in 2018 April 1,
- in 2019 April 21.
The holiday is, of course, very bright, and it especially begins from a young age, because children absorb all the kindness and all the pleasant events that happen, and when they grow up they will do even more good deeds.
The date of Easter in 2016 falls on May 1, and before that, from March 14 to April 30, Lent will take place.
Since Easter, both Catholic and Orthodox, does not have a constant calendar date, the dates of the Easter holiday change every year.
Easter is a moving Orthodox holiday and is celebrated on different days every year.
Here you can watch all the moving Orthodox holidays until 2099.
To determine the date of celebration of Easter and other moving Orthodox holidays, the so-called Paschal is used, i.e. calculation system. Taking into account the fact that Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring full moon, Easter, according to these calculations, falls between April 4 and May 8 according to the new style (old style from March 22 to April 25). Specifically by year and according to the new style, we get the following dates for the next 5 years:
I am not a theologian and I somehow don’t understand why it is impossible to establish a specific date for the Resurrection of Christ. After all, there is an exact date for Christmas. Although it’s even interesting. For me personally, Easter is my favorite church holiday from childhood to this day. I remember how in the 50s, where our family lived, it was impossible to celebrate Easter. Therefore, my mother secretly colored the eggs, and before throwing the colored shells away, they wrapped them in newspaper so that no one would see.
According to the lunar-solar calendar, Bright Resurrection is celebrated annually on moving dates and the main celebration falls in April. 2016 is an exception, Orthodox Easter Sunday will be a late holiday - May 1st. In 2017, the Catholic and Orthodox Church will celebrate Easter on the 16th. In the next two years, the Catholic Church will celebrate Easter a week earlier than the Orthodox Church - 2018 - April 1 and 2019 - April 21.
Orthodox Easter occurs on different dates every year.
Orthodox Easter is preceded by 7 weeks of Great Lent.
Every year, Bright Sunday of Christ is celebrated out of date. This means that this holiday is more closely tied to the day of the week (Sunday) closest to the calculated date. Orthodox Easter is usually celebrated a week after the celebration of Catholic Easter.
Orthodox Easter will be celebrated -
Catholic Easter will be celebrated -
Easter in 2017, what date? For the Orthodox, the Holy Resurrection of Christ is one of the Great Holidays, according to the Orthodox calendar 2017, April 16 is the date of Easter. On this day, all Christians of the Orthodox faith celebrate the most important church holiday - Easter. The date of the church holiday changes every year; the date of the celebration of the Holy Resurrection of Christ in 2017 among the Orthodox falls on April 16, but the date of Easter is transitory and not constant.
The holiday was established by the church in honor of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As follows from the Easter chant, this is a holiday and a celebration of celebrations that require special preparation from Christian believers, which is why Christians go through Great Lent before Easter.
Easter is the most important celebration for believers; the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ continues for forty days, exactly as long as the Risen Jesus Christ remained on earth. The length of celebration of this great holiday makes Easter different from the rest and surpasses other church celebrations in importance.
The end of Easter week does not end the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ. With the words of greeting “Christ is Risen!” and “Truly He is Risen!” one should greet each other for forty days before the Ascension of Christ.
The Resurrection of Christ is associated with the salvation of people; the Christian holiday symbolizes the triumph of the spirit over the flesh, the victory of life over death. Easter is a church holiday, but this day is celebrated with Easter cakes and colored eggs by believers and atheists alone, who celebrate in church, while non-believers at home eat traditional dishes prepared for the Easter meal.
When is Easter celebrated?
Christian Easter is celebrated in the spring, when nature awakens, and the celebration always falls on a Sunday. On Sunday, according to the date established in the annual church calendar, Christians begin to celebrate the holiday, but every year the date of Easter changes.
The date of the holiday varies, but Sunday is considered a constant day; on Sunday Christ is Risen, having suffered martyrdom by being crucified on the cross. The dates for celebrating the Resurrection of Christ in Orthodoxy and Catholicism differ; Orthodox and Catholics celebrate the important event at different times, but every few years the date on the calendar coincides.
Orthodox Easter 2017 – date and traditions
Why is Easter celebrated on different dates? What date is Easter in 2017? Why does the number change and how to determine the date of Easter? The exact date is difficult to determine on your own; the date of the holiday is calculated according to the lunar calendar; Easter does not occur before the spring equinox.
In 2017, Orthodox Easter is celebrated on April 16. The holiday has centuries-old traditions, rituals and signs, which are significant for many Christian families. The great holiday with established traditions is preceded by Great Lent, during which it is recommended to fast, help others, and lead a righteous life. The last week is especially strict, during strict Lent, many foods are prohibited during Holy Week, and Saturday is considered the last day of Lent.
On Sunday comes Easter, Orthodox Christians celebrate Christ, kiss each other, congratulating each other with joyful greetings “Christ is Risen!” and in response to congratulations they say “Truly He is Risen!”
Easter is a celebration of life and renewal, symbols of the solemn day, which are obligatory Easter foods, are Easter cakes and colored eggs. The egg represents the Holy Sepulcher, the red color in which the eggs are painted symbolizes the shed blood of Jesus Christ crucified for human sins.
Christian believers, observing church traditions, paint eggs and bake Easter cakes on Maundy Thursday, the last week before the Great Celebration. On the eve of Easter, on Saturday Easter cakes, Easter cottage cheese, and colored eggs are blessed in the church.
On Sunday morning, after the night Easter service in the church, candles are lit in the church, and it is customary for Christian believers to break their fast at home. According to tradition, families set the table with holiday dishes that were prohibited during Lent; the meal begins with an egg, after which they taste Easter cake and move on to other holiday treats.
What not to do on Easter
What can and cannot be done for Easter? The Easter holiday is a bright, pure and great event; the meaning of the celebration is the cleansing of the human soul and body. On this day you cannot do household chores: wash, do laundry, clean your home.
You can clean the house on the eve of the celebration; usually housewives clean up their houses and apartments on Maundy Thursday - they wash windows, wash clothes, and distribute extra things to the poor.
On Easter, many people remember the dead and go to the cemetery, but according to church canons this cannot be done. You can and should rejoice; on this day you should visit living relatives and loved ones, gather together at the family table, and make plans for the future.
Before the celebration and during the celebration, the church does not hold memorial services for the deceased; on Easter days you cannot get married in the church or be baptized. In the pre-holiday week, every housewife traditionally bakes Easter cakes, paints eggs, and prepares traditional Easter cottage cheese.
Cottage cheese Easter, classic recipe
According to the classic recipe, Easter curd is prepared without baking; the dish is prepared by infusing the curd mass in molds. Easter is made custard, raw or boiled, Royal; A classic Easter dish is considered to be cottage cheese Easter without baking, we offer a classic way of preparing a mandatory Easter dish.
Ingredients: cottage cheese – 1.5 kg; chicken eggs – 8 pcs.; sour cream or cream 30% – 500 g; butter – 300 g; sugar – 600 g; seedless raisins – 300 g; nuts (any) – 200 g; vanillin - sachet.
How to cook:
- Grind eggs with sugar, vanilla and three tablespoons of sour cream. Heat the cream without bringing to a boil, cool.
- Pass dry cottage cheese through a meat grinder, add cooled cream, mix.
- Add washed and dried raisins, fried nut kernels, softened butter, remaining sour cream or cream to the cottage cheese. Stir until smooth.
- To form the Easter, you will need a collapsible mold made of wood or plastic. Instead of a mold, you can buy a flower pot with a hole in the bottom.
- Lay damp gauze inside the mold so that the ends hang out, put the curd mass into it, compact it and close the top with the ends of the gauze. Place a plate under the pan to catch the whey.
- Press down the Easter on top with a weight and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
- After this, take out the dessert, turn it over and decorate it with fondant and sprinkles, and you can put it in an Easter basket and go to church to bless it.
How to dye eggs for Easter in onion skins
An Easter egg is painted in various colors, but Easter eggs painted in onion skins and red in color were and remain traditional, as a reminder to people of the shed blood of the Almighty.
Eggs are dyed with natural dyes; housewives buy entire sets for coloring eggs, but the most durable, indelible red color is obtained by dyeing them in onion skins. The rules for coloring with husks are simple, but not all housewives know how to paint eggs for Easter so that one of the main symbols of the holiday turns out beautiful.
Before coloring, eggs must be removed from the refrigerator and checked for cracks in the shell. Cracked ones should be set aside, they can be used later when preparing dough, and whole ones with a strong shell should be washed so that the paint applies more uniformly to them.
Wash the onion peels, pour hot water - the amount of water and peel is taken arbitrarily, but in such a way that the eggs are completely in the water during coloring and are not visible from under the peel. Boil the peel in a saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes, cool the broth. Place the eggs in the pan in a single row, placing them under the leaves.
You need to paint eggs in onion skins for 10 minutes from the moment of boiling, with water in a saucepan at a low simmer. After this, the red eggs are taken out one by one, placed in cold water for a few minutes, and cooled. The cooled painted eggs are wiped dry and greased with vegetable oil so that the red paint on the eggs shines.
On April 16, 2017, all Orthodox Christians will celebrate the Holy Resurrection of Christ. We congratulate all readers on the holiday, we wish you peace and prosperity. Christ is Risen!
Orthodox Easter in Russia is celebrated according to the norms of church canons on the first Sunday that follows the first full moon after the vernal equinox and the Jewish month of Passover.
The holiday itself has its roots in those distant ancient times when the exodus of the Jews from Egypt took place. When the Lord sent plagues in Egypt, one of which was the death of infants, he passed by those houses whose doors were marked with the blood of a young lamb.
Subsequently, this was closely intertwined with the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of Christ, whom the church identifies with the lamb of God, who saved the human race with his blood, atoning for its sins with his blood.
Orthodox Easter 2019
Considering the fact that every year the Orthodox Church calculates the date of the celebration of the bright day of Easter according to the Gregorian calendar, it can be calculated decades in advance. To determine the date of the holiday, special Easter eggs are used - certain algorithms by which calculations are made. They are based on solar and lunar cycles.
Thus, the church issues special calendars in advance for Orthodox believers, thanks to which believers have the opportunity to prepare for the celebration in advance. The fact is that there are a number of special traditions that Orthodox believers strictly adhere to while awaiting the bright holiday of Easter. These primarily include the Great Pre-Easter Lent, which believers strictly adhere to. During it, food intake of animal origin is strictly limited; many exclude dairy products and fish from the diet.
That is, knowing exactly what date Easter is in 2019, believers can determine what date they should start fasting. The next pre-Easter tradition is the baking of holiday cakes and, directly, Easter itself. Believers do this in the so-called. On the same day, April 25, they do pre-holiday cleaning and coloring of eggs. Products prepared for Easter are blessed in the church in, this year it will be 20 April. They eat consecrated foods directly on Easter day - Sunday. April 28.
The celebration of the Great Easter holiday begins on the night from Saturday to Sunday of the specified date. Believers go to church for a festive service. They pray, congratulate each other on the big holiday, and on Sunday at breakfast they eat Easter cakes blessed in the church.
Thus, a holiday in which the combined doctrines of the Old and New Testaments is, in essence, a celebration of the victory of Life over Death, Good over Evil. One of the most important Christian holidays calls on believers to live righteously, remember and appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus, which he made to cleanse humanity from sins.
Date in 2019: April 28th, Sunday.
For several millennia, believers and even people far from church traditions have been rejoicing on Easter Day at the great miracle associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This holiday is Easter, one of the most ancient and revered celebrations in the history of Christianity. During its existence, the church rules of celebration have acquired interesting new rituals. And thanks to popular observation, a huge collection of rituals and signs have been collected that are associated with the celebration of Easter.
Easter refers to a mysterious and bright holiday that exalts the resurrection of the Lord. For all Christians, this holiday is considered the largest and most solemn. One of the beliefs says that the ringing of Easter bells and joyful greetings: “Christ is risen” are bright signs of the triumph of goodness and love. And as long as they sound, there will be peace and harmony in the world. Therefore, all people, despite the depth of their religious feelings, try to visit church on this bright day and observe most of the traditions.
The history of the bright holiday
The origin of the word “Passover” itself has Hebrew roots. In the original pronunciation of Pehas, it meant “passed by, passed by.” And the holiday itself was dedicated to the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt.
Christian Easter has a deeply sacred history and meaning. Moreover, the meaning has acquired a new color. The holiday is always celebrated in the spring, on the days when the time of awakening has come.
The transition from earth to heaven, from death to life, resurrection - this is the deep meaning of Easter. And this is always Sunday - the day when the Lord resurrected after accepting martyrdom. Life defeated death, the spirit prevailed over the flesh.
This is a special day when all believers rejoice at the main event of the Christian world, and even zealous atheists are not averse to supporting traditions. At least everyone is treated to Easter cakes, Easter cakes and colored eggs.
The date of Easter in 2019, what date the holiday will be, is well known, as it is written in the church calendar. It falls at the end of the calendar spring, and will be celebrated by the Orthodox on April 28.
Easter Consecration
The first ritual events begin on Saturday evening, when parishioners in beautiful festive clothes with rich Easter baskets rush to the church in time for the night service.
It is during this solemn liturgy that the priests will announce the joyful news that Christ is Risen.
The ritual always begins with the entrance to the temple, where a tour of the entire service is carried out. The atmosphere is solemn and exciting, since everyone knows that at this time the Angels are in a hurry to bring the Savior out of the tomb, and even the saints descend from the icons to kiss.
The consecration of Easter baskets begins with the morning service, where it is customary to place all the edible symbols of Easter. Diligent housewives baked Easter cakes especially for the holiday, prepared Easter cottage cheese, prepared krashenka and Easter eggs, baked sausages and boiled pork.
In addition to Easter symbols, according to church canons, various delights are not supposed to be placed in the lighting basket.
Easter table, basket and symbols
Certain products must be present in the blessing basket and on the festive table. It is with such treats that breaking the fast begins.
Easter basket
The post is over and you can safely try different goodies. But the meal must begin with foods consecrated in the church.
Butter Easter cake
This is the main Easter symbol. It is this treat that is given a central place both in the basket itself, and on the Easter table, and in the church ceremony.
Butter Easter cakes
Bread is identified with the body of Christ, with his sacrifice. It was the bread that the Apostles placed before the Lord after the resurrection. And during the Last Supper, yeast bread was blessed by Jesus.
Only for Easter is prepared rich, sweet, airy bread. Housewives try to make their Easter cakes as delicious as the holiday itself – bright and joyful.
Eggs are the second attribute of Easter. But the red egg is considered the church symbol. This is connected with a beautiful legend telling about the reddening of an ordinary chicken egg in the hands of Emperor Tiberius, who did not believe the words of Mary Magdalene about a miraculous resurrection.
Of course, housewives try to prepare unusual paints: they paint them with patterns and paste them over with pictures, paint them in bright colors of all shades of the rainbow.
But it is red eggs without pictures that are placed in the basket and on the festive table. This is where the festive meal should begin.
This symbolic treat is prepared from dairy products without baking with the addition of candied fruits, dried fruits and other sweets.
It is precisely this that is a symbol of prosperity and a well-fed life among Christians. A piece of this treat should definitely be left after the holiday if the family is expecting a new addition this year.
It is given to a woman in labor so that she has plenty of milk for the newborn.
Meat delicacies
What kind of meat delicacies are prepared for the Easter table. These are sausages and lard, ham and boiled pork. The only exception was blood sausage, which is prohibited to be consumed during the celebration.
The meaty nature of the symbolism is explained by its identification with a person’s spiritual joy for fulfilling God’s will. And for Christians, the pig has always been a symbol of fertility, fertility, and the wild boar has always been a symbol of male strength.
In addition to such treats, horseradish, ground with beets, was always illuminated, as a sign of the strength of the roots of faith and the indestructibility of the spirit. Salt is brought for consecration, signifying prosperity.
And they definitely take candles, symbolizing the connection with God. After the service, they try to bring them home lit, since the fire from such a candle is sacred on this day and is associated with the Jerusalem fire.
Congratulations
On the holiday of Easter, we wish that in your life there will always be a kind dream and sincere hope, sublime love and high aspiration. And may your home be filled with ringing laughter, bright smiles, and the delicate smell of fragrant Easter cakes on this beautiful day. Let a real miracle happen and you will be in a great mood. Christ is risen!
The blessed ringing of church bells announces a great miracle. And the aroma of Easter cakes wafts through the house. Rich Easter baskets with Easter eggs and painted eggs delight the eye. May your spiritual world be just as rich, may your spirit be strong and your faith unbreakable. We wish your family peace and health. May illnesses and illnesses leave her, may troubles and hardships leave her home, and may her soul be forever freed from worries and grievances.
Nature is resurrected
The soul is resurrected
Happy holiday today
He's in a hurry to visit our families.
The holiday begins
The sun smiles
Shines on everyone from heaven,
After all, Christ has risen.
The church bell rings,
He rings about the holiday,
Easter is already coming to our house,
The soul sings with joy.
Easter cake on the table,
Nearby is a crystal glass,
Paints and eggs,
There's not enough candy.
We set the Easter table,
Let's feast together
After all, today is the main holiday,
It's time to have fun, not to grieve.
Let faith warm our souls,
And the Lord never leaves.
And only good deeds await us.
Let there be happiness and comfort in the world.
Larisa, April 8, 2017.
