Resurrection of Christ - Easter. Dates of Catholic and Orthodox Easter Determining the date of celebration

Easter is celebrated by all Christians, regardless of the branch of Christianity, whether Orthodox or Catholic. In all of Christianity there is one God - Jesus Christ. In Christianity, the date of Easter is unclear. It usually falls in March-April. However, for Catholics it is either earlier, or they coincide in both branches. Catholic Easter 2016 will be on March 27th.

Catholic Easter 2016: date

In Catholicism, Easter is of great importance. Holy Week before Easter is of great importance in church terms, since it is customary to celebrate every day of the week. So, for example, on “Maundy” Thursday the housewives cleaned the apartment; Good Friday is the day of Jesus' crucifixion.

How is Catholic Easter different from Orthodox Easter?

1. The main symbol of this day are Easter eggs. But if Orthodox Christians usually use only chicken eggs, Catholics also have chocolate eggs. According to their signs, eggs are laid by rabbits or hares.

Therefore, one of these animals becomes another symbol of the celebration of Catholic Easter. They are depicted everywhere. The eggs are hidden in the house, and the children look for them the next morning. Children. after they have been found, they begin a kind of competition among themselves: a boiled egg is lowered from a hill. Victory goes to the one whose egg rolls first.

2. Adults have a different tradition. They go to other people's houses, sing songs to them, and for this they receive a reward: eggs and Easter bread.
Since Easter is one of the main church holidays for Catholics, at this time they go to their temple, which is called a church. Festive services take place there.
All believers go to church on the eve of the holiday. There are services going on there. Then eggs and other Easter food are blessed with holy water.

3. For Catholics, as was written above, the symbol is a rabbit or hare. Therefore, it is baked from dough, made from chocolate and other products. Some people hide an egg in it.
Orthodox Christians kiss three times on the holiday. This is how they congratulate each other. Catholics do not do this.

4. The difference is in the conduct of the service. Catholics and Orthodox Christians hold a religious procession. But Orthodox Christians, as a rule, hold it before the service, Catholics after it.

5. Keeping the fast. The fast that precedes Easter must be strictly observed in both branches of Christianity. But in Catholicism there is an exception, a group of people who are allowed not to adhere to it: nursing mothers, sick people and pregnant women.

6. And, of course, the dates of Easter itself do not coincide. For Catholics it is earlier than for Orthodox Christians. Rarely can they coincide.

1. You should definitely attend services (mass) in the church throughout Easter week and Easter itself.

2. Prepare holiday symbols: boil and decorate eggs and bake a rabbit or hare from the dough. But in some Catholic countries, chicken eggs are replaced with chocolate ones. In some countries, they put something like a cake on the table - a cupcake.

3. Catholics spend this holiday with their family. Read the article

The moving holiday is celebrated on different dates every year. To be sure on what day to celebrate Easter in 2016, check the Orthodox calendar.

Why is Easter different every year?

Easter, Bright Sunday of Christ, is the main moving holiday in the Orthodox calendar. Its dating is directly related to the lunar cycle, since Easter celebrations occur on the Sunday after the first full moon. The lunar cycle has a clearly established number of days, which does not coincide with the calendar year we are used to, and therefore Easter is shifted annually by a certain number of days. It is established that the holiday cannot begin earlier than April 4 or later than May 8. The dates of Easter celebrations are calculated by the church for many years in advance.

The “Feast of Holidays,” as the Orthodox Church traditionally calls Easter, marks the end of the longest (more than 40 days) Lent. In 2016, Lent will begin on March 14 and continue until April 30. The most important time of Lent is Holy Week - a week symbolizing the last days of the life of Christ, starting from Palm Sunday (Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem) and ending with the holiday of Easter.

When is Easter celebrated in 2016

In 2016, Easter Sunday falls on May 1st. For the church, this is considered a fairly late Easter. The day before (on Saturday), it is customary to illuminate ready-made Easter cakes, Easter cakes and eggs painted in various ways in the temple. After which the day should be spent without straining too much physically, since the night service is ahead - the peak of the celebration, from which the Easter miracle begins.

Most Orthodox Christians strive to receive communion on Easter night, which is not easy due to the massive crowd of people in the church. Therefore, a small recommendation for those wishing to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ: do it on Thursday (the day when the church commemorates the events of the Last Supper, that is, the very first sacrament of communion).

The celebration of Easter continues for another 40 days, starting from Bright Week - the most solemn week in the Orthodox Christian calendar. The church charter for this time provides for the shortest services (on average they last about 30 minutes) with the Royal Doors open (a symbol of the fact that the Lord opened the gates to Paradise for people with his sacrifice on the cross.) At the same time, long tearful prayers are prohibited for all 40 days of the Easter celebration, kneeling and prostration. This is a time of joy, rejoicing, which must be spent in the proper emotional state.

The sacred meaning of this event for believers is the voluntary ascension of Christ to Calvary in order to atone for the sins of people through the sacrifice of the cross and open the way for them to eternal life.

Why Orthodox Easter does not coincide with Catholic Easter

The Catholic Church, unlike the Orthodox Church, lives according to the Gregorian calendar, which is now widespread throughout the world. The Orthodox Church did not recognize the Gregorian calendar, deciding to continue conducting services according to its usual Julian calendar. This is why there is such a difference in the dates of Easter celebrations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. For example, in 2016, Catholic Easter is celebrated on March 27, and the Orthodox Church will celebrate Easter Sunday only on May 1.

Traditionally, Easter is a family holiday that should be spent with your loved ones in joy and harmony. Preparation for Easter celebrations is also one of the means of family unity, since coloring eggs and baking fragrant Easter cakes is interesting for both children and adults. The joy of the Bright Holiday is multiplied by the joy of close spiritual communication with loved ones. Spend more time with your loved ones and don't forget to press the buttons and

18.11.2015 00:40

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The word "Easter" originates from the name of the Old Testament holiday of Passover, which was named from the Hebrew word "passover" ("passes by") - in memory of the ancient event of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and from Egyptian slavery, when the angel who struck the Egyptian firstborn When he saw the blood of the Passover lamb on the doors of Jewish homes, he passed by, leaving them untouched. Another ancient interpretation of the holiday connects it with the consonant Greek word for “suffering.”

In the Christian Church, the name “Easter” acquired a special meaning and began to mean the transition from death to eternal life with Christ - from earth to heaven.

This ancient holiday of the Christian Church was established and celebrated in apostolic times. The ancient church, under the name of Easter, combined two memories - the suffering and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ - and dedicated the days preceding and following the Resurrection to its celebration. To designate both parts of the holiday, special names were used - Easter of Suffering, or Easter of the Cross, and Easter of the Resurrection.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ testifies that he was “risen like God.” It revealed the glory of His Divinity, previously hidden under the cover of humiliation, shameful death for that time on the cross, like the criminals and robbers who were executed along with him.

Having risen from the dead, Jesus Christ sanctified, blessed and approved the general resurrection of all people who, according to Christian doctrine, will also rise from the dead on the general day of resurrection, just as an ear of grain grows from a seed.

In the first centuries of Christianity, Easter was celebrated in different churches at different times. In the East, in the churches of Asia Minor it was celebrated on the 14th day of Nisan (March - April), no matter what day of the week this date fell on. The Western Church celebrated Easter on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. An attempt to establish agreement between the churches on this issue was made under Saint Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, in the middle of the 2nd century. The First Ecumenical Council of 325 determined that Easter should be celebrated everywhere at the same time. This continued until the 16th century, when the unity of Western and Eastern Christians in the celebration of Holy Easter and other holidays was disrupted by the calendar reform of Pope Gregory XIII.

Orthodox local churches determine the date of Easter celebration according to the so-called Alexandrian Paschal: on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, between March 22 and April 25 (old style).

Since apostolic times, the church has celebrated Easter services at night. Like the ancient chosen people, who were awake on the night of their deliverance from Egyptian slavery, Christians are awake on the sacred and pre-holiday night of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. Shortly before midnight on Holy Saturday, the Midnight Office is served, during which the priest and deacon approach the Shroud (a canvas depicting the entombment of the body of Jesus Christ) and take it to the altar. The shroud is placed on the throne, where it must remain for 40 days until the day of the Ascension of the Lord.

The clergy put on festive vestments. Before midnight, the solemn ringing of bells - the bell - announces the approach of the Resurrection of Christ. Exactly at midnight, with the Royal Doors of the temple iconostasis closed, the clergy quietly sing the stichera: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ the Savior, the angels sing in heaven, and grant us on earth with a pure heart to glorify Thee.” After this, the curtain is pulled back (the curtain located behind the Royal Doors and covering them from the side of the altar) and the clergy again sing the same stichera, but in a loud voice. The Royal Doors open, and the stichera, in an even higher voice, is sung by the clergy for the third time until the middle, and the temple choir sings the ending. The priests leave the altar and, together with the people, like the myrrh-bearing women who came to the tomb of Jesus Christ, walk around the temple in a procession of the cross, singing the same stichera. The procession of the cross means the procession of the church towards the risen Savior. Having walked around the temple, the procession stops in front of the closed doors of the temple, as if at the entrance to the Holy Sepulcher. The rector of the temple and the clergy sing the joyful Easter troparion three times: “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life (life) to those in the tombs!” Then the rector pronounces the verses of the ancient prophecy of the holy King David: “May God rise again and His enemies (enemies) be scattered...”, and the choir and people in response to each verse sing: “Christ is risen from the dead...”. Then the priest, holding a cross and a three-candlestick in his hands, makes the sign of the cross with them at the closed doors of the temple, they open, and everyone, rejoicing, enters the church, where all the lamps and lamps are burning, and sing: “Christ is risen from the dead!”

The subsequent service of Easter Matins consists of the singing of the canon composed by St. John of Damascus. Between the songs of the Easter Canon, priests with a cross and censer walk around the entire church and greet parishioners with the words: “Christ is Risen!”, to which the believers answer: “Truly He is Risen!”

At the end of Matins, after the end of the Paschal canon, the priest reads the “Word of St. John Chrysostom,” which describes the celebration and meaning of Easter. After the service, all those praying in the church greet each other with Christ, congratulating each other on the great holiday.

Immediately after Matins, the Easter Liturgy (worship) is served, where the beginning of the Gospel of John is read. On Easter, all those who pray, if possible, partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Before the end of the liturgy, Easter bread - artos - is blessed.

After the end of the festive service, Orthodox Christians usually break their fast with blessed colored eggs and Easter cakes at the temple or at home.

Easter is celebrated for seven days, throughout the week, which is called Bright or Easter Week. Every day of the week is also called Light. During Bright Week, daily services are held with the Royal Doors of the iconostasis open (which are closed during the usual liturgy) as a sign that Jesus Christ has forever opened the gates of the Heavenly Kingdom to people.

The entire period before the Feast of the Ascension, celebrated on the 40th day after Easter, is considered Easter, and Orthodox Christians greet each other with the greeting “Christ is Risen!” and the answer “Truly he is risen!”

It has long been accepted that the first meal after Lent should be blessed colored eggs, Easter cake and Easter cottage cheese.

The explanation for the custom of painting Easter eggs red goes back to the late apocrypha (a work of early Christian literature not included in the biblical canon), which talks about the conversion of the Roman emperor Tiberius to Christianity. Wanting to stop the preaching of St. Mary Magdalene, Tiberius declared that he would rather believe in the transformation of a white egg into red than in the possibility of reviving the dead. The egg turned red, and this became the final argument in the controversy, which ended with the baptism of the Roman king.

The custom of exchanging colored eggs became firmly established in the life of the church. The red color of the Easter egg symbolizes all-conquering Divine Love.

Easter cake is shaped like artos. Easter artos is a symbol of Jesus Christ himself. The Easter cake, transferred to the festive table, contains baking, sweetness, raisins and nuts. Properly prepared Easter cake is fragrant and beautiful, it does not go stale for weeks and can stand without spoiling for all 40 days of Easter. Easter cake on the holiday table symbolizes God's presence in the world and in human life. The sweetness, richness, and beauty of Easter cake express the Lord’s care for every human being, his compassion and mercy for people.

Sweet cottage cheese Easter is a prototype of the Kingdom of Heaven. Her “milk and honey” is an image of endless joy, the bliss of saints, the sweetness of heavenly life, blissful Eternity. The shape of Easter in the form of a mountain symbolizes the foundation of the new heavenly Jerusalem - a city in which there is no temple, but, in the words of the Apocalypse ("Revelation of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian"), "The Lord God Almighty Himself is its temple and the Lamb."

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

Easter is one of the main church holidays, celebrated by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. The celebration is dedicated to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter does not have a specific date; the day of the holiday is calculated according to the lunar and solar calendar. After the vernal equinox, they wait for the first full moon and celebrate Easter on the next Sunday after it.

For Catholics in 2016, Easter is scheduled for March 27. In the west, the center of the celebration is Italy. In the evening, with the help of a torch, they bring the church fire home and light the hearth. Women do spring cleaning. In the morning, the whole family must meet for breakfast. In honor of the holiday, a rich, plentiful table was set. Soon after breakfast, lunch begins, which is accompanied by even more magnificent and plentiful festive dishes.

The most important sign of the holiday are eggs. They are considered a symbol of fertility and continuation of life and are always placed on the table. It is also customary to paint eggs for Easter, distribute them to children and exchange them when they meet.

Celebration traditions

Easter is the oldest holiday on the church calendar. It was officially recognized back in 325 AD. e. They have long believed that on this holiday we must do good deeds for others - this absolves sins from our souls.

A large number of traditions and beliefs are associated with Easter. For example, it is believed that for all seven days, until the Ascension, Jesus wanders around the planet, surrounded by his disciples. They look like beggars, wearing old clothes. During their journey, they test people, rewarding the generous and punishing the wicked.

On Easter, in prayer, they ask the Lord for what they dream of most. You can also notice something that we don’t notice on ordinary days. If, while the Easter service is going on, the candle is turned with the fire down, you can see a sorcerer with small horns, standing with his back to the altar. You can also stand near the church door, holding cottage cheese in your hands, and see a witch wagging her little tail.

Easter for Russian people is associated with the fulfillment of desires. During the holiday week, you can ensure success for the whole year. For example, if you come home from work first, then good luck will accompany you all year.

Young girls also had special signs. For example, during the morning service, the girls in prayer asked God for a groom and their desire was sure to be fulfilled. And in order to remain beautiful, on the first day of the holiday they washed themselves with water from a silver bowl with a red egg.

On Easter we went to the spring for water. Such water, brought in complete silence, was considered special. They washed their faces with it for beauty and health and sprayed it on the walls of houses for happiness.

People of different professions also have customs for Easter. Fishermen, so that there would always be fish in their nets, after the words “Christ is risen,” they answered, “But I have fish.” It was customary for hunters to shoot in the air near the church so that the gun would fire without missing. They also did not hunt throughout the holiday week, considering it a sin to shed blood on a holiday.

One of the main symbols of the holiday is the rabbit, which lays colored eggs. And, despite the fact that the holiday is celebrated differently everywhere, the tradition of painting eggs is everywhere. The main food on the table at Easter is considered to be egg dishes, Easter cottage cheese and Easter cakes. They are worn to church, blessed, then eaten and treated to guests.

One of the main holidays celebrated all over the world is Easter. This holiday commemorates the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who allowed himself to be crucified for the atonement of the sins of all mankind.

That is why not only all believers, but even those who have a rather distant relationship with religion are looking forward to the coming of Easter. For a believer, Easter is a sacred holiday; for young people and children, it is an excellent opportunity to relax in nature or at a table laden with various dishes. In this regard, almost everyone expects the onset of this holiday and tries to find out the date of its celebration early.

History of the holiday

Today there are practically no people who do not know about the history of the Easter holiday. All the events that led to the formation of the great date are described in some detail and accurately in the Gospels. Also, much information about the last days of Jesus Christ’s life on earth can be found in the Qumran manuscripts that have survived to this day. Knowing about the upcoming martyrdom, Jesus Christ began to tell his disciples about his speedy resurrection from the world of the dead. The Gospel tells about the resurrection of Christ on the 3rd day after death. Informed authorities and high priests decided to play it safe, although they did not believe in such a miraculous resurrection. They were more afraid of the possible theft of Christ's body by his followers in order to falsify the resurrection. After removing the body of the crucified Jesus from the cross, they placed it in a cave and sealed it with a huge stone. On the stone for protection stood the Sanhedrin seal, guarded by responsible guards.

On Sunday morning, the myrrh-bearing women, including the famous Mary Magdalene, came to the cave where the body of the Savior was supposed to rest. They wanted to anoint the righteous body of Christ with myrrh, which was always carried out before the burial of the dead. However, approaching the cave, the women saw that the stone had been rolled aside and the guards were sleeping nearby. In the cave itself, a bright angel was waiting for them, who ordered to notify everyone about the resurrection of the Savior.

Easter in 2016 what date? After these events take place, every year in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, all Orthodox people gather for a church service, the purpose of which is to glorify the miraculous resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ. This day is called Holy Easter.

What date is Easter in 2016

Many people wonder why the date of Easter is constantly changing. Those who had not lost interest could learn about special church calculations that required a good knowledge of the gospel and main dates. However, initially the Easter holiday was tied to a single date. It was celebrated on the 14th of Nisan, which is one of the spring months.

This didn't last long. In 325, they decided on the need to create the First Ecumenical Council, designed to decide important issues regarding the church and church holidays. The first of these holidays, the day of which was revised, was Easter. The reason for this need to change the date of the holiday was the sharp reluctance to celebrate Easter at the same time as the Jews. Since then, Easter began to be celebrated on Sunday after the full moon, which began on the day of the spring equinox. Thus, all professing Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter between April 4 and May 8. The day of celebration of the Catholic holiday is seriously different from the day of Orthodox Easter, which is explained by different calendars.

Therefore, you can avoid questions like: “What date does Easter start in 2016?” You can calculate the day of Easter yourself, and in a simpler way. To do this, you just need to count 40 days from the last day of Maslenitsa week. This is the date of Easter celebration.

What date is Easter in 2016 for the Orthodox?

All Christians professing the Orthodox faith are guided by the Julian calendar when celebrating Easter. Therefore, the day of celebration is calculated according to the so-called “old style”, using the Alexandrian Easter. Using the method described above, you can find out the day of Easter for many years to come. To give Orthodox people a reason to prepare for the upcoming holidays, churches compile special liturgical calendars indicating all important dates.

Celebrating Easter in 2016 may bring joy to some, but partygoers may be sad. Easter 2016 will be celebrated on May 1, when many Russians celebrate May Day. Practical people may be glad that several holidays can be combined, while others may be upset that there is one less holiday. However, do not be upset, because due to this overlap of holidays, May 2 will also be considered a day off.

Thus, according to the Orthodox calendar, Easter falls on May 1st. At this time, Bright Week will be celebrated throughout the entire period from May 2 to May 8. Before Easter, Orthodox believers will also observe a fast, lasting from March 14 to April 30. Unlike Catholic fasting, Orthodox fasting is stricter, excluding any consumption of food of animal origin.

Catholic Easter in 2016

Usually Catholic Easter is celebrated a little earlier than Orthodox Easter. Thus, Catholics celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ about a week earlier than the Orthodox. However, sometimes this period can increase, and Catholic or Jewish Easter is celebrated several weeks earlier or even earlier.

Easter in 2016, what date? Since many modern people profess the Catholic faith, and also ask the question: “What date is Easter in 2016?”, it should be clarified that Jewish Passover will be celebrated on March 27. All preparatory work for organizing the holiday begins during the beginning of Lent. During Catholic Lent, there are no too strict restrictions. Therefore, fasting Catholics can eat almost all foods with the exception of meat. Strictness should be observed only on Ash Wednesday (February 10). The remaining days of Easter week will last until April 2.

Easter - traditions

Since ancient times, there have been many traditions of celebrating Easter. Initially, people with families went to the temple in the morning to bless the available products. Sometimes people had to travel long distances to observe traditional rituals. In such situations, families had to “break their fast” directly next to the temple, and after that go home. It is noteworthy that the basket of food had to be in the hands of the head of the family, so there were practically no women with Easter baskets.

Consecration in the temple began after many people lined up around the temple. Baskets were placed next to the feet, and candles were always inserted into the cake. When the bells began to ring, a priest came out of the temple and began to sprinkle the baskets with holy water. The choir sang a traditional church song, and parishioners exchanged colored eggs and wished each other health and happiness. Also, everyone said to each other “Christ is Risen!”, and the answer should be “Truly He is Risen!” Such a phrase was a symbol of brotherhood and forgiveness. In addition, it was necessary to kiss three times, and also leave one of the colored eggs or Easter cakes in the church so that the clergy could distribute food to the poor.

After leaving the temple, the families headed home, but the owner of the house entered the house last, since he had to initially walk around his home three times and lay out colored eggs around the entire perimeter so that the animals could also taste the sacred food. In addition, the owner of the house needed a congratulatory “Christ is Risen!” walk around all livestock, trees and poultry. During the men's ritual, women busied themselves around the house, setting the table, laying out exclusively blessed foods.

When the owner of the house returned to his home, he kissed all the household members three times, and then went with his family to wash. The housewife first prepared a bowl, at the bottom of which lay a coin or coral. Young unmarried girls always washed first. It was believed that the beauty of metals or corals would pass on to them. Then the family sat down at the table according to seniority. Initially, a prayer was read, and then consumed Easter cake and a colored egg, washed down with wine. The head of the family had to congratulate all household members and wish them all kinds of blessings.

Why are Easter cakes baked for Easter?

There are two versions of the origin of this tradition. The first is Christian, since we talk about the Savior’s last meal, which involves the consumption of unleavened bread (Flesh) and wine (Blood). This version is rather dubious, because according to the Bible, the disciples ate Lenten bread, which cannot be said about the traditional Easter cake.

The second version provides for the pagan origin of the tradition, and is more plausible. It is believed that such baked goods were made to appease the god of fertility, acting as a kind of sacrifice. Before the advent of Christianity, another pagan festival dedicated to fertility was celebrated during Easter. At this time, real spring began, and winter completely lost its powers. Such a pagan holiday was always celebrated cheerfully, with round dances, various spells and other events.

Thus, you can easily understand when Easter will be in Russia in 2016, on what date, and also properly prepare for the celebration of this event. It is also advisable to visit a church or temple to partake of the great sacrament and rejoice at the resurrection of Jesus Christ.