The meaning of Easter. Christian holiday Easter: history and traditions

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Easter in Russia, as in other countries, is a holiday of holidays, a celebration of celebrations. But today the world is changing rapidly, and most importantly, what remains unchanged is fading into the background. Rarely today, young people, especially in megacities, understand the meaning of the Easter holiday, go to confession and sincerely support centuries-old traditions. But Easter is the main Orthodox holiday, bringing light and joy to entire peoples, to the families and souls of every believer.

What is "Easter"?

Christians understand the word "Easter" as "transition from death to life, from earth to heaven." For forty days, believers observe the strictest fast and celebrate Easter in honor of Jesus' victory over death.

The Jewish Passover is pronounced "Pesach" (the Hebrew word) and means "passed by, passed by." The roots of this word go back to the history of the liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery.

The New Testament says that those who accept Jesus the destroyer will pass away.

In somelanguages, the word is pronounced like this - "Pisha". This is an Aramaic name that has spread in some languages of Europe and has survived to this day.

No matter how the word is pronounced, the essence of Easter does not change, for all believers this is the most important celebration. A bright holiday that brings joy and hope to the hearts of believers all over the Earth.

History of the holiday before the birth of Christ, or Old Testament Easter

The holiday originated long before the birth of Christ, but the significance of the Easter holiday in those days was very great for the Jewish people.

History says that once the Jews were in captivity among the Egyptians. Slaves suffered from their masters a lot of bullying, troubles and oppression. But faith in God, hope for salvation and the mercy of God has always lived in their hearts.

One day a man named Moses came to them, who with his brother had been sent to save them. The Lord chose Moses to enlighten the Egyptian pharaoh and deliver the Jewish people from slavery.

But no matter how hard Moses tried to convince Pharaoh to let the people go, freedom was not granted to them. The Egyptian pharaoh and his people did not believe in God, worshiping only their deities and relying on the help of sorcerers. To prove the existence and power of the Lord, nine terrible plagues were brought down on the Egyptian people. No bloody rivers, no toads, no midges, no flies, no darkness, no thunder - none of this could have happened if the ruler had let the people go with their cattle.

The last, tenth plague, like the previous ones, punished the pharaoh and his people, but did not affect the Jews. Moses warnedthat every family should slaughter a one-year-old unblemished male lamb. To anoint the doors of their houses with the blood of an animal, bake a lamb and eat it with the whole family.

All the first-born males were killed at night in houses among people and animals. Only the houses of the Jews, where there was a bloody mark, were not affected by the trouble. Since then, "Easter" means - passed by, past.

This execution greatly frightened the pharaoh, and he released the slaves with all their herds. The Jews went to the sea, where the water broke open, and they calmly set off along its bottom. The pharaoh wanted to break his promise again and rushed after them, but the water swallowed him.

Jews began to celebrate the liberation from slavery and the passing of executions by their families, calling the holiday Easter. The history and meaning of the Passover holiday is recorded in the Bible book "Exodus".

Easter New Testament

On Israeli soil, the virgin Mary was born Jesus Christ, who was destined to save human souls from the slavery of hell. At the age of thirty, Jesus began to preach, telling people about the laws of God. But three years later he was crucified along with other unwanted authorities on the cross, which was installed on Mount Calvary. It happened after the Jewish Passover, on Friday, which was later dubbed Passion. This event completes the meaning of the Easter holiday with new meaning, traditions and attributes.

Christ, like a lamb, was slain, but his bones remained intact, and this became His sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.

A little morestories

On the eve of the crucifixion, on Thursday, the Last Supper took place, where Jesus presented bread as his body, and wine as blood. Since then, the meaning of the Easter holiday has not changed, but the Eucharist has become a new Easter meal.

At first the holiday was weekly. Friday was the day of mourning and the beginning of fasting, and Sunday was the day of joy.

In 325, at the First Ecumenical Council, the date of Easter celebration was determined - on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. The Russian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar. To calculate what day Easter falls in a certain year, you need to make a rather complicated calculation. But for ordinary laymen, a calendar of dates for the holiday has been compiled for decades to come.

For a long time of the existence of the holiday, it has acquired traditions, which are still followed in families, and signs.

Lent

Easter in Russia is one of the main holidays even for those people who go to church very rarely. Today, in the era of high technology and urbanization, among generations that prefer a computer to live communication, the church is slowly losing its power over the hearts and souls of people. But almost everyone, regardless of age and strength of faith, knows what Lent is.

Traditions are passed on by older generations in families. It is rare that anyone decides to stick to the entire fast, most often only in the last week people somehow follow the rules.

40 days believers must eat no animal products (and on some fasting days morestrict), do not drink alcohol, pray, confess, take communion, do good, do not slander.

Lent ends with Holy Week. The service at Easter has a special meaning and scope. In modern Russia, services are broadcast live on central channels. In every church, even in the smallest village, candles are lit all night and chants are sung. Millions of parishioners all over the country stay up all night, pray, attend services, light candles, bless food and water. And fasting ends on Sunday, after the completion of all church rites. Those who fast sit down at the table and celebrate Easter.

Easter greeting

From childhood, we teach children that when greeting a person on this holiday, you need to say: “Christ is Risen!” And to answer such words: “Truly Risen!” To learn more about what this is connected with, you need to turn to the Bible.

The essence of Easter is the passage of Jesus to his Father. The story goes that Jesus was crucified on Friday (Good Friday). The body was taken down from the cross and buried. A coffin is a cave carved into the rock, closed by a huge stone. The bodies of the dead (there were still victims) were wrapped in fabrics and rubbed with incense. But they did not have time to perform the ceremony with the body of Jesus, since according to Jewish laws it is strictly forbidden to work on the Sabbath.

Women - followers of Christ - on Sunday morning went to his tomb to perform the ceremony themselves. An angel came down to them and told them that Christ had risen. Easter from now on will be the third day - the day of the resurrection of Christ.

Entering the tomb, the women were convinced of the words of the angel and brought this message to the apostles. And they communicated this joyful news to everyone. All believers and non-believers should have known that the impossible happened, what Jesus said happened - Christ is risen.

Easter: traditions from different countries

In many countries of the world, believers paint eggs and bake Easter cakes. There are a lot of recipes for Easter cakes, and in different countries they also differ in shape. Of course, this is not the essence of Easter, but these are traditions that have accompanied the holiday for many centuries.

In Russia, Bulgaria and Ukraine they "fight" with colored eggs.

In Greece, on the Friday before Easter, working with a hammer and nails is considered a great sin. At midnight from Saturday to Sunday, after the solemn service, when the priest proclaims "Christ is Risen!", a grandiose fireworks illuminates the night sky.

In the Czech Republic, on the Monday following Easter Sunday, girls are whipped as a compliment. And they can pour water on a young man.

Australians make chocolate Easter eggs and figurines of various animals.

Ukrainian Easter eggs are called Easter eggs. Children are given clean white eggs as a symbol of their long and bright life path. And for the elderly - dark eggs with a complex pattern, as a sign that there were many difficulties in their life.

Easter in Russia brings light and wonder to the homes of believers. Consecrated Easter eggs are often credited with miraculous powers. On Sunday morning, when washing, the consecrated egg is placed in a basin of water, and each family member should wash with it, rubbing his cheeks and forehead.

The red Easter egg has a special symbolism. In Greece, red is the color of sorrow. The red eggs symbolize the tomb of Jesus, while the broken eggs symbolize the open tombs and the Resurrection.

Signs for Easter

Each nation has its own unique signs associated with this day. Modern man does not always believe in them, but it is interesting to know about it.

Some nations consider it a good omen to swim in the spring on Easter night and bring this water into the house.

On the eve of Easter, houses are cleaned, cooked, baked, but in many countries it is considered a sin to work on Saturday. In Poland, signs for Easter prohibit housewives from working on Friday, otherwise the whole village will be left without a harvest.