Orthodox Countries Across The Globe Plan Big Easter 2019 Celebrations

Cassie Steele – OCP News Service – 25/3/19

This year, the Orthodox church will celebrate Easter Sunday on April, 28, one week after other Christian denominations. Despite Orthodox Christians coming together to worship Christ’s life and to commemorate his resurrection each Easter, every Orthodox country has a slightly different way of showing its respect. So, just how will some of the biggest Orthodox populations celebrate Easter 2019?

A Greek Easter

98% of Greek nationals identify as an Orthodox Christian. As such, these 10 million individuals will start their celebrations on the Thursday before Easter, which is otherwise known as Holy Thursday. Holy Thursday is a big baking day for Greek households as most devote the day to making sweet treats. Traditional, tsoureki, which is a sweet Easter bread containing an Easter egg in the center, dyed red to symbolize the blood of Jesus, is an annual favorite. Tsouraki is served on Easter Sunday and is often enjoyed when it has been warmed and toasted with a kitchen appliance.

On Good Friday, Greek Orthodox Christians mark the day that Jesus lost his life by attending multiple church services. Services to mourn Christ’s death are also held on Holy Saturday, with the evening service being the most poignant. At midnight, the church will erupt in light to highlight the importance of Easter Sunday. The Greek community typically spends the day enjoying good food with their families. Goat and lamb are usually on the menu and celebrations last long into the night.

Russian Easter traditions

In the Russian Orthodox church, Easter is the biggest occasion of the year. One of the country’s main celebrations is held in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savoir. On Easter Saturday, Russians will congregate in the Church for a lengthy ceremony which runs until the early hours of the morning. During this ceremony, candles, crucifixes, and singing take center stage. After Easter mass, Easter Sunday can begin, and the day is celebrated in a similar style to the Greeks. Traditional Russian foods, including kulich and paskha, are baked and devoured, while eggs are shared among loved ones. Easter eggs are also rolled down hills and taken to cemeteries so that they can be enjoyed by those who have passed.

How Ethiopia marks Easter

36 million Orthodox Christians currently celebrate Easter in Ethiopia. Holy Thursday is known as Tselote Hamus and Ethiopians will attend mass to mark the last supper, partake in a washing of the feet ceremony, and honor Christ’s last few hours. On Good Friday, many Orthodox Ethiopians undertake the pilgrimage to Lalibela to acknowledge Christ’s last steps on Earth. This is subsequently followed by Easter Saturday where meal preparation takes up the majority of the day, as does mass. Come sunrise on Easter Sunday, households will slaughter sheep, ready to prepare and eat alongside their family meal.

Easter is arguably the biggest occasion in the Orthodox church’s calendar. And, while every Orthodox country recognizes and understands the importance of this time of year, they each have their own take on the annual festivities.

Source:
Cassie Steele – OCP News Service