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The most interesting and important things about Easter. Resurrection of Christ: the most important thing you need to know about Easter

The Easter holiday is rightfully considered the brightest and most joyful. But in order to fully experience its atmosphere, you need to go through Lent and all the events of Holy Week. Why Christ went to torment and suffering, why he descended into hell and how to properly prepare and spend this day - read on.

Without the crucifixion there would be no Resurrection

The joy of the Resurrection of Christ is impossible without the sorrow of the crucifixion and death of the Son of God. Six days before the main celebration, the Church remembers the last days of Christ's preaching, the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter, the trial of the Son of God, the beating of Jesus, the path to Calvary, the crucifixion and death of the Savior on the cross.

Why did Jesus become incarnate and suffer?

God created man for holiness and eternal life. Adam was supposed to become god. But he decided to do this without the fate of the Creator, that is, he wanted to become a god without God.

He and his wife ate the fruits of the forbidden tree, thereby violating God’s commandment. Because of their fall, all of humanity suffered. To overcome the consequences of original sin and return to man the opportunity to achieve holiness, to unite with God, Christ came into the world.

The Gospel says:

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life

But he did not give it for earthly glory, performing countless miracles and converting many in such a simple way. No. God sends the Only Begotten Son, who, to come into the world, takes human nature and is born of the Virgin Mary.

As the holy fathers say, God became man so that man could become god.

Jesus, as a perfect God, also became a perfect man. He was born, fed on his mother's milk, grew up, preached, fasted, and prayed. He even endured sorrows of his own free will. The only thing that was not characteristic of Him was sin.

The Crucifixion of Christ is the highest price of love

And so perfect God-man experiences insults, humiliation and the most shameful death - crucifixion.

He came in peace, but they killed Him like a robber.

He was sinless, but He was crucified along with the evildoers.

He did not do anything bad, because evil is generally alien to the Good God, but he suffered from human malice.

He revealed Himself to the disciples and, humbled, washed the disciples’ feet, but one of them betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver, the second denied Him three times, the rest fled.

They mocked Him, they beat Him half to death, they nailed Him to the Cross, and He prayed for the robbers.

The scourging and crucifixion of Christ are by no means speculation. According to the results of studies of the Shroud of Turin, Jesus suffered 39 blows with a five-tailed whip, at the ends of which hung lead balls. Then he, looking like a continuous bloody wound, was led to Golgotha. They pierced His hands and feet with nails, and the centurion also plunged a spear into His side.

Why did Jesus agree to all this? For the salvation of every person. Not only for the sake of some Vasya Pupkin, Petya Ivanov or the pious old lady from the third entrance, but for the sake of me, my family, friends, everyone.

God is love. And the latter is unthinkable without sacrifice. If we really love a person, then we are ready to do everything for him, even give our own life.

The Savior Himself says to the disciples:

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friend

A person can be saved from sin and redeemed only at the price of blood and not a ritual animal, which in the Old Testament was sacrificed more than once and eaten at Easter, but... the Son of God. And Jesus sets an example of incomprehensible love and humility, even when death is being prepared for Him.

At the Last Supper, He gives communion to Judas along with the rest of the disciples. He knows about Peter's denial, but does not stop praying for it.

When Judas and the guards came to take Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter took out a sword and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers. And what does the Savior do? He asks His disciple to hide the sword and heals the one who came after Him with stakes and swords.

Even while on the Cross, enduring unbearable pain, when you literally suffocate from every word, the Son of God prays for the villains:

Forgive them, Lord, for they do not know what they are doing

By human standards we can describe the depth of a mother’s suffering when her children are sick, the grief of a person confined to bed by a fatal illness. But are there enough words to express the suffering of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the crucifixion of Christ? Or the Teacher’s grief when the disciples fled? He gasped with pain and horror on the Cross, crying out to heaven: My God, My God! Why did you leave me?

Descent into Hell

At nine o'clock on Friday He died, only to be resurrected on the third day. The Holy Scriptures do not talk about what Jesus experienced during his death. Unless the Apostle Peter writes:

Christ, in order to lead us to God, once suffered for our sins, the Just for the unjust, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit, by whom He came down and preached to the spirits in prison... (1 Pet. 3:18-19)

Tradition makes it clear that the Son of God descended to the depths of hell and returned to humanity the lost hope of holiness.

If you look closely at the crucifixion of Christ, which is in every Orthodox church, then from below we will see a skull and bones. What does it mean?

It is believed that Adam was buried at Golgotha, and it is his remains that we see under the cross. But a red stream hits Adam's skull. It is believed that in this visible way the blood of the crucified Christ washed the remains of the first man. Jesus redeemed humanity from the consequences of original sin.

In churches at evening services you can hear the praise of the Virgin Mary, testifying to the descent of Christ into hell:

Blessed are You, Virgin Mother of God, for by Your incarnation hell was captivated, Adam was returned from it, the curse lost its power, Eve was freed, death was put to death and we are filled with life

But the most complete “evidence” of the presence of the God-man in the underworld and the abolition of death is given by the icon "The Descent of Christ into Hell" . This canonical image can be seen in many temples. The Savior is depicted in the center of the icon. It was as if He had descended into the underworld on His Cross. With one hand he pulls a woman out of the abyss, and with the other, a man. Many people gathered around Jesus. And below, in the darkness, scattered keys are clearly visible.

How to “read” this icon? Jesus rescues Adam and Eve from hell, as well as many of the Old Testament righteous. And the scattered keys symbolize open doors - nothing can close the door to resurrection and eternal life for the dead.

Resurrection of Christ: death no more

By His Resurrection the Savior shows that there is no more death. But how not? - readers are perplexed. After all, many people die every day...

In theological understanding death is a falling away from God. So Adam and Eve sinned and separated from the Lord. They have not yet died physically, but have already succumbed to the laws of aging and decay.

Jesus restored this lost connection between God and man, He atoned for original sin. Christ was resurrected, but not as the Spirit, but as the God-Man, that is, bodily. Therefore, He invites the Apostle Thomas to make sure that this is really the Teacher before him, by “measuring” the depth of Jesus’ wounds from the nails.

According to Christian teaching, following the example of the Resurrection of Christ, each individual person will rise from the dead on the day of the Last Judgment. The Savior will come to earth for the second time, then the fate of everyone will be decided. For some, paradise awaits - eternal stay in the Kingdom of Heaven in unity with God. And for others - eternal torment in the underworld.

But on earth a person can also unite with God. How? In the Sacrament of the Eucharist. By eating the Flesh and Blood of Christ, a person accepts God into himself. This is another mercy of the Lord shown to all humanity. In no other world religion can there be such a God who, for the sake of people, voluntarily accepted suffering and death, and, being sinless, united with a sinful person. It is important to always remember all this, and especially think about it on Easter.

What do Easter cakes and dyes symbolize?

On this day, it is very important to put in first place not Easter cakes and eggs, not picnics and barbecues, but rather Christ, who loved humanity so much that he even went to the Cross for His salvation.

For those who fasted during Lent and regularly attended church during Holy Week, it is much easier. They experienced the pain of the Savior’s suffering and rejoice at the rise of Christ.

They go to church not for the blessing of the Easter basket, but precisely for the sake of the holiday. Together with the entire Universe, all of God’s creation - both humanity and nature, the angelic forces - they joyfully say:

Easter cakes and dyes are also important and have their own symbolism. But without being present at the Easter service and experiencing fasting, their meaning is somewhat lost.

It is customary to break the fast with Easter bread and eggs after Lent. But why is this food in the first place?

Bread has always had a special meaning in Christianity. The Savior himself in the Gospel calls himself “the bread of life.” It is customary to bake for Easter artos - large leavened bread, symbolizing the Resurrection of Christ. The artos stands in the temple for a whole week, and only then the priest reads a prayer for the consecration of this bread, divides it into pieces and distributes it to the believers.

But, unlike the clergy, each housewife baked her own holiday bread - Easter cake . In honor of the end of Lent and the joy of the holiday, not only salt, flour and water were added to such bread, but also eggs, milk, butter, raisins - depending on the capabilities and imagination of the housewife. Easter cake must be sweet, because sugar symbolizes the sweetness of life with Christ.

In many religions, the egg symbolized the origin of life. In the Christian understanding, the shell meant the coffin. Jesus overcame death and rose from the grave.

But we are primarily associated with Easter paints . According to Tradition, Mary Magdalene, preaching in Rome, appeared to the emperor, presented him with a chicken egg and said: “Christ has risen.” Just as a white egg cannot turn red, so a dead person cannot come to life, the ruler doubted. And a miracle happened: the egg turned red!

And the red color itself also has a special meaning: it is the color of blood and a symbol of royal dignity. Christ, being a King, but not of this world, shed His blood for the salvation of people.

That is why the consecration of the Easter basket must be approached with an understanding of the events taking place, with the experience of grief from the death of Christ and joy from His rebellion. Otherwise, Easter will turn into just another day off for us, a visit to church will become an excursion, and the blessing of eggs and Easter cakes will turn into some sort of “holiday ritual.”

Will we then be able to share the rejoicing of all humanity and, like Mary Magdalene, from a heart filled with joy say: Christ is risen?! Will we be able, as it is sung in the Easter canon, to walk towards the Divine Light with “merry feet”?

Tells about the history and meaning of the holiday Metropolitan Hilarion in his film:

Orthodox Christians are preparing to celebrate the bright holiday - Easter. This is the main event of the year for the Orthodox. The word “Easter” came to us from the Greek language and means “passing”, “deliverance”. On this day, believers celebrate the deliverance through Christ the Savior of all mankind from slavery to the devil and the gift of life and eternal bliss.

As theologians note, just as redemption was accomplished by the death of Christ on the cross, so by His Resurrection eternal life was granted to people.

Today we know many of the customs of celebrating Easter: Christening, etc., but there are some facts that may be of interest even to people who profess a different faith or are not believers at all. We invite you to read this collection.

Interesting facts related to Easter:

The custom of giving each other colored eggs was not invented by Christians. This was also done by the ancient Egyptians and Persians, who exchanged them as part of the celebration of the beginning of spring. Eggs then meant a wish for fertility.

The most famous Easter eggs were made by Peter Carl Faberge - back in 1883, Tsar Alexander ordered a gift set of such eggs for his wife.

The largest Easter egg is located in Vegreville, Alberta, Canada. It weighs about 2 tons and its length is about 8 meters.

In Russia, the largest Easter egg was made from ice in 2010. Its weight was 880 kilograms and its height was 2.3 meters.

Eggs are painted on Maundy Thursday, just like Easter cakes are baked. At the same time, it was customary to make Easter - a dish made from cottage cheese.

The ceremony of bringing out the Holy Light on Holy Saturday is carried out jointly by the Greek and Armenian patriarchs of Jerusalem.

The world's largest Easter cake, weighing more than 2 tons and 2.4 meters high, was baked in 2011 in the village of Yalta, Donetsk region.

In Russia, painted Easter eggs or pysanky were kept at home throughout the year, thus protecting their home from fires, floods and other natural disasters.

In Kolomyia there is a Pysanka Museum, the building was built in the shape of an egg.

During Holy Week, myrrh is prepared only once a year - a special mixture of several dozen substances based on olive oil, aromatic herbs and fragrant resins.

In Russia, in the old days, it was customary for housewives to stay at home on the first day of Easter, and men to go to their loved ones and acquaintances with congratulations. The tables had been set all day and there were already fast (non-lenten) dishes on them. The Easter table was usually decorated mainly with cold dishes: baked lamb, fried veal, pork hams. It was not customary to serve fish on this day.

In addition, some Russians visit the graves of relatives on Easter. However, this is not welcomed in the Orthodox Church. As the holy fathers note, in connection with the joyful day of Easter, the commemoration of the dead ceases for the entire Bright Week. Relatives are called to remember on Radonnitsa (Parents' Day)

In the Russian Orthodox Church there is a custom to read the first 17 verses of the Gospel of John in various languages at the festive Easter service.

In 45% of cases, Catholic Easter is a week earlier than Orthodox Easter, in 30% of cases it is the same, in 5% there is a difference of 4 weeks, in 20% there is a difference of 5 weeks.

In 2014, Catholics celebrated Easter together with Orthodox Christians.

Of the former USSR countries, only in Belarus are both Catholic and Orthodox Easter considered state holidays.

The English name for Easter, Easter, comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn, Eostre. In our country this goddess is better known under the name Ishtar (and the corresponding Greek name Hestia, German Eostre, Ostarta, Lithuanian Austra)

For Catholics, the symbol of Easter is the rabbit. In many European countries, children believe that, subject to exemplary behavior on their part, the Easter Bunny comes on the eve of the holiday and lays colored eggs in the nest. The nest (or basket) had to be prepared in advance in a secluded place. Kids usually used their hats for this purpose, laying them out in barns, barns and other secluded rooms. The arrival of the miracle rabbit is awaited with almost the same impatience as the visit of Santa Claus.

The best Easter bunny is the one with the bell hanging around his neck. On the eve of Easter, this eared character can be found everywhere and in different forms. Rabbits are made from chocolate, marzipan and other tasty materials, they are sewn from plush and fur, and sculpted from clay. “Rabbit” ornaments decorate many Easter items: holiday tablecloths, napkins, dishes. And, of course, postcards.

76 percent of Catholics eat chocolate bunnies' ears first.

In America, a very common Easter game is rolling eggs on a sloping lawn. The winner of the competition is the one who can roll his colored egg the furthest without stopping. The most popular competition takes place on Easter Sunday on the lawn near the White House in Washington. Hundreds of children come here with their Easter baskets filled with brightly colored eggs and roll them down the lawn near the presidential palace.

Sweden has its own kind of fun. They even have Easter Witches. Little girls dress in rags and old clothes, most often their outfits consist of oversized skirts and scarves. In this form, the girls go from door to door with a copper teapot and collect treats. They say this custom originated from the ancient belief that witches fly to the German mountain Blockula on the Thursday before Easter and hold a Sabbath. According to legend, when they returned back, the ancestors of the Swedes and Finns lit fires and scared the evil spirits. People also shot into the air and painted crosses on houses and barns to scare away evil spirits. Nowadays, the tradition is alive: in the days before Easter, Swedes and Finns light bonfires and set off fireworks.

At Easter, Bulgarians make a huge amount of clay products, most often pots, which are usually thrown on the same day from the upper floors of houses to the ground: this marks the victory of good over evil. At the same time, every passerby can take a clay fragment with them - for good luck.

And in a number of Latin American countries and some parts of Greece, it is customary to hang an effigy of the apostle who betrayed Christ and burn it. Sometimes fireworks are placed in the effigy.

Easter is one of the most popular holidays in Russia, second only to New Year. Christians of the Western and Eastern rites (Catholics and Orthodox) associate it with the person of Jesus Christ, crucified on the cross and resurrected on the day that we now call Bright Sunday. Although the roots of this holiday go much deeper into history and are connected with the Jewish tradition of welcoming spring. Even Jesus Christ, and many years later the Christian world, placed his image at the forefront during the celebration of this day. - and Easter cake - are associated precisely with the pagan tradition of welcoming spring, and not with Christ. They symbolize the birth of a new life.

There are other funny and at first glance incomprehensible customs that can surprise and amaze. For example, it is curious why in the Western world all children look forward to Easter, and here and why in Sweden there are witches walking around the cities on this day. We have collected the most interesting ones related to the traditions of celebration and people’s ideas about Bright Resurrection from different parts of the world.

The widespread tradition of exchanging colored eggs in honor of the holiday was not invented by the first followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ. In this way, the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt and Persia celebrated the onset of spring (now Iran is located on the territory of the former Persian kingdom). At that time, colored eggs symbolized the fertility that people wished for each other. Nowadays in Iran and Azerbaijan it is preserved for the Muslim spring holiday Navruz.

The Orthodox tradition is characterized by a reverent attitude towards Easter eggs. Previously, the owners always left one egg painted and illuminated for Easter untouched and stored it in the house for a whole year. It was believed that this dye was the strongest amulet that was able to protect the hut from various natural disasters - flood or fire.

Even the shells from eaten boiled Easter eggs were never thrown into the trash. She was carefully buried in the field. Our ancestors were confident that this would bring them a rich harvest. It is noteworthy that residents of Slovakia and the Czech Republic did the same with the shells of eggs blessed for Easter.

But other interesting facts are connected with Bulgaria.

Shells from Easter eggs, always painted red, were buried in the field. The Bulgarians were confident that this would save their field from moles.
The ancestors of modern Bulgarians also kept Easter eggs throughout the year and used them in rituals to disperse clouds that threatened rain and hail.

Residents of neighboring Belarus and more western Macedonia had a tradition on Easter to wash themselves with clean water, in which one red dye was placed. It was believed that this ritual would bring health, youth and beauty to a person. Women especially often resorted to him.

Where do the bunny ears come from in the Easter story?

If for Orthodox countries the key symbols of the holiday are colored eggs, Easter cake and cottage cheese Easter, then in many countries where residents profess Catholicism, there are other symbols. The most famous of them is the Easter Bunny. Nowadays, it can be seen everywhere in European countries, as well as in the USA and Canada. It would seem, what does this furry animal have to do with praising the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

Indeed, he does not appear in biblical history. The Easter Bunny is associated with the ancient celebration of spring. In the modern world, the tradition of using a rabbit as a home decoration and as a gift for Easter came from Germany. During pagan times, the cult of the goddess Ostara flourished there. This Teutonic goddess symbolized spring and fertility. According to myths, rabbits carried her lamps for her, because she was still the goddess of the dawn. In addition, rabbits have long been famous for their fertility, so it is not surprising that they were in the retinue of the ancient goddess of fertility.

In Christian times, at first the priests did not recognize any spring rabbit, and, of course, the goddess of spring. But among the people, pagan traditions were extremely strong, and therefore the first church fathers had to make concessions in order to painlessly instill in people the veneration of the new saints. One of these assumptions was the rabbit, which, according to a new religious interpretation, hid brightly decorated eggs in gardens at Easter. It was then that the tradition of the “Easter egg hunt” began. The youth happily ran around the garden, looking for colorful paints in the grass.

Moreover, predictions for the year were associated with the color of the egg, which was the first to be found on Easter during the “hunt”. So, if the first egg found was blue, it meant that the person was in trouble. But the red Easter egg, on the contrary, predicted that in the next three days the lucky one would have good luck in business. A little later, the Easter bunny became the favorite of all children, because their parents gave them sweets for Easter and said that the Easter bunny brought it.

Often, as a holiday gift, children were presented with a rabbit figurine made from marzipan (a mixture of sugar syrup with almonds ground into flour). It is not surprising that soon the children began to expect the “arrival of the Easter Bunny” with no less enthusiasm than St. Nicholas.

Immigrants from Germany brought these interesting traditions to America, where they flocked from the 18th century. There, immigrants from Germany tried to settle compactly in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania. From there, the tradition of “hunting” colored eggs and giving marzipan bunnies to children at Easter spread throughout the United States.

Another interesting symbol of the holiday from the animal world is the lamb. In ancient Jewish tradition, Jews sacrificed it on Passover. The first Christians also continued this custom, but in their interpretation the lamb came to symbolize the meekness of Christ in his acceptance of his fate.

Easter fun around the world

The tradition of collecting colorful eggs came from Germany to the United States, and over time, Americans showed imagination and came up with new Easter fun using paints. One of the most popular games these days is rolling eggs on the lawn in the yard. It is imperative that the surface be inclined so that the eggs can roll down the hill. Several people must participate in these competitions. The winner is the one whose egg rolls the furthest before stopping. The popularity of this interesting pastime is evidenced by the fact that every year people organize mass competitions for Easter on the lawn located near the White House in Washington. Children most often participate in these competitions near the presidential residence.

Europe has its own interesting games for Easter. For example, in Sweden on this day little Easter witches walk around the cities. Girls dress up in rags, consisting of long and wide old skirts, and complement the look with scarves. With copper teapots in their hands, costumed girls go from house to house on their street and demand treats from their neighbors. This interesting Easter tradition is very similar to the version of celebrating All Saints Day (Halloween) in the United States.

Dressing up as Easter witches is associated with an ancient Swedish legend, which says that on Easter Eve witches flock to the local mountain Blockula, located in the middle of the sea, for a Sabbath. The ancestors of the modern inhabitants of Sweden burned bonfires all night to scare the witches when they supposedly returned from the Sabbath. In order to intimidate the evil spirits, people even shot guns into the sky and painted crosses on the walls of their houses and utility rooms.

In the modern world, the interesting ancient tradition of shooting into the air has changed, and now the residents of Sweden, instead of shooting, launch fireworks into the night sky. But they continue to light fires, just like their ancestors.

A more peaceful Easter tradition exists in other European powers. For example, in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, women and girls used to be doused with water on Easter. This unusual action was perceived as a wish for health and beauty. Residents of these European countries considered the water to be healing and promote female fertility. Nowadays women are no longer doused with water, because the weather on Easter is usually still quite cool. Instead, local beauties are sprayed with perfume, putting an ancient message into this action. But in Poland and Western Ukraine the original version of dousing people with water is still alive. But this does not happen on Easter itself, but on the day after it.

Residents of Bulgaria can also boast of their interesting Easter tradition. Here, before Easter, a large number of clay pots are made. During the holiday, people climb to the roofs of their houses (or the upper floors of high-rise buildings) and throw down pottery so that it breaks on the ground. This symbolic action is an allegory of the victory of good over evil. And passersby rush to pick up the fragments of broken pots, as they are considered amulets.

Culinary traditions for Easter

Interesting are the dishes served on Easter Sunday in different countries. In Rus', it was customary for the housewife to stay at home to prepare dishes while the head of the family visited friends with congratulations. The table was set in the house all day, as every now and then a new guest appeared on the doorstep. An interesting fact is that in ancient times in Rus' fish dishes were not served on the Easter table.

The basis of the festive treat, in addition to dyes and Easter cakes, were:

Ham;
baked lamb;
fried veal.

These dishes were served cold. The Easter table of the people of England is no less meaty these days. In foggy Albion, the first violin among Easter dishes is played by baked and stuffed lamb. Other traditional dishes include honey-garlic meatballs, smoked ham, bacon and sausages. The side dish for these meat delicacies is potatoes with rosemary-garlic butter. But for dessert, English housewives bake special buns decorated with a cross. They use raisins and candied fruits as filling. Other interesting ones are rowan berry cake and meat pie with rabbit meat.

In Catholic Italy, the main dish for Easter is baked lamb with artichokes. But the greatest interest in this country is Easter baking. Traditional treats include an unusual cupcake in the shape of a dove and a variety of pies.

Each of the Easter dishes was born in one or another region of Italy.

On the island of Malta, for Easter, dough figures called figolli are baked. They can be absolutely anything, for example, the same Easter bunny. They are made from shortcrust pastry and marzipan is used as filling.

In Poland, meat day is also celebrated on Easter. Here the tables are laden with various varieties of sausages and meat dishes. For the first course in Poland, they prepare zurek soup, which, along with potatoes and mushrooms, contains a large amount of smoked meats. And the central place is occupied by a figurine of lamb baked from dough. Among the baked goods, noteworthy are yeast pies made on rye flour, decorated with a cross and greased with lard.

Easter is replete with interesting celebration traditions in different countries. But one trend can be traced: no matter where in the world this holiday is celebrated, it is always accompanied by fun and a pleasant atmosphere.

As theologians note, just as redemption was accomplished by the death of Christ on the cross, so by His Resurrection eternal life was granted to people.

Today we know many customs for celebrating Easter: dyeing eggs, celebrating Christ, etc., but there are some facts that may be of interest even to people who profess a different faith or are not believers at all. We invite you to read this collection.

Interesting facts related to Easter:

The most famous Easter eggs were made by Peter Carl Faberge - back in 1883, Tsar Alexander ordered a gift set of such eggs for his wife.

The largest Easter egg is located in Vegreville, Alberta, Canada. It weighs about 2 tons and its length is about 8 meters.

In Russia, the largest Easter egg was made from ice in 2010. Its weight was 880 kilograms and its height was 2.3 meters.

Eggs are painted on Maundy Thursday, just like Easter cakes are baked. At the same time, it was customary to make Easter - a dish made from cottage cheese.

The ceremony of bringing out the Holy Light on Holy Saturday is carried out jointly by the Greek and Armenian patriarchs of Jerusalem.

The world's largest Easter cake, weighing more than 2 tons and 2.4 meters high, was baked in 2011 in the village of Yalta, Donetsk region.

In Russia, painted Easter eggs or pysanky were kept at home throughout the year, thus protecting their home from fires, floods and other natural disasters.

There is a Pysanka Museum in Kolomna; the building is built in the shape of an egg.

During Holy Week, myrrh is prepared only once a year - a special mixture of several dozen substances based on olive oil, aromatic herbs and fragrant resins.

In the Russian Orthodox Church there is a custom to read the first 17 verses of the Gospel of John in various languages at the festive Easter service.

In 45% of cases, Catholic Easter is a week earlier than Orthodox Easter, in 30% of cases it is the same, in 5% there is a difference of 4 weeks, in 20% there is a difference of 5 weeks.

In 2014, Catholics celebrated Easter together with Orthodox Christians.

Of the former USSR countries, only in Belarus are both Catholic and Orthodox Easter considered state holidays.

76 percent of Catholics eat chocolate bunnies' ears first.

And in a number of Latin American countries and some parts of Greece, it is customary to hang an effigy of the apostle who betrayed Christ and burn it. Sometimes fireworks are placed in the effigy.

In Bermuda, Easter kites are flown on Good Friday.

Speaking of Holy Week, Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita takes place during Holy Week and ends on the eve of Easter Night.

In many Christian countries, Easter is also associated with the image of a lamb. On themed cards he is often depicted next to a cross and the inscription "Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God).

The tradition of placing a large candle at the altar during the Easter night service exists in all Christian countries. All other lamps in the church are then lit from this candle. The ritual originated in the 4th century AD, with the main candle being a symbol of Jesus Christ and its sacred flame a symbol of the Resurrection.

In the old days, parishioners took home candles with blessed fire in order to use them to light home lamps and light hearths. This custom symbolized the sacrifice of Christ, who gave his life for the sake of people.

Easter has also always been associated with many interesting signs, not only among righteous Christians, but also among those who seriously violate God's commandments. For example, thieves had a superstition: if you steal something from parishioners during the Easter service in church and don’t get caught, you can safely steal all year, you won’t be caught. Card players believed that a simple ritual would bring good luck in the game - when going to church on Easter, you need to put a coin in your boot.

Elena Ilyinskaya

prepared based on materials from Internet publications

Or Bright Sunday of Christ is the main holiday of all Christians. A lot is known about him, but not everyone knows about some facts related to him. In anticipation of this great holiday, we decided to lift the veil and tell our readers something interesting...

1. The main Easter attribute - colored boiled eggs - symbolizes resurrection, new life and is present in many customs, one of which is the most famous - the exchange of Easter eggs.

2. The most traditional color in which Easter eggs are painted is red: it symbolizes the blood of Christ, who sacrificed himself for the salvation of mankind. As the legend tells, Mary Magdalene came to Emperor Tiberius and told him that Christ had risen. Tiberius did not believe it and replied that this was as impossible as if a chicken egg turned red. At that very moment, the egg given to him turned the color of blood.

3. Another legend says that the custom of sending each other festively decorated eggs as a gift for Easter comes from the Romans, and it originated back in the distant year 224. Christians, having adopted this custom, put a different meaning into it.

4. Currently, a huge number of toys, sweets and souvenirs in the form of bunnies are produced for Easter. Interestingly, the Easter bunny is also a symbol of fertility and material well-being, which became such in the 16th century in Germany, after which it spread throughout the world.

5. In some European countries, as well as in a number of cities in North America, there is a custom in the evening on the eve of the Resurrection of Christ to hide Easter eggs in the house. Waking up on a holiday morning, the children immediately search the entire home and as a result find a lot of chocolate Easter bunnies and colorful eggs.

6. In Bulgaria, on Easter, a huge number of clay products (in particular, pots) are made, which are usually thrown on the same day from the upper floors of houses to the ground: this marks the victory of good over evil. At the same time, every passerby can take a clay fragment with them - for good luck.

7. In Russia and Serbia, there is a tradition of “Christing” with Easter eggs, breaking them in turn from the ends, just as people “Christ” on the cheeks. And in these countries, children compete in so-called “rides”: who can roll their egg the farthest.

8. The theme of Easter has inspired many great art masters. The “Easter Eggs” of perhaps the most famous jeweler of all time, Peter Carl Faberge, became a true masterpiece. For example, in the product “Lily of the Valley” there is a mechanism, when “launched”, three small portraits of Emperor Alexander and his two daughters appear from the egg and spread out like a fan. Beginning in 1883, the autocrat annually ordered a set of festive precious eggs for his wife for Easter.

9. The largest Easter egg in the world is the one located in the city of Vegreville, in the province of Alberta (Canada). The weight of this egg is almost 2 tons, and its length is about 8 meters!

10. Every year, at least $20 billion worth of gifts are purchased around the world for Easter, and about $40 billion is usually spent on food needed for the celebration!

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