A post about how this event is celebrated in some countries of the world, what they give and prepare.

Congratulations to everyone on the holiday of the Resurrection of Christ - Catholic Easter!

Today I will tell you about how this event is celebrated in some countries of the world, what they give and prepare.

Australia

Australian Easter is a four-day holiday that begins on Good Friday and ends on Easter Monday. There are huge fairs in Australia over the Easter weekend. The largest annual fair, the Royal Easter Show, takes place in Sydney. This fair used to be purely agricultural, but these days it celebrates literally everything.

For the holiday, parents always buy their children an Easter Show Pack - a package with several toys, a set of pencils, a notebook, a postcard, etc., all with the image of some cartoon character, as well as a lot of sweets. In Australia, as elsewhere in the world, Easter eggs made from chocolate or sugar are very popular.

The symbol of Easter in Australia is not the traditional Easter bunny, but the local animal Bilby. This is due to the fact that Australians are very protective of their flora and fauna, and rabbits destroy farmers' crops, tear up the earth and destroy its small inhabitants.

Be that as it may, Bilby is no less popular than the long-standing symbols of Australia - kangaroos and koalas - which are protected by the Australian Bilby Appreciation Society. Australian environmental organizations call: “By buying a couple of chocolate Bilbies instead of a traditional rabbit, you will not only get an excellent treat, but also support your native nature!” All proceeds from the sale of chocolates go towards the research and protection of these mammals, the number of which in nature has sharply decreased in recent years.

Brazil

A significant part of the population of Brazil is Catholics, for whom Easter is the largest and most revered religious holiday.

Several centuries ago, German emigrants brought Easter traditions with them to Brazil: the Easter bunny and colorful eggs.

On the bright day of Easter, traditional holiday services are held in churches.

In Brazil, for Easter they give chocolate eggs wrapped in shiny festive packaging with a toy inside. They appear on wide sale immediately after the start of the fast. It is customary to decorate the festive table with a sweet Easter cake filled with small pieces of fruit, which is shaped like a cross.

United Kingdom

Modern traditions of celebrating Easter in England are very cheerful, bright, colorful and joyful. Easter is considered one of the most important holidays of the year. On Easter Day, religious services are held in churches at dawn. Organ music concerts are held in Catholic churches. On this day it is customary to wear new clothes, which symbolizes the end of the bad weather season and the onset of spring. Easter baskets filled with eggs, bread and other food are taken with them to the Easter service to be blessed in the church. On Easter Monday, it is customary to give candy and toys to children on the streets.

The kids are looking forward to Sunday, when they wake up and see that the Easter Bunny has left baskets of sweets for them and hid the eggs that they painted on the last week. Children are looking for eggs all over the house. There are even special competitions - searching for eggs - “Eggstravaganza”, the child who collects the most wins a prize.

On Easter mornings, children roll eggs down the mountain. This is an old game. The egg rolling down the mountain symbolizes the stone rolled away from the Holy Sepulcher. In Lancashire, Easter festivities and “egg races” are held: hard-boiled eggs are lowered down a hill, and the one whose egg reaches the bottom of the hill first wins. The British brought this tradition to America.

One of the typical Easter traditions is preserved in Radley near Oxford. Parishioners join hands and “hug” their temple - forming a living circle around it.

In England, the whole family gathers for Easter, prepare Sunday lunch: they bake a lamb with a lot of vegetables, bake an Easter cake, and paint eggs. And on Sunday mornings they serve cross buns with tea.

Easter is the most important religious holiday Hungary. On the eve of Saturday, believers paint Easter eggs in all the colors of the rainbow. Late in the evening, small gifts are placed directly in the beds of sleeping children so that they discover them in the morning.

A traditional holiday breakfast consists of Easter eggs, smoked or boiled ham, horseradish, braided cake and hot chocolate. After breakfast, many go to church to pray in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and to bless the holiday food.

And on Monday, young people have fun with the traditional “sprinkling”. Once upon a time, it was common for young guys to douse girls from head to toe with a bucket, but these days they splash themselves with perfume or cologne and demand a kiss or a painted egg for it.

It is customary to give colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, figurines of angels, the Mother of God, and saints.

Germany

IN modern world Germans celebrate Easter for two days: Easter Sunday and the next day, Easter Monday. Both days are public holidays.

The egg, which previously had the meaning of life and fertility, in Christianity became a symbol of new life and a new covenant. In Germany, eggs began to be blessed around the 4th century, and even then they were painted in different colors (mostly red).

Another symbol of German Easter is the Easter bunny. It is also borrowed from ancient Germanic cults and, according to folk beliefs, lays festive eggs. On the eve of the holiday of the Resurrection of Christ, the hare hides Easter eggs from the children in the grass, in the garden, in the forest, which children, to the delight of their parents, eagerly search for on the days of the holiday. This is a very interesting and funny Easter custom in Germany.

And one more important element Easter is a wreath that characterizes the awakening of nature, the rebirth of new life. The Easter wreath in Germany is hung on entrance doors or windows, or maybe both. Decorated with flowers and blossoming branches.

On this day, it is customary to bless only the blossoming branches in the church. They are decorated with sweets (especially chocolate), fruits, ribbons and presented to children. Blessed branches are attached to the head of the bed, at crucifixes, and fireplace hearths. Dried branches are stored and used as amulets during bad weather, thunderstorms, and illnesses.

In Denmark, Easter is celebrated over two days. This holiday is less popular among the Danes than Christmas. At Easter in Denmark they set a rich meat table and brew a special type of beer.

As in Germany, the Easter Bunny brings eggs to children. Other popular characters include the Easter chick and the lamb, which can be found in a variety of delicious forms: from white chocolate, sugar, caramel.

Coloring eggs is the prerogative of children: in schools, during labor lessons, children, together with teachers, learn to draw traditional Easter motifs, and also come up with their own.

Often at Easter they play the following game: everyone gathered for the holiday writes letters to each other, but signs them with dots (according to the number of letters in the name). The recipient must guess who sent him this letter and give the sender an egg.

Easter is the largest spring holiday in Italy, the pinnacle of the Catholic liturgical year.

If we talk about traditions, then in Italy it was previously customary to carry the fire lit in the church home with a torch on the eve of the holiday. Nowadays, this ritual has been reduced to a demonstration of the wonders of pyrotechnics.

In addition to traditional prayers, in Italy it is customary to stage theatrical performances about the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Christ. The participation of people in such performances provides an opportunity to personally become involved in great deeds and great loss for all humanity.

Easter in Italy is celebrated differently; rituals, some traditions, and dishes prepared by housewives change from region to region.

In general, the main Easter gift is eggs. Basically, eggs are given to children. Initially, eggs for Easter were painted in bright, brilliant colors so that they could symbolize the beginning, the dawn of spring, they were put in baskets and given to family, friends, servants... In recent years, chocolate eggs have replaced chicken eggs, and in stores, shops and shops you can find a huge variety of chocolate eggs. Both sizes and contents vary, and most eggs contain some kind of surprise inside.

Easter is a very “delicious” holiday, usually the tables on this day are full of sumptuous dishes, magnificent smells spread through homes and surrounding areas, but again, for Easter in different regions of Italy they cook absolutely different dishes, for example, in Campania - a sweet dish called “Neapolitan flatbread”, in Emilia Romagna - “Green lasagne Bolognese style”, in Friuli - a sweet dish with an interesting name “Easter claw-style” Triestinian”, and in Lazio Easter is not complete without such a second dish as “Roast lamb with giblets”.

Just like Christmas, Easter in Canada is not only about... church holiday for believers: this is truly national and very beautiful holiday, for which, like Christmas, Canadians begin to prepare long before its arrival.

In Catholic-Protestant Canada, the Easter Bunny, also known as the Easter Bunny, who brings Easter eggs, is the most common everyday symbol of the Resurrection of Christ.

Another Canadian family Easter tradition is the presentation of Easter baskets filled with painted eggs or egg-shaped sweets.

In multinational and multicultural Canada, the Easter holiday reveals, as it were, two parallel worldviews of people and, accordingly, two series of Easter symbols: for some it is fire and a candle, and for others it is a hare and colored eggs. However, they get along quite well. Both are reconciled by a festive Sunday lunch with traditional symbolic Easter dishes and an indispensable dessert. In Toronto, for example, for the holiday table you can buy a pie with vegetables and eggs made from 33 layers the finest dough, each representing one year of Jesus' life. It goes without saying that many Canadian Easter sweets are traditionally coated generously with maple syrup, the main Canadian product of the coming spring.

Costa Rica

A very important holiday: Holy Week (Easter).
Mostly people go to church for services, and also organize processions through the streets. Some dress up as Christ, some as Mary, some as Pontius Pilate or Roman soldiers, children - as angels. Christ is “crucified” and he must stand motionless almost the whole day under the scorching sun. The weather is usually very hot these days. Decorated figures of saints are carried through the streets.

On Friday, the entire country is paralyzed; neither shops nor transport are open. These days there is a very strict dry law, you can’t get drinks anywhere. Therefore, naturally, everyone stocks up and buys in advance. Very religious people spend the whole week in prayer; only historical films like “Cleopatra” or “Spartacus” are broadcast on television.

Many go to the beach or to the mountains, since the vast majority of the population is on vacation all week, and children are on vacation. On Sunday, apart from church services, there is no holiday.

Easter is one of the most revered holidays for Lithuanian Catholics, who make up approximately 80 percent of the country's population.

Residents of Kaunas, returning from the morning holiday service, linger for a long time in the square of the city hall. Every year a huge Easter pyramid is built there, which is ceremonially opened by the city authorities.

To create it, they use 30 thousand colored eggs, which are brought by residents and bought by the municipality and private companies.

In Lithuania, similar pyramids have been built during the Easter holidays for the fourth year now. Until now, they were erected in Vilnius, in the Vingis forest park. Last year's, for example, was created from 25 thousand eggs. The residents of Kaunas decided to get ahead of the capital, and the main Easter pyramid of Lithuania was erected in their own country in the hope that it would be included in the Guinness Book of Records.

After the Easter holidays, which will last two days, “ building material"- colored eggs - will be distributed to orphanages, nursing homes and distributed to the homeless.

Usually celebrated on two days: Sunday and Monday. The morning of Easter Sunday begins with a festive mass in the church, after which the Poles sit down to the festive table. According to tradition, all generations of one family should gather around this table. The festive meal begins with prayer. Breakfast consists of blessed Easter, eggs, horseradish, meat and sausage.

The one following Easter Sunday is “Wet Monday”. Poles generously pour water on each other. Water “bombs”, bags filled with water, fall from windows onto the pavements and the heads of passers-by, explode in subway cars, dousing passengers, but no one complains, on the contrary, everyone is happy. It is believed that water brings health, good luck, and profit in the household. Staying dry on a “wet” day is an extremely bad omen.

Portugal

In many parts of Portugal, the centerpiece of the Easter table is Folar - a special pie made from sweet dough. It has a flat round shape, topped with hard-boiled eggs.

People give each other bags of glazed almonds or peanuts (in the shape of Easter eggs). On the eve of the holidays, children in schools are given “Kinder surprises”: and this is really a double joy, since schoolchildren are about to go on vacation.

In addition, torchlight processions, flower parades, and solemn orchestral marches take place everywhere, ranging from professional groups to spontaneously gathered residents playing whatever they can, whatever they can, and whatever they can play.

The most magnificent celebrations take place in the city of Braga, the Catholic capital of Portugal. Ouren traditionally hosts a costume performance of the Resurrection of Christ. At Castelo de Vide, the festival begins on Holy Saturday - the day before Easter - with the ceremonial selection of a lamb, which is then carried to the temple for blessing. After this, the celebrations of The Hallelujah Festival begin, smoothly flowing into an all-night party.

And in Palmela, Figueira and other picturesque towns, where ancient customs are especially loved and revered, in connection with the end of Lent, a unique ritual “Funeral of the Cod” is organized. This is a real clownish procession: fishermen carry the coffin with music, then obituaries are read, and mourning is depicted in a “make-believe” manner. This performance features red-haired clowns wearing black bowlers and pockets full of confetti.

About 40% of Czechs are adherents of the Roman Catholic Church, 4.5% are Protestant, 3% of Czechs are Orthodox, and 40% are atheists.

In the Czech Republic, Easter is celebrated according to the Catholic calendar. Czechs call Easter their second Christmas or New Year. And in connection with this - numerous beliefs, customs, festivities and, as follows after a long fast, abundant Czech cuisine with beer. You can experience all the pleasures of Czech Easter only by understanding all the traditions and customs, and even better, by participating in them.

In the Czech Republic, it is customary to give children gingerbread in the shape of a lamb for Easter. No table would be complete without one more animal - the hare. It is he, and not the chicken, who “hatches” the Easter eggs. They say chickens are not holy enough.

Easter celebrations in the Czech Republic, as in other Christian countries, begin on last days Great Lent. Easter is preceded by three holy days: Green Thursday, Good Friday and White Saturday.

According to Catholic canons, the last call is made on Thursday before Easter. church bells- it is popularly believed that then they fly to Rome. The priests celebrate Mass in green vestments. Hence the name "Green Thursday". On this day, Czech peasants eat only green vegetables in order to be healthy all year round.

On Good Friday, the clergy organize a religious procession - in memory of how Christ carried his cross to Calvary. In Czech folklore, this day is associated with less sad legends. It is believed that on Good Friday all the treasures hidden in the earth and rocks are revealed to people.

The last day of Lent is White Saturday. Even 100 years ago, in Czech villages, bonfires were lit in front of the church in the morning. The housewives sorted out the coals and ashes: the coals were supposed to protect the house from fire, and the ashes were sprinkled on the field to ensure a good harvest. In the evening, services began in all churches - people glorified the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, in the Czech linguistic culture there is nothing like the Russian “Christ is risen”, “Truly risen”. Even the name of the seventh day of the week in Czech has nothing to do with “Sunday”.

Young people began to have fun only on Monday, which in the Czech Republic is called Red.

Throughout the week following the great holiday, folk festivities are held in the Czech capital in honor of the arrival of spring. Each craft workshop organizes its own holiday. On Tuesday there is usually a tailors' holiday under the rather prosaic name "mattress".

Tailors hang a mattress made of white linen on a birch tree, on which the Virgin and Child is embroidered, and then arrange dances around the tree or in the nearest pub.

On Easter Sunday, most Jamaicans gather in places of worship. The time of Lent is finally over, and pious people rejoice at the bright holiday.

Cross buns (called buns) and cheese are typical Easter traditions in Jamaica, just as Easter eggs and the bunny are for North Americans.

Boone is a fairly capacious part of Jamaican culture. Traditions associated with baking buns go back to ancient Babylon, when, according to legend, buns with images of the cross were offered to people by the pagan queen of heaven - Ishtar.

Cheese became the ideal addition to Easter buns - but not just any cheese, but processed cheese. in a special way Cheddar. It is cut into half-inch pieces each.

Everyone is well aware that Orthodox and Catholic Easter is a church date for Christians, which is dedicated to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the most idolized holiday that exists in the church calendar.

Despite the fact that Catholics and Orthodox Christians have different traditions for celebrating Easter, the basic idea of ​​the holiday remains the same. In 2018, Orthodox people will celebrate Easter on April 8, and Catholics will celebrate Easter a little earlier on April 1.

Is Easter the same for Catholics and Orthodox Christians in 2018: differences in the celebration of Orthodox and Catholic Easter

Despite the possible similarities in the celebration of Orthodox and Catholic Easter, there are still certain differences:

• Catholics usually celebrate Easter one or two weeks earlier than Orthodox Christians;
• among Catholics, in mandatory The Easter Bunny must be present at the celebration. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s edible or not, the main thing is that it is there;
• Catholics, unlike Orthodox Christians, do not have a tradition of making Christ.

Similar holiday traditions include coloring eggs, baking Easter cakes, and blessing food in the church during church services. Otherwise, the customs of Orthodox and Catholic Easter are the same. All believers celebrate Easter Sunday, celebrating the rebirth of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Is Easter the same for Catholics and Orthodox Christians in 2018: Orthodox Easter traditions

For Orthodox Christians, Easter falls on April 8 in 2018. It is believed that this is an early Easter. Orthodox people Preparations for the holiday begin with Lent, which occurs seven weeks before Easter. The holiday itself in Rus' was celebrated in the temple all the time. Church service starts before midnight. The Easter service begins at approximately midnight.

Painted chicken eggs- This component Easter feast, a sign of resurrected life. Another main dish of this holiday is Easter. Such food is predetermined by the memory of the Holy Sepulcher, from which the light of Christ’s Resurrection shone. The third refectory harbinger of the holiday is Easter cake, a kind of sign of the achievements of Christians and their closeness to the Savior. Before beginning to break the fast, believers must consecrate all this food in the temple during a church service.

Does Easter coincide for Catholics and Orthodox Christians in 2018: how to celebrate Catholic Easter

For Catholics, Easter in 2018 falls on April 1. Catholics arrange a festive feast with various dishes, previously blessed in the church. The main Easter sign is the Easter Bunny, which is a symbol of the well-being and generosity of nature.

For the holiday, people bake all kinds of sweets in the shape of rabbits. Also, decorate your home various items with a drawing of this animal. People do before the holiday large number chocolate eggs, and on Easter morning, parents hide these eggs in the house for their children to look for.

Celebrated by Gregorian calendar, therefore quite often it falls on the wrong day when Orthodox Christians celebrate this holiday. In 2015, Catholics will remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ on April 5th.

Easter is the central Christian holiday, equally honored by all churches. Like the Orthodox, Catholics adhere to the 40-day period of Lent and break their fast only on Easter morning.
The holiday begins with attending a divine service. Even at night, believers gather in churches to praise Jesus and his miraculous resurrection.

The main symbol of the holiday is considered to be fire, which personifies divine light. Therefore, large bonfires are lit in the courtyards of Catholic churches, and Easter candles are lit inside, from which fire is distributed to all parishioners. Candles lit from Easter are necessarily carried home - it is believed that their warmth and light cleanse the house and bring grace into it.

In general, in different countries There are national traditions for celebrating Easter, which, however, in any case are based on a religious component. For example, in Spain and Italy, costumed processions are held on this day, in which both ordinary townspeople and representatives of the clergy and monasticism take part.

People carry candles and crosses, images of saints and entire sculptural compositions, and during the course of the action they act out entire performances, depicting scenes from the life of Christ and his entourage. Each city has its own traditions of holding the Easter procession, but everywhere this event is citywide.

Catholics also love Easter fairs, where all kinds of sweets and decorative items are sold. Here you can also buy colorfully painted eggs - the main symbol of the holiday.

Fairs are brightly decorated with various compositions symbolizing renewal and joy. All kinds of entertainment events take place here: exhibitions, theatrical performances, fun programs for children. The most famous Easter fairs are organized in Vienna and Prague - these cities are rightfully proud of their customs of holding this traditional Easter holiday.

For Catholics, as for Orthodox Christians, Easter is a family holiday, which is characterized by an obligatory meal, tasty treats, visits to relatives and the exchange of colored eggs. Homes are decorated flower arrangements, garlands, beautiful green wreaths that hang on the front doors, and candles.

Children are especially looking forward to Easter, since on this day they will receive traditional gifts from the Easter Bunny. This wonderful tradition has ancient roots and is widespread in many countries. Germany is considered to be the birthplace of the Easter Bunny - this is where this character appeared.

On the eve of the holiday, parents collect gift baskets for children with sweets, small souvenirs and colored eggs and hide them so that in the morning the kids will find what they have prepared, which, according to legend, the Easter Bunny left for them. Easter morning is marked by joyful bustle and childish joy from found gifts.

Similar children's parties are held in parks and city squares. Eggs are also hidden here for the kids to look for. The winner of the impromptu competition is the child who collects the largest amount of his favorite treat.

The rabbit is such a popular character in holidays that his image can be found everywhere: on postcards, boxes of chocolates, tablecloths and other items. Another unchanging tradition is making chocolate bunnies, which are sold on every corner and are a must in gift baskets for children.

Treats for the festive table are prepared in large quantities so that there is enough for all the guests.

In Italy, lamb is always baked for Easter and served with artichokes. Here it is customary to make traditional pastries for the holiday, which is called “colomba”. Colomba is a lemon cake with almond glaze, a unique type of Easter cake.

In Great Britain, such ritual baked goods are buns with raisins, which are decorated with cross-shaped notches.

In Austria they bake randling - a yeast pie filled with nuts, cinnamon and raisins.

And in Spain, they serve special pastries with almonds and honey, called pestinos, for the holiday table.

In France, they prepare omelettes and other egg dishes and always serve baked chicken.

There is also an unusual tradition in this country: here it is customary to ring small bells on Easter. This melodious sound can be heard from all sides in this country during the holidays.
These are the wonderful traditions of celebrating Easter that Catholics observe. Each of them is a beautiful reminder of a bright day that is honored and loved in many countries around the world.

Easter (Resurrection of Christ) is the oldest, greatest and the most important holiday for all Christians. On this day, people celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who gave hope for the eternity of an immortal soul. The name Passover comes from the Hebrew word “passover,” which means “passover.” Easter is a celebration of everything bright and positive in a person’s life, the unity of all humanity and sincere love for one’s family.

How is the date of Easter calculated? Why do Orthodox and Catholics celebrate Easter at different times?

The days of the Catholic celebration are not fixed and differ from each other, as they are calculated according to different calendars. Western Christendom calculates the date of the holiday according to the Gregorian calendar and celebrates it after the vernal equinox, on the first Sunday after the first full moon. According to Eastern church tradition, Orthodox Easter calculated from the day of the equinox according to the old Julian style. Catholic Easter is almost always celebrated earlier than Orthodox Easter, usually by a week, but sometimes there is a difference of several weeks. Sometimes the dates coincide and both Easters are celebrated on the same day.

In 2016, Catholic Easter falls on March 27, while Orthodox Easter is celebrated much later, on May 1.

Catholic Easter traditions

Believing Catholics, like Orthodox Christians, try to adhere to the rules of Lent before Easter. It is considered softer and not as strict as the Orthodox one, since on certain days it is allowed to eat dairy and meat products. It is important to take good care of your health and adhere to the rules of fasting to the extent that your good health allows you. The most main task Fasting is spiritual cleansing, focusing on bright and positive thoughts.

Catholics also have their own Easter traditions, for example, in England, Holy Thursday is called Alms Thursday, since at this time one of the members of the royal family distributes money for the poor. A gold coin is given as a gift to as many people as the age of the monarch. This tradition has been around for many years and previously, instead of money, various items of clothing were given away. Such a ritual is carried out in Westminster Abbey in odd years, and in even years - in one of the large and central cathedrals of the country.

Same as in Orthodox traditions, Catholics have a festive meal with a variety of dishes, illuminated in advance in the church. One of the central elements of the holiday table are colored eggs, which are eaten first on the holiday. In Great Britain, for a festive dinner, they bake lamb with a variety of vegetables and prepare Easter sweets. Sunday rolls are served in the morning. In America, Easter dinner includes potatoes, pineapples, fruit salad and various fresh vegetables. In Germany, the central Easter dish is fish baked in the oven; cookies of various shapes are also served for dessert. On Thursday, before the holiday, the Germans eat a special soup with herbs, vegetables with the addition of 7 or 9 herbs.

On Easter Sunday in some Catholic countries, when dawn breaks, churches host festive services and organ performances.

One of the important holiday events is the blessing and purification of water and fire. The beginning of this ritual takes place on Saturday in the church. At the same time it lights up church candle, considered sacred, a special prayer is read. Afterwards, you can take this candle home and leave it to burn out until the end. Candle fire will help remove negative energy from the room, will create coziness and comfort. Blessed water Can be used for a variety of tasks, including washing your face and drinking it. Thus, a person is cleansed of everything negative, his thoughts become more positive and he becomes happier.

Main Easter attribute Catholic Easter can be considered the Easter bunny, which represents a symbol of the prosperity and wealth of nature. On the holiday, people bake various sweet confectionery products in the shape of rabbits. They also decorate the house with objects with images of this cute animal. For Easter, a huge number of chocolate eggs are made, which are enjoyed by both adults and children. Before Easter Sunday, parents hide chocolate eggs around the house and children must find them in the morning, and they are told that it was the Easter Bunny who brought the sweet gifts.

Among the German Easter symbols, one can highlight daffodils, which are also called Easter bells.

On this holiday, loved ones are presented with chocolate eggs containing various sweet delicacies. In America, on Easter, other people are given baskets with colored, multi-colored eggs and various delicious sweets as a gift. It is believed that the egg contains a question to which the recipient must answer.

Some countries host vibrant carnivals and festive processions that bring joy and positive emotions.

One of the ancient pastimes on the day of the holiday is rolling Easter eggs down the mountain. Some cities even organize competitions. The egg that rolls the furthest and remains intact is the winner. In America, they organize a large-scale competition on Easter Sunday near the White House. Many children come there with their baskets containing Easter eggs and roll them down the mountain.

There is a belief that the people you meet on Easter Day will become your good friends for life. That is why you need to behave friendly on holiday.

We wish you a happy Easter holiday!

Celebrating Easter is a great and revered tradition. Every year all Christians in the world celebrate this bright and long-awaited day. The name of the holiday comes from the Hebrew word "Passover", which is associated with the liberation of the Israelis from slavery. And for modern believers, this is a holiday symbolizing the resurrection of the Son of God.

A distinctive feature of the holiday is the absence of a fixed day of celebration. In the church it is usually called a moving celebration. The date of Easter is calculated separately for each year, and the holiday always falls on the first Sunday after the spring day of the full moon (or spring equinox). It is already known what date Catholic Easter will be celebrated in the coming 2017. It so happened that the dates of the Orthodox and Catholic celebrations coincided this time. This only happens 3 times in 19 years. And this year, Orthodox Christians and Catholics will celebrate their holiday on the same day, namely April 16.

The origins go deep ancient history and are associated with pre-Christian times. In the Ancient East, there was a cult in which the dead gods of vegetation were resurrected again. On this occasion, various rituals were performed, including sacrifices. Essentially, this holiday meant the spring awakening of nature, and was later reinterpreted in the spirit of the legend of Jesus Christ.

Early Christians celebrated Easter weekly. On Fridays, the sufferings of Jesus Christ were remembered, and Sunday was considered the day of joyful news. This was the case until about the 2nd century AD. Later, Christian Easter began to be celebrated once a year.

Catholic Christians usually celebrate Easter earlier than Orthodox Christians, by about 10-13 days.

The reasons that led to the difference between the dates were long-standing historical and socio-political processes. In 325, at the Council of Nicaea, an agreement was adopted on a single celebration of Easter. Both Orthodox and Catholic Easter were initially celebrated on the same day, but different methods were used to determine it.

To calculate the date of the upcoming celebration, Orthodox Church used the lunisolar observation system, and the Catholic one tried to calculate it using the astronomical calendar. But it just so happened that according to the astronomical calendar, once every 128 years the spring equinox shifted back a day. And already in the 16th century, a difference of 10 days arose between the Catholic and the Catholic.

Basic traditions and customs of celebrating Catholic Easter

Each religious movement has its own local customs and details of the Easter celebration, which are close to ancient pagan rituals. The following main traditions of Catholic Easter can be distinguished:

Traditions	Description
On this day, the Holy Fire, which is kindled in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, is spread throughout all churches.	It is from this that the main candle, called Easter, is lit. During the festive church service, anyone can take the Holy Fire with them to read and store it in a home lamp until next holiday. for Catholics it is a symbol of the light of God.
At the end of the liturgical rite, a solemn religious procession begins.	Catholics sing prayers and walk around churches. This celebration is highly revered; priests and ordinary believers remember the suffering of Christ and sing hymns of praise in his honor.
The custom of painting eggs for Catholic Easter is the most beloved not only among adults, but also among children.	The egg is a symbol of life. It's not just chicken eggs that are colored. These can be any objects of a similar shape, carved from wood, molded from wax, made from plastic or other material. On this day, it is a common tradition to give chocolate eggs.
Another symbol of Catholic Easter is the Easter bunny.	It is believed that he is the one who brings Easter eggs and gifts. Catholic Christians decorate the house with figurines of a rabbit, bake buns and give postcards with its image. On the morning of the holiday, children must find painted eggs, various sweets and gifts hidden by the Easter Bunny.
On Catholic Easter it is customary to prepare a large festive dinner.	The table is filled with a variety of delicacies, among which eggs, baked meat and pastries are a must. During lunch, believers congratulate each other, fun games and dancing, songs are played.

Orthodox Easter and Catholic Easter have much in common, except that Orthodox believers do not have such a symbol of the holiday as the Easter bunny, and Catholics do not have the tradition of making Christ.

Features of celebrating Catholic Easter in different countries

Catholic Easter in various countries has its own characteristics. Australian Catholic Easter is famous for the release of large chocolate eggs in honor of it. Among the symbols of the holiday there is not only the Easter bunny, but also their local animal - the bilby (a type of marsupial). On this day, a self-respecting Christian prepares a traditional menu of fried lamb or beef, as well as chicken with vegetables. In the morning, lush sweet buns are baked.

German Catholics celebrate the holiday on Sunday and Monday. On Saturday evening, Easter lights are lit throughout the area. Easter wreaths in Germany are a symbol of rebirth and deliverance from sins; they are illuminated in churches and given to loved ones in honor of the holiday. On this day, the doors and windows of homes are decorated with beautifully woven wreaths from various materials.

English Catholic Easter has its own tradition: on Holy Thursday, believers give alms to the poor. For this day, buns with raisins are baked, on which a cross is depicted. People decorate temples and houses with fresh flowers. Lily is also a symbol of femininity, tenderness and maternal love. Celebrating a wedding on this day is considered a good deed.

In Italy there is also a certain order for celebrating Easter. The religious procession takes place on Good Friday. It starts from the Colosseum and moves all the way to the Palatine Temple.

On Sunday, the Pope gives a speech in St. Peter's Square. He blesses everyone on the holiday and sings a church confession.