Easter is the main church holiday for all Christian denominations. Nevertheless, there are significant differences between Orthodox and Catholic Easter, which consist in determining the date of the holiday, as well as in individual symbols and traditions.
Instruction manual
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The word "Easter" in European languages is a variant of the Latin Pascha, descended from the Hebrew pesach (transition). The fact is that Passover was originally a celebration of the exodus of Jews from Egypt. Only later did Christian Easter begin to be celebrated - the Bright Resurrection of Christ. For the Germans, Easter is called Ostern, and for the British it is Easter. Both of these names are derived from the name of the ancient German spring goddess Eostro (Ostara). Therefore, Catholic Easter carries an additional meaning, being also a celebration of the spring revival of nature.
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Currently, the Western Christian world adheres to the Gregorian calendar. Catholics celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. The discrepancy between the dates of the celebration of Catholic and Orthodox Easter can be one, four or five weeks, although in separate years they may coincide. Like the Orthodox, Catholics Easter is preceded by 40-day Lent, followed by Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
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On the morning of Holy Saturday, priests bless fire and water. They get a new fire with the help of a chair and carry it home, lighting Easter candles from it. It is believed that the wax of the Easter candle protects against evil forces. Like the Orthodox, Catholics have painted eggs as the symbol of Easter. In Western Europe, preference is given to red eggs without a pattern; in Central Europe they are richly decorated with all kinds of ornaments.
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Eggs and other ritual foods are also blessed on Saturday. Vespers are served that evening. On Easter morning, all kinds of egg dishes are served on the table, as well as meat dishes and freshly baked white bread. European housewives lay multi-colored eggs, chocolate hares and toy chickens in wicker baskets. Throughout Easter week, holiday baskets stand on a table by the door. I must say that in the West they prefer not real, but chocolate or souvenir eggs.
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One of the symbols of Catholic Easter is a hare or rabbit that brings children Easter gift baskets. According to an ancient pagan legend, the spring goddess Estra turned one of the birds into a hare, but he still continued to lay eggs. So he became the easter hare. On Easter week, biblical-themed performances are played out on the streets of Western European cities, and organ music is played in Catholic churches.
