Orthodox Ukrainians celebrate Easter today: history, traditions, customs
Kyiv • UNN
Today, on May 5, Christians of the Eastern rite celebrate one of the greatest religious holidays - the Resurrection of the Lord. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ died on the cross on Friday, around three o'clock in the afternoon. It is believed that the soul of Jesus Christ returned to his body on the night of Saturday to Sunday.
Today, on May 5, Christians of the Eastern rite celebrate one of the greatest religious holidays - the Resurrection of the Lord, UNN reports .
According to the Bible, Jesus Christ died on the cross on Friday, about three o'clock in the afternoon. In the evening of the same day, the body was taken down from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, Jesus' secret followers, and carried to a cave.
It is believed that the soul of Jesus Christ returned to his body on the night of Saturday to Sunday, after which he left the cave without moving the stone or breaking the seal, because his body was no longer subject to natural laws.
On Sunday morning, the women myrrh-bearers Mary Magdalene, the Virgin Mary, the mother of James, and Solomon came to the tomb with fragrant oils to anoint the body of Jesus. When they got there, they only saw the stone rolled away and an empty tomb. Then an angel appeared to the worried women and announced the Resurrection of the Lord.
The first direct evidence of the celebration of Easter dates back to the middle of the second century, but for a long time there was no consensus among the churches on the date of this holiday. Mainly to solve this problem, the Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicea in 325, which decided that Easter should be celebrated on the Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox.
The celebration of Easter begins with a Saturday evening service that lasts until Sunday morning.
After attending church, people return home with blessed Easter baskets and sit down to a festive meal. Housewives prepare all the dishes in advance, usually on Thursday and Saturday, including dyeing eggs and baking Easter cakes.
There are also many restrictions on this holiday. In particular, it is not allowed on Easter:
- swear and curse;
- engage in physical labor;
- throw away consecrated food;
- to refuse to help someone;
- dye and cut hair;
- tell fortunes and perform various rituals.
