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It is important for the Orthodox Christian to know in advance about when to celebrate Easter cakes in 2020, because Easter is the most important holiday of the Christian religion. This day symbolizes the resurrection of the Lord, the victory of Jesus Christ over sin, death. This is a time of joy, hope, faith in a brighter future, which believers share with each other. Following established traditions, it is customary to sanctify Easter cakes, curd Easter, paint with boiled eggs or decorate with bright stickers. After the church liturgy, believers visit relatives and receive guests.
What date will Easter be in 2020?
In the Orthodox Church, Easter is celebrated according to the Paschal of Alexandria:
- Sunday following the Passover Jewish holiday.
- After the full moon, since Christ was crucified with the full moon.
- After the vernal equinox.
Based on these requirements, the solemn date is not fixed. She is "mobile" - changes annually. In 2020, Easter will be celebrated at night from April 18 to 19, so you can paint eggs and hallow Easter cakes in the early morning of Holy Saturday. Cooking pastries is allowed from Clean Thursday.
Some temples consecrate Easter cakes on Saturday night, while in others, the ceremony is performed only on Sunday morning. On Monday and Tuesday (April 20 and 21), food can be blessed in many churches, as these days are considered Easter. It is advisable to clarify these issues in a local church in advance, since the schedule in local churches often varies.
The festive liturgy is always performed on Sunday night (in 2020 from April 18 to April 19). For those who, for some reason, cannot defend the night service, an additional worship service is held on the morning of Bright Sunday.
The meaning of the holiday for Christians
According to biblical tradition, the son of God Jesus Christ, being holy and immaculate, selflessly took upon himself the guilt of all mankind. He suffered for the misconduct of people of his own free will. Having taken upon himself the sins of the world, Christ was punished in place of people who committed crimes against God's covenants.
On Good Friday, Christ was crucified on a cross set up at Calvary. This mountain had a natural flat area and was clearly visible from afar, so it was chosen as the place of execution. Before leading the captive to the crucifix, the Roman legionnaires made fun of him, scoffed, and mercilessly beat him. For believers, the feat of Christ lies in the fact that, being the son of God, he had the power to free himself from bonds at any second, but he suffered suffering in order to save people.
On Friday, Christ was crucified and buried. For Christians, this is a time of earnest prayer, fasting, repentance, forgiveness. From the early hours of Saturday morning it is customary to read the Gospels. During the day, intensified preparations for the upcoming holiday begin. Those who did not have time to prepare the pastries in advance do this before the evening service. In the houses they tidy up and cook traditional dishes, among which the Easter cake takes the most important place.
On Saturday evening, a holy liturgy is held in all churches. Closer to Midnight, the Midnight Service is served, during which the priest and deacon take to the altar a special canvas (Shroud), which remains on the throne until the day of the Ascension, as many as 40 days. After that, the clergy change white clothes for festive red ones, and in all churches the ringing of bells announces the approach of the Great Easter holiday.
Traditions and folk customs
On this spring day, from ancient times, it was customary to invite relatives, friends, neighbors to a plentiful meal. After a long fast, the tables were full of treats, and believers gave each other symbolic gifts with the wishes of a long life and health.
The tradition of painting eggs for Easter is “rooted” during the formation of the apostolic church. There is a legend that, having learned about the resurrection of the Lord, Mary Magdalene first went with good news to the apostles, and then visited the Roman emperor Tiberius. She brought the ruler a symbol of life - an egg and spoke about the miracle of the resurrection, but he objected that as an egg is white, not red, so people who die do not rise. After his words, an egg from white instantly turned red.
Since then, painting eggs for Easter is a beautiful tradition that is equally joyfully accepted by adults and children. For Christianity, the Easter egg is a symbol of the Holy Sepulcher with eternal life hidden inside. The high Easter cake, which depicts a cross with a crown of thorns, means artos - a sacrifice for people, Jesus Christ himself. The Easter meal itself is special, accompanied by joyful reverence, and it is customary to eat holy food after a prayer of thanks.
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