What is Pascha? What do red Easter eggs mean? Orthodox Easter is this Sunday
While the Easter season ended for some on April 17, Sunday will mark Easter for Orthodox Christians.
Easter, a “moveable feast,” does not happen on the same day each year.
Western Christianity celebrates their Easter usually one to two weeks ahead of Eastern Christianity’s Orthodox Easter. This is due to the difference in calendar years used by the faiths.
Orthodox Christians use the Julian Calendar, which is about 13 days longer than the Gregorian Calendar used by Western Christians. The Julian Calendar was started by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. basing the calendar off the sun.
[More: Maundy Thursday? Good Friday? What the days leading up to Easter are called and mean]
Do Orthodox Christians celebrate Holy Week?
Yes, Orthodox faiths celebrate the days leading up to Easter, known as Holy Week. For Orthodox faiths, such as Greek Orthodox, Lazarus Saturday takes place the day before Palm Sunday. According to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Lazarus Saturday is a major feast commemorating when Christ is believed to have raised a man named Lazarus from the dead.
What is Holy Unction?
Holy Unction is a sacrament for the healing of soul and body, and for the forgiveness of sins. The Sacrament, or Mystery, of Holy Unction takes place during Holy Week on the evening of Holy Wednesday, according to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
What is Pascha?
In Greek Orthodox, the Great and Holy Feast of Pascha is Easter. According to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Of America, Pascha is the most significant day in the life of the faith. The feast celebrates the resurrection of Christ, who is believed in the Christian faith to have died for the sins of humanity and risen from the dead.
What do red Easter eggs mean?
Red eggs are typically a Greek Orthodox tradition symbolizing the blood Christ shed on the cross, according to a report by the Greek Reporter. The eggs are painted during Holy Week, commonly Holy Thursday, and are cracked on Pascha.
