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Easter is the most important Christian festival. It celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, three days after he was executed by crucifixion.
Pope Francis is set to celebrate his first Easter Sunday since his election with an open-air Mass in St Peter's Square.
He will then deliver a speech to Rome and to the world - the "Urbi et Orbi" address - from a balcony of St Peter's.
Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar.
At an Easter vigil Mass in St Peter's, the Pope appealed to non-believers and lapsed Catholics to "step forward" towards God.
"Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward," Pope Francis said.
"He will receive you with open arms."
At the start of the service, the basilica was kept dark to signify Jesus' tomb before what Christians believe was his resurrection. The Pope and the congregation held candles.
The service was shorter than usual, which the Vatican said was in line with Francis' preference for shorter Masses.
Surprised clerics
The Pope, formerly Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected on 13 March.
He is the first non-European pope for almost 1,300 years.
The BBC's David Willey reports from Rome that the 76-year-old has already set a new style at the Vatican, shortening religious services, reaching out easily to ordinary people, and expressing his thoughts in a conversational way that is easy to understand.
He has surprised many of the clerics who work at the Vatican, eating in a communal dining room with other priests and clearly finding much traditional Vatican ceremonial tedious, our correspondent says.
Rather than moving into grand papal apartments, Pope Francis has remained in a Vatican guesthouse, where he has been inviting ordinary people to morning Mass.
In the days before Easter, the Pope reached out to women and Muslims.
During a Holy Thursday Mass at a youth detention centre he washed and kissed the feet of 12 people, including two girls and two Muslims, and in a Good Friday procession referred to the "friendship of our Muslim brothers and sisters" in the Middle East.
Pope Francis has given his inaugural mass in the Vatican. But what exactly does a pope's day-to-day job entail?
The Vatican is the smallest independent state in the world and residence of the spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.
Its territory is surrounded by the Italian capital city Rome, and priests and nuns of many nationalities make up almost all of the population.
The Vatican City is all that remains of the once-extensive Papal States of central Italy, which were conquered by the forces of Italian unification in the mid-19th century. The popes then became "prisoners in the Vatican", unwilling to leave the confines of the Apostolic Palace until 1929, when Italy's Fascist government negotiated the Lateran Treaty that created the current mini-state.
The current pope is Francis, the first Latin American to be elected to the post. He succeeded Pope Benedict XVI, who reigned from 2005 until 2013, when he announced his resignation on grounds of old age.
Pope Benedict had continued the conservative clerical policies of his predecessor, John Paul II.
Pope John Paul's 26-year reign saw tremendous upheaval in Eastern Europe, including his homeland Poland.
He preached dialogue and reconciliation between former political opponents and religions. During a visit to Israel - the first by a Pope - John Paul expressed sorrow for the history of anti-Semitism in the Catholic Church.
He also sought to heal rifts with other Christian churches. Some of these moves were successful, others less so.
Critics within and without the Catholic Church said Vatican social policy was out-of-step with modern reality.
They said Pope John Paul's strict teaching against abortion and contraception failed the majority of Catholics, and disqualified the church from any role in solving the social problems facing hundreds of millions of believers.
These issues will return to dominate the agenda of the next pope.
The Vatican City packs imposing buildings into its small area. These include St Peter's Basilica. Completed in the early 17th century, the domed edifice is a pilgrimage site. The Vatican Museums and Art Galleries house the priceless art collections of the popes.
On a more profane level, the Vatican has moved to meet international demands for more financial transparency following an investigation in 2010 into the Vatican Bank over violations of money-laundering rules.
It put in place laws that bring it into line with international standards on transparency, prevention of terrorism, counterfeiting and fraud, but Bank chief Ettore Gotti Tedeschi nonetheless had to step down in 2012 for dereliction of duty,
by bbc
Pope Francis holds a candle during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday at St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday, March 30 at the Vatican. Francis is taking part in his first holy week as pontiff.
Pope Francis speaks during the Holy Saturday Easter vigil mass.
Last updated 2011-07-05
Easter is the most important Christian festival. It celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, three days after he was executed by crucifixion.
Find the date for Easter 2013 in the multifaith calendar
Easter Sunday is the culmination of Holy Week.
Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important Christian festival, and the one celebrated with the greatest joy.
The date of Easter changes each year, and several other Christian festivals fix their dates by reference to Easter.
Churches are filled with flowers, and there are special hymns and songs. But not all Easter customs are Christian; some, such as the Easter Bunny, are pagan in origin.
On Good Friday, Jesus Christ was executed by crucifixion. His body was taken down from the cross, and buried in a cave.
The tomb was guarded and an enormous stone was put over the entrance, so that no-one could steal the body.
On the following Sunday, some women visited the grave and found that the stone had been moved, and that the tomb was empty.
Jesus himself was seen that day, and for days afterwards by many people. His followers realised that God had raised Jesus from the dead.
■Easter day - 31st March
Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. It celebrates the resurrection from the dead of Jesus, three days after he was executed. The Easter story is at the heart of Christianity.
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday marks Jesus' resurrection.
After Jesus was crucified on the Friday (now known as Good Friday), his body was taken down from the cross, and buried in a cave tomb. The tomb was guarded by Roman Soldiers and an enormous stone was put over the entrance, so that no-one could steal the body.
On the Sunday, Mary Magdalene, followed later by some of Jesus' disciples visited the tomb and found that the stone had been moved, and that Jesus' body had gone.
Jesus himself was seen that day by Mary and the disciples, and for forty days afterwards by many people. His followers realised that God had raised Jesus from the dead. Christians call this the Resurrection.
The week leading up to Easter is called Holy Week.
Palm Sunday
This is the Sunday before Easter Day.
It is the first day of Holy Week and celebrates Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Crowds of people came out of the city to greet him, throwing down palm branches on the road.
Anglican and Roman Catholic churches give out small crosses made from palm leaves, as a reminder of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem and his death on the cross. Some Christians keep these in their homes all year as a symbol of their faith.
Maundy Thursday
This is the Thursday before Easter Day
Last Supper: On Maundy Thursday Christians remember when Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples, breaking bread and drinking wine, which is now known as the Last Supper.
Many Christians remember this by sharing bread and wine together in a service called Holy Communion, Eucharist or Mass. It is a reminder that Jesus sacrificed his life for mankind.
At this meal Jesus told his followers that they should love and serve one another. He demonstrated this by washing the feet of the disciples - something a servant would normally do. You can read this story in the Bible in John Ch.13v1-15
The word maundy comes from the command (mandate) given by Jesus at the Last Supper, that we should love one another.
Roman Catholic church services include a ceremony in which the priest washes the feet of 12 people to commemorate Jesus' washing the feet of his disciples.
Good Friday
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. It commemorates the execution of Jesus by crucifixion.
Good Friday is a day of mourning in church. During special Good Friday services Christians remember Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, and what this means for their faith.
In some countries, there are special Good Friday processions, or re-enactments of the Crucifixion.
The main service on Good Friday takes place between midday and 3pm. In many churches it takes the form of a meditation based on the seven last words of Jesus on the cross, with hymns, prayers, and short sermons.
Christianity is the largest religion in the world with over 2 billion followers. 42 million people in Britain today describe themselves as Christian, and there are 6 million who are actively practising.
Christianity is focussed on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe to be the Son of God. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the Middle East over 2000 years ago.
The Christian holy book is the Bible. It is divided into the Old and New Testaments.
The New Testament explains how God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to restore the broken relationship between people and God which had been caused by human wrong doing.
Jesus was executed on a cross (Crucifixion) as a criminal by the Romans, and according to Christian teaching after three days he rose from the dead (the Resurrection)
Christians believe that there is only one God, but that he is revealed in three different forms:
Christians model themselves on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught people to love God and love their neighbour.
Many Christians worship in churches. Some groups meet in homes and other buildings. 'Church' means the gathering of Christians as well as the building in which Christians worship.
Their leaders are called priests or ministers.
Different ways of understanding Christian teachings has led to groups of Christians worshipping in different ways. These denominations include the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and many others.
Many churches hold a service called Communion, Eucharist or Mass, in which bread and wine are shared together, just as Jesus did with his followers before his death.
The most important Christian festivals are: Lent, Easter and Christmas
Lent is the period of six weeks 40 days (not including Sundays) leading up to Easter, the most important festival in the Christian calendar.
Lent starts on Ash Wednesday in western Christian Churches. and climaxes during Easter Week. The last week of Lent is called Holy Week.
During the 40 days of Lent, Christians remember the time when Jesus went into the desert to fast and pray before beginning his work for God. During this time Jesus was tempted several times by Satan, but was able to resist.
Lent is a time of giving things up. For Christians, it is one way of remembering the time Jesus' fasted in the desert and is a test of self-discipline.
There are many foods that some Christians do not eat in Lent, such as meat and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods. Some Christians just give up something they really enjoy such as cakes or chocolate.
In western Christian churches, the day before Lent starts is Shrove Tuesday. This is also known as Pancake Day. This day was traditionally the last chance to use up the foods Christians would not be eating during Lent. Today people often give up chocolate or alcohol.
Festivities take place in many cities all over the world, including Mardi Gras in New Orleans (USA), Carnival in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Venice (Italy). People dress up, wear masks, parade and dance in the streets.
On Ash Wednesday many western Christian churches hold services during which Christians are marked on the forehead with a cross of ashes. This is a sign of saying sorry to God for any wrong doing (penitence) and mortality.
The ashes come from burning the palm crosses from Palm Sunday of the previous year.
Lent is a time of preparation for Easter, ending in Holy Week.
Easter Pasch, Pascha | |
---|---|
Depiction of the resurrection of Jesus by Bernhard Plockhorst, 19th century | |
Type | Christian, cultural |
Significance | Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus |
2012 date | 15 April (Eastern) 8 April (Western) |
2013 date | 5 May (Eastern) 31 March (Western) |
2014 date | 20 April (Eastern) 20 April (Western) |
Celebrations | Church services, festive family meals, Easter egg hunts and gift-giving |
Observances | Prayer, all-night vigil, sunrise service |
Related to | Passover, of which it is regarded the Christian equivalent; Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Clean Monday, Lent, Great Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday which lead up to Easter; and Thomas Sunday, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi which follow it. |
Easter[nb 1][nb 2] (also called the Pasch[1][2] or Pascha[nb 3][3]) is a Christian festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion at Calvary as described in the New Testament.[4][5] Easter is the culmination of the Passion of Christ, preceded by Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance. The last week of Lent is called Holy Week, and it contains the days of the Easter Triduum, including Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday), commemorating the Last Supper and its preceding foot washing,[6][7] as well as Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus.[8] Easter is followed by a fifty-day period called Eastertide or the Easter Season, ending with Pentecost Sunday.
Easter is a moveable feast, meaning it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar. The First Council of Nicaea (325) established the date of Easter as the first Sunday after the full moon (the Paschal Full Moon) following the March equinox.[9] Ecclesiastically, the equinox is reckoned to be on 21 March (even though the equinox occurs, astronomically speaking, on 20 March in most years), and the "Full Moon" is not necessarily the astronomically correct date. The date of Easter therefore varies between 22 March and 25 April. Eastern Christianity bases its calculations on the Julian calendar whose 21 March corresponds, during the 21st century, to 3 April in the Gregorian calendar, in which the celebration of Easter therefore varies between 4 April and 8 May.
Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover by much of its symbolism, as well as by its position in the calendar. In many languages, the words for "Easter" and "Passover" are etymologically related or homonymous.[10] Easter customs vary across the Christian world, but attending sunrise services, exclaiming the Paschal greeting, clipping the church and decorating Easter eggs, a symbol of the empty tomb, are common motifs.[11][12][13] Additional customs include egg hunting, the Easter Bunny, and Easter parades, which are observed by both Christians and some non-Christians.[14][15][16][17]
Table of the dates of Easter
The WCC presented comparative data of the relationships:
Year | Spring Full Moon |
Astronomical Easter |
Gregorian Easter |
Julian Easter |
Jewish Passover |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | 8 April | 15 April | 15 April | 15 April | 8 April |
2002 | 28 March | 31 March | 31 March | 5 May | 28 March |
2003 | 16 April | 20 April | 20 April | 27 April | 17 April |
2004 | 5 April | 11 April | 11 April | 11 April | 6 April |
2005 | 25 March | 27 March | 27 March | 1 May | 24 April |
2006 | 13 April | 16 April | 16 April | 23 April | 13 April |
2007 | 2 April | 8 April | 8 April | 8 April | 3 April |
2008 | 21 March | 23 March | 23 March | 27 April | 20 April |
2009 | 9 April | 12 April | 12 April | 19 April | 9 April |
2010 | 30 March | 4 April | 4 April | 4 April | 30 March |
2011 | 18 April | 24 April | 24 April | 24 April | 19 April |
2012 | 6 April | 8 April | 8 April | 15 April | 7 April |
2013 | 27 March | 31 March | 31 March | 5 May | 26 March |
2014 | 15 April | 20 April | 20 April | 20 April | 15 April |
2015 | 4 April | 5 April | 5 April | 12 April | 4 April |
2016 | 23 March | 27 March | 27 March | 1 May | 23 April |
2017 | 11 April | 16 April | 16 April | 16 April | 11 April |
2018 | 31 March | 1 April | 1 April | 8 April | 31 March |
2019 | 21 March | 24 March | 21 April | 28 April | 20 April |
2020 | 8 April | 12 April | 12 April | 19 April | 9 April |
2021 | 28 March | 4 April | 4 April | 2 May | 28 March |
Notes: 1. Astronomical Easter is the first Sunday after the Astronomical full moon, referred to the meridian of Jerusalem.
2. Passover commences at sunset preceding the date indicated.
In Western Christianity, Easter is preceded by Lent, a period of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter, which begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts forty days (not counting Sundays). The week before Easter, known as Holy Week, is very special in the Christian tradition. The Sunday before Easter is Palm Sunday, with the Wednesday before Easter being known as Spy Wednesday. The last three days before Easter are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday (sometimes referred to as Silent Saturday). Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday respectively commemorate Jesus' entry in Jerusalem, the Last Supper and the Crucifixion. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are sometimes referred to as the Easter Triduum (Latin for "Three Days"). Many churches begin celebrating Easter late in the evening of Holy Saturday at a service called the Easter Vigil. In some countries, Easter lasts two days, with the second called "Easter Monday".
The week beginning with Easter Sunday is called Easter Week or the Octave of Easter, and each day is prefaced with "Easter", e.g. Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday, etc. Easter Saturday is therefore the Saturday after Easter Sunday. The day before Easter is properly called Holy Saturday. Eastertide, or Paschaltide, the season of Easter, begins on Easter Sunday and lasts until the day of Pentecost, seven weeks later.
In Eastern Christianity, the spiritual preparation for Easter begins with Great Lent, which starts on Clean Monday and lasts for 40 continuous days (including Sundays). The last week of Great Lent (following the fifth Sunday of Great Lent) is called Palm Week, and ends with Lazarus Saturday. The Vespers which begins Lazarus Saturday officially brings Great Lent to a close, although the fast continues through the following week. After Lazarus Saturday comes Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and finally Easter itself, and the fast is broken immediately after the Paschal Divine Liturgy.
The Paschal Vigil begins with the Midnight Office, which is the last service of the Lenten Triodion and is timed so that it ends a little before midnight on Holy Saturday night. At the stroke of midnight the Paschal celebration itself begins, consisting of Paschal Matins, Paschal Hours, and Paschal Divine Liturgy.[74] Placing the Paschal Divine Liturgy at midnight guarantees that no Divine Liturgy will come earlier in the morning, ensuring its place as the pre-eminent "Feast of Feasts" in the liturgical year.
The liturgical season from Easter to the Sunday of All Saints (the Sunday after Pentecost) is known as the Pentecostarion (the "fifty days"). The week which begins on Easter Sunday is called Bright Week, during which there is no fasting, even on Wednesday and Friday. The Afterfeast of Easter lasts 39 days, with its Apodosis (leave-taking) on the day before Ascension. Pentecost Sunday is the fiftieth day from Easter (counted inclusively).[75]
From Wikipedia
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