Catholic Easter 2019: history and holiday traditions in different countries

The Resurrection of Christ - the great feast in Christianity, which symbolizes victory over sin in the name of a new life. The Catholic Church in 1582 decided to go to the Gregorian calendar, and the Orthodox still use the Julian, which is why the date of the Great holiday just not the same more often. In 2019 Catholics will celebrate Easter on April 21, Orthodox and a week later - April 28th. It happens that the holiday dates for the Catholics and the Orthodox are the same, the last time this happened in 2017, and the next time again only in 2025.

As Catholics celebrate Easter?

Tradition of celebrating this great feast of the Orthodox and Catholics alike. In Catholicism and Easter is preceded by Lent, but it is not such a long and strong as in Orthodoxy. Fasting for Catholics only lasts six weeks and four days. In 2019 Lent began on March 6 on Ash Wednesday.

To give up meat, fish, eggs and dairy products Catholics need only on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, but other days do not eat only meat, but dairy products allowed.

According to tradition, on Holy Saturday before Easter service lit Paschalis - Holy Fire, a special Easter candle, a torch, and still illuminate the water. Fire Paschal candle handed out to all the faithful, and they spread it to their homes, and lit the lamps. This wax candles, as well as water, consecrated at Easter, are considered to have miraculous and healing properties.

In the Holy Saturday Vigil service is held in all Catholic churches. On this day, any adult can receive the sacrament of baptism, it is believed that Easter is a sacrament has a special meaning.

On Sunday, in the morning held a festive service, the procession takes place and jingle bells, proclaiming that "Christ is Risen!"

Catholic Easter Symbols

Red egg. Now paint the eggs in a variety of colors, but among them will be red, and it is connected with the biblical legend. When Mary Magdalene knew that Jesus had risen, she rushed to report the news all the news reached and Tiberius - Roman governor. He did not believe the girl, and only smiled, saying that "as the white eggs do not turn red, and the dead can not be resurrected." But the egg in the hands of the girl immediately became bright red in color and the emperor said: "Truly He is risen!". Hence, there was a tradition on this day to greet each other and give krashanki as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter bunny. Catholics but this krashanok, treat and even chocolate eggs, more often it is a treat for the kids. On Saturday night, the parents prepare for toddlers basket, which add up treats: chocolate eggs in colored foil, as well as fledglings and rabbits of chocolate. And on the holiday itself arrange fun games for children, the most important of them - search for eggs that the Easter Bunny has hidden. Why is a rabbit, you ask? According to legend, the evil goddess of spring chicken Estra once turned into a rabbit, but he still continued to lay eggs, so every year at Easter rabbit gives kids all brightly colored eggs.

What to eat for Easter?

On the Easter table for Catholics is the same variety as that of the Orthodox Christians, from various egg dishes to salads, meat dishes and Easter baking. But if there are Orthodox Christians made cakes and cottage cheese Easter, Catholics are all a little different:

• Poland bake Mazurek - sand cake with fruit and nut filling;
• Italy - Colombo - yeast cake with candied fruit and nuts in the form of a dove, and is called "Easter dove";
• in Britain - crusades hot rolls - Butter cookies, cakes resembling;
• Spain - Mona de Pascua - a cake with almonds and chocolate decorated Easter eggs and chocolate rabbits;
• in Finland - mämmi - cereal flour of rye and malt, which is prepared in an oven, and then cooled and fed with ice cream;
• Greece - Zurek - pastry, similar to our cake with various fillings.

The main tradition and Catholic Easter bans

On Good Saturday banned from the party, a variety of activities, listening to loud music and launch fireworks.

Before the holiday you need to clean house and in the yard, decorate the room with garlands or green branches.

Easter - a family holiday, so it is necessary to hold it in a circle of relatives and friends to pay attention and take care.

Be sure to make a happy holiday for the children to hold games, among which place of honor hunt for chocolate eggs.

Also you will be interested to know that how to make a baby with Easter basket of paper