Orthodox Easter

Orthodox Easter History

Orthodox Easter, also known as Pascha, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This feast illustrates the core of Christian faith and is regarded as the transformation of humanity through Christ's death and resurrection. Orthodox Easter observances routinely consist of Holy Week traditions, including processionals, worship services, and fasting practices. The celebration embodies communal worship and personal reflection, encapsulating the spirit of joy, hope, and unity within the Orthodox Christian community.

Orthodox Christianity was introduced to Canada in the late 18th century by Russian missionaries in Alaska, who then traveled through Canadian Arctic. Today, Orthodox Easter forms an integral part of religious traditions for numerous Orthodox Christian communities across Canada, including Greeks, Ukrainians, Romanians, and many others. The event is marked by distinct practices such as the Midnight Office, the procession, the Divine Liturgy of Pascha, and the Agape Vespers, which deepen the spiritual connection of worshipers, fostering a sense of community amongst diverse cultures.

In Canada, Orthodox Easter is observed with an amalgam of faith, culture, and tradition. The observance often includes Holy Week services and rites that lead to Easter Sunday. Canadian Orthodox Christians participate in divine liturgy, processions, readings, and importantly, the Midnight Office that signals the commencement of Easter celebration. This celebration embodies the cultural diversity that is typically Canadian, highlighting the country's commitment towards religious freedom and multiculturalism. Orthodox Easter usually falls on a different date than Western Easter since it is calculated based on the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar. However, the dates may coincide in some years.

Facts about Orthodox Easter

• Easter is often called Pascha in the Orthodox tradition. Pascha normally falls either one or five weeks later than the feast as observed by Christians who follow the Gregorian calendar. However, occasionally the two observances coincide, and on occasion they can be four weeks apart.
• In the Orthodox tradition, the Easter season lasts for 100 days. It begins as a time of preparation, 49 days before the holiday. The following 50 days after Easter are dedicated for strengthening faith in Jesus Christ.
• A common greeting on Orthodox Easter Sunday is “Christ is Risen!” and the response is “Indeed He has Risen!”. This is a central tenant of Christian faith and reinforces Easter's importance in Christianity.
• One interesting tradition during Orthodox Easter is the dyeing of eggs, especially in red to symbolize the blood of Christ. Families often engage in egg tapping contests, where each person selects a hard-boiled egg and taps the egg of another participant with one's own egg intending to break the other's, while keeping one's own egg intact.

In the News and Trending in Canada for Orthodox Easter

Top things to do in Canada for Orthodox Easter

• Wear some new clothes to church. This is an ancient tradition that goes back to the early church when newly baptized persons were given a white gown to wear on Easter.
• Take an Easter basket to an Orthodox church and have it blessed. Some Eastern Orthodox Church members put together special baskets with particular items that symbolize different aspects of their faith. These items often include bread, wine, salt, cheese, ham, and horseradish.
• Attend Easter Banquets: Many Orthodox churches and communities in Canada host Easter banquets or picnics where traditional foods are served, like lamb, Tsoureki (Easter bread), red eggs etc. It’s a great way to interact with the community and taste traditional food.
• Prepare traditional meals for the occasion of Orthodox Easter in Canada
  1) Paska (Easter Bread): Paska is a traditional Ukrainian sweet bread that is often made for Orthodox Easter. It's usually enriched with eggs and sugar, and it's often decorated with religious symbols, like crosses.
  2) Lamb Roast: Roasting a lamb is a common tradition for Orthodox Easter, symbolizing Jesus, the Lamb of God, who was sacrificed and resurrected on Easter.
  3) Babka: This is a sweet bread, very similar to an Italian panettone, often baked for Easter Sunday in Poland and Ukraine. It can be flavored with rum or vanilla, and sometimes contains raisins.