Interesting facts about Easter. What do we know about Easter? Interesting stuff about Easter

13.04.2021

Orthodox Christians are preparing to celebrate the bright holiday - Easter. This is the main event of the year for the Orthodox. The word "Easter" came to us from the Greek language and means "passage", "deliverance." On this day, believers celebrate the deliverance through Christ the Savior of all mankind from slavery to the devil and the gift of life and eternal bliss.

As theologians note, just as the death of Christ on the cross accomplished redemption, so His Resurrection granted people eternal life.

Today we know many customs of celebrating Easter: christianity, etc., but there are some facts that may be of interest even to people professing a different faith or not believers at all. We invite you to read such a selection.

Interesting Facts related to Easter:

The custom of giving each other colored eggs was not invented by Christians. This was done by the ancient Egyptians and Persians, who exchanged them as part of the celebration of the beginning of spring. Eggs then meant a wish for fertility.

The most famous Easter eggs, made by Peter Carl Faberge - back in 1883, Tsar Alexander ordered a gift set of such eggs for his wife.

The largest Easter egg is found in Vegreville, Alberta, Canada. It weighs about 2 tons and is about 8 meters long.

In Russia, the largest Easter egg was made of ice in 2010. Its weight was 880 kilograms and a height of 2.3 meters.

Eggs are dyed on Maundy Thursday, just like Easter cakes are baked. At the same time, it was established to make Easter - a dish from cottage cheese.

The ceremony of carrying out the Holy Light on Holy Saturday is held together by the Greek and Armenian patriarchs of Jerusalem.

The world's largest Easter cake weighing more than 2 tons and a height of 2.4 meters was baked in 2011 in the village of Yalta, Donetsk region.

In Russia, painted Easter eggs or pysankas were kept at home throughout the year, in order to thus protect their home from fires, floods and other natural disasters.

In Kolomyia there is a Pysanka Museum, the building is built in the shape of an egg.

During Holy Week, only once a year, miro is prepared - a special mixture of several dozen substances based on olive oil, aromatic herbs and fragrant resins.

In Russia, in the old days, it was customary for the hostesses to stay at home on the first day of Easter, and the men went with congratulations to their relatives and friends. The tables had been laid all day and there were already light (not lean) dishes on them. The Easter table was usually decorated mainly with cold dishes: baked lamb, fried veal, pork hams. It was not customary to serve fish that day.

In addition, some Russians visit the graves of relatives on Easter. However, this is not welcomed in the Orthodox Church. As the holy fathers note, in connection with the joyful day of Easter, the commemoration of the dead for the whole of Bright Week ceases. They call to commemorate relatives on Radonnitsa (Parent's Day)

In Russian Orthodox Church it is customary to read the first 17 verses of the Gospel of John in various languages at the festive Easter service.

Catholic Easter in 45% of cases is a week earlier than Orthodox, in 30% of cases it converges, in 5% - a discrepancy in 4 weeks, in 20% - a difference in 5 weeks.

In 2014, Catholics celebrated Easter together with Orthodox Christians.

From former countries In the USSR, only in Belarus, both Catholic and Orthodox Easter are considered public holidays.

English name Easter, Easter, comes from the name of the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn, Eostre. Here, this goddess is better known under the name Ishtar (and the corresponding Greek name Hestia, Germanic Eostre, Ostarta, Lithuanian Austra)

For Catholics, the symbol of Easter is a rabbit. In many European countries, children believe that, subject to their exemplary behavior, the Easter Bunny comes on the eve of the holiday and lays colored eggs in the nest. The nest (or basket) had to be prepared in advance in a secluded place. Kids usually used their hats for this purpose, laying them out in sheds, barns and other secluded areas. The arrival of the miracle rabbit is almost as eagerly awaited as the visit of Santa Claus.

A good Easter bunny has a bell on its neck. On the eve of Easter, this eared character can be found everywhere and in different types... Rabbits are made of chocolate, marzipan and other delicious materials, they are sewn from plush and fur, molded from clay. "Rabbit" ornament adorns many Easter items: festive tablecloths, napkins, dishes. And, of course, postcards.

76 percent of Catholics, first of all, eat the ears of chocolate bunnies.

In America, the Easter game is very common - rolling eggs on a sloping lawn. The winner of the competition is the one who will be able to roll his painted egg the farthest without stopping. The most massive competition takes place on Easter Sunday on the lawn outside the White House in Washington. Hundreds of children come here with their Easter baskets filled with brightly colored eggs and roll them down the lawn near the presidential palace.

Sweden has its own fun. They even have Easter witches. Little girls dress in rags and old clothes, most often their outfits consist of oversized skirts and scarves. In this form, the girls walk from door to door with a copper kettle and collect treats. They say this custom originated from the ancient belief that witches fly to the German mountain Blockula on the Thursday before Easter and hold a sabbath. According to legend, when they returned back, the ancestors of the Swedes and Finns lit fires and frightened evil spirits. People also shot into the air and painted crosses on houses and barns to scare away evil spirits. Nowadays, the tradition is alive: on the days before Easter, Swedes and Finns light bonfires and launch fireworks.

Bulgarians on Easter make a huge number of clay products, most often pots, which are usually thrown on the same day from the upper floors of houses to the ground: this marks the victory of good over evil. At the same time, every passer-by can take a piece of clay with him - for good luck.

And in a number of Latin American countries and some parts of Greece, it is customary to hang a stuffed animal of the apostle who betrayed Christ and burn it. Sometimes fireworks are installed in the scarecrow.

The egg is the main symbol of Easter, which means for Christians new life and rebirth. That is why it is an indispensable element of many Easter customs and games. The custom of giving each other colored eggs was not invented by Christians. This was done by the ancient Egyptians and Persians, who exchanged them as part of the celebration of the beginning of spring. Eggs then meant a wish for fertility.

In medieval Europe, there was a tradition on Easter to present eggs to servants. In addition, they were presented to each other by lovers, as a sign of romantic sympathy. Easter eggs are usually painted in bright colors. The most popular is red or purple which symbolizes the sacrificial blood of Christ. According to legend, Mary Magdalene presented an egg of exactly this color to Emperor Tiberius with the words: "Christ is Risen!"... Other favorites are rich yellows and greens that are reminiscent of the spring sun and greenery.

Nowadays Easter eggs are painted in a variety of colors, not just sacred ones. They are also often decorated with various designs and ornaments. There are several ways to depict a pattern on the shell. For example, you can tie a carved leaf, like a fern, to an egg before dyeing to get a beautiful pale outline against a bright background of the main color. To make Easter eggs, beeswax is used, which is applied in certain places on the shell, after which the eggs are immersed in a food coloring solution.

To obtain a particularly complex and multi-colored pattern, several colors are used, and before each dipping, a new wax contour is applied to the surface of the shell, under which the previous shade is preserved. To give eggshell of various colors, you can use onion peels, instant coffee, blueberry, cranberry and grape juice, beetroot broth and even violet petals.

EASTER RABBIT.

A rabbit (or a hare) is as much an integral part of the Easter holidays as a colored egg. Like an egg, this animal symbolized fertility in many ancient cultures, which is not surprising given its phenomenal ability to reproduce quickly and abundantly. It is not entirely clear why the rabbit became associated with Easter. One of the versions says that it denotes the prosperity that awaits the followers of the teachings of Christ.

In many countries, children believed (and still continue to do so) that, subject to their exemplary behavior, the Easter Bunny comes on the eve of the holiday and lays colored eggs in the nest. The nest (or basket) had to be prepared in advance in a secluded place. Kids usually used their hats for this purpose, laying them out in sheds, barns and other secluded areas. The arrival of the miracle rabbit was expected with almost the same impatience as the visit of Santa Claus.

All Germany on Easter eats chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs. At Easter, rabbits in Germany lay eggs. And nowadays, the rabbit has become a symbol of Easter. An interesting career for this animal. After all, at first the church fathers denied the rabbit. It was believed that his meat leads to quick thoughts. Scientists have long debated the origin of the hare as a symbol of Easter. Some believed that the rabbit is a symbol of the fertility of the ancient German goddess Ostera, others that it is the Byzantine symbol of Jesus.

There were no Easter eggs in the evangelical church because there was no fast. Eggs could be eaten before Easter. And since eggs were not part of the sacred meal, they received other uses. They were brightly painted and hidden in the garden. Then it took someone to hide these eggs. A character arose similar to Saint Nicholas or the Christ-Child. And it was an Easter bunny.

Then the search for Easter eggs became known as the Easter bunny hunt. Whoever found the blue egg first was in for trouble. A red egg meant three days of good luck. Even the Goethe family in Weimar had such Easter games. Stories related to the hare soon arose.

A good Easter bunny has a bell on its neck. On the eve of Easter, this eared character can be found everywhere and in different forms. Rabbits are made of chocolate, marzipan and other delicious materials, they are sewn from plush and fur, molded from clay. "Rabbit" ornament adorns many Easter items: festive tablecloths, napkins, dishes. And, of course, postcards.

EASTER LAMB.

Interestingly, even in pre-Christian times, the Jews, celebrating the spring festival of Passover (it is from this name that the word Easter comes from), sacrificed lambs. The early Christians did not forget this custom, but gave it a different meaning. Now the sacrificial lamb symbolized the meek death of Christ.

Thus, it is quite understandable why roast lamb takes pride of place on the Easter table of many Europeans. In Russia, instead of this "bloody" dish, they serve harmless cottage cheese Easter.

EASTER CANDLE.

The tradition of placing a large candle at the altar during the night Easter service exists in all Christian countries. All other lamps in the church are then lit from this candle. The ritual originated in the 4th century AD, and the main candle is a symbol of Jesus Christ, and its sacred flame is a symbol of the Resurrection.

In the old days, parishioners took home candles with a blessed fire in order to use them to light up household lamps and melt hearths. This custom symbolized the sacrifice of Christ, who gave his life for the sake of people.

Photo: internet

Easter is the oldest holiday. This is what the ancient books say: “And Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them: Choose and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and kill the Passover; ... ". Passover is also associated with the exodus of the Jews from Egypt.

Historical events in the Old Testament are seen as types of events in the New Testament. Thus, the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt is presented as a prototype of the Resurrection of Christ, and the salvation of the Jewish first-born is a prototype of the salvation of all people by the Blood of Christ.

According to Christian Tradition, when Mary Magdalene presented an egg to Emperor Tiberius as a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ, the emperor, having doubted, said that just as an egg does not turn from white to red, so the dead do not rise. The egg turned red in an instant.
The symbol of Easter is a lamb, in the shape of which a cake is usually baked in Russia. In southern countries - Bulgaria, Italy, the Balkans, a lamb is slaughtered for Easter, or at least a lamb “cheverme” is fried.

Easter traditions go back to antiquity, the meaning of which is already incomprehensible to contemporaries. What does the rite of consecration of eggs and cakes mean? This question is answered by Gennady Klimov, the author of books on the ancient history of civilization.

Gennady Andreevich, we know the Christian ritual of Easter. We heard that Jews celebrate it too. What is the history of this holiday? And what nations celebrate it?

The roots of this holiday go back to stone Age... This is a holiday of transformation, or the beginning of a new cycle of time. In ancient times, it was determined by the spring solstice. Easter is associated with a very complex concept of ancient philosophy, which was called Svyatovid among the Slavs. Today people have become not smart enough to understand certain concepts of the ancients. But in a simplified form, Easter is a transition to new level consciousness. As in computer games, for example, a group of people wanders through the maze and suddenly someone finds their way to the next level - to the light. Some people rush after the hero to the light, and some remain in the darkness in indecision. Those who rise to the next level will celebrate Easter. The entire annual cycle of prayers and fasts is dedicated to this. The ancients had something like this meaning.
Easter is celebrated by Christians and Jews, however, with a difference of one week. In ancient times, among the Jews, the time of Passover was determined by the time of "ripening of the ears" (by which the month of Nisan was determined). These ears are associated with the tradition of baking Easter cakes. These are traces of Aryan beliefs. Easter was celebrated on Nisan 14. But such a time of "ripening of ears" can be determined only at a certain point on the planet - the location of the primitive Jerusalem. After the destruction of the capital of the original world and the dispersal of the people, the Jews switched to the celebration of Easter after lunar calendar... By this time, all the temples-observatories of the ancient Aryans were destroyed, and it was impossible to say when Easter was coming. Christians to solve the problem of calculating the time of Easter under Constantine the Great were forced to convene in 325 the First Ecumenical Council of Bishops in the city of Nicaea. At the Council, it was forbidden to celebrate Easter "before the vernal equinox with the Jews."

How do Jews celebrate Passover?

Passover (Pesach) is celebrated by the Jews in honor of the Exodus from Egypt. In memory of these events, at Easter, a ritual slaughter of a male lamb was prescribed in Jerusalem, which was to be baked and eaten with matzah. After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the ritual slaughter became impossible, therefore, the Jews on Passover now eat only matzo. In the first centuries of our era, Christians celebrated the first liturgies, similar in form to the Jewish Passover.
What is the point of eating lamb?
It is a cult from the astrological era of Aries, which preceded the Christian era. It began about 2 thousand years BC. At this time in Russia it was believed that the Almighty descends to Earth in the form of a ram - Yarilo (Ra), Before that there was the era of Taurus (Vol). The Jews are still waiting for the Messiah, therefore, while eating the lamb, they are, as it were, letting in the body and blood of God. Christians, who believe that the Messiah already descended to Earth in the image of Jesus Christ, perform this rite during communion, when they eat wine and bread, in which the blood and body of Jesus Christ is.

Do Muslims celebrate Easter?

On Easter, Muslims congratulate their Orthodox compatriots and Jews, just as they congratulate Muslims on Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Adha. Why don't Muslims themselves celebrate Easter? This is difficult to explain to modern people, because they have become unable to understand a lot.
Most Muslims know that Christians celebrate the "resurrection of Jesus." According to the Christian faith, the prophet Jesus (Isa - peace be upon him) was crucified on the cross and died, having atoned for the sins of mankind with his death and giving people who took the path indicated by him a chance to be saved. Three days after his death on the cross, he was resurrected, “having conquered death,” and the feast of the Resurrection of Christ is celebrated as the feast of the deliverance of mankind from sins. This also refers to the "original sin" that Adam and Eve (Hava) committed and for which, in the minds of Christians, all generations of people paid the price. In the minds of Muslims, the "original sin" as such does not exist and everyone will bear responsibility on the Day of Judgment only for their own actions. Why such a difference between Christians and Muslims, I will explain in my new book "Ancient History of Russia", which will be released this year. Trust me there is a lot of logic in this. And, oddly enough, but Christians and Muslims are equally right.
These theologically controversies are related to the concept of the Avatar. Unfortunately, such basic concepts are not taught today either at school or at the institute. And without this one cannot understand anything in this world. Without this, people are blind. They have no intelligence.
The concept of the avatar, as the incarnation of God "in the flesh", is found in all religions. In the Indian Vedas, the term "avatara" is most often associated with the Almighty (Vishnu) and his ten main avatars. For example, Krishna and Rama are considered avatars of Lord Vishnu. Moreover, Krishna probably had a real prototype - an Aryan prince who lived about 5,000 years ago. Krishna was apparently born in a place near today's Lipetsk, Russia. He founded the city at the mouth of the Daugava (Western Dvina) River on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Here is the city of Riga now. And his brother Belorama founded a city at the mouth of the Northern Dvina on the shores of the White Sea. Here is now the city of Arkhangelsk.
Muslims consider Jesus to be human, just like all other prophets of Monotheism. Muslims recognize Jesus' prophetic mission and believe that he did not die. Muslims believe that he is now alive and in heaven. Jesus, according to Muslims, will return to this world with the arrival of Imam Mahdi. Then he will die and rise again along with everyone on the Day of Judgment. And since the Prophet Isa, according to Islam, did not die, he, accordingly, according to Muslims, did not rise again.
The first four appearances of God, according to the ancient Aryan books, occurred in the era called Satya Yuga (the first of four eras, in a large cycle of time). Then the four Aryan religions of Makoshi, Yar, Mary and Rod were created. Their heirs, world religions - Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Judaism

And what does the rite of dyeing and consecration of eggs for Easter mean?

Remember the Russian fairy tale about the Ryaba chicken. The chicken laid an egg - not a simple one, but a golden one. A mouse ran, waved its tail - the testicle and broke. The grandfather is crying, the grandmother is crying. Then Ryaba's chicken laid a silver egg. Again the mouse broke the testicle. Ryaba took a copper egg. And again the mouse broke the testicle, waving its tail. The grandfather is crying, the woman is crying. Then the crust promised to lay a testicle, not a golden one, but a simple one. What is this fairy tale about? About time, about the change of eras.
Mahayuga (Great South) consists of - 4 centuries of humanity. At the beginning comes Kritayuga, or as it is also called - the Golden Age. Each era a new faith is born - a new prophet comes, who tears off another level of people's consciousness. God created us in his own image, but opens the consciousness of man as he becomes able to understand new revelations.
The sequence of the birth of ancient cults is probably the following: first, faith in Makosh appears. Figures of Makosh, carved from ivory in the shape of a pregnant woman, we find in excavations of the most ancient layers around the world. The most ancient Makosh in the excavations of Kostenki (Middle Don) date back 50 - 42 thousand years ago. Already in the modern. Mahayugu was applied 21 thousand years ago from the northern cult of Makosh, the western faith in the son of God - Yar (solar cults) and the eastern faith in the daughter of God - Maru (lunar cults) emerged. This is how the forerunners of modern Christianity and Islam were born.
The egg is Makosh. Each church has its own color. The Aryan church of Yar had a red, masculine color. This church was the forerunner of the Christian faith in the son of God Jesus Christ. Therefore, Christians bring a red egg to church as a symbol of the connection of times. Like worshiping the Father.

What does Easter cake mean?

Over the past 26 thousand years, according to the authors of the Aryan Vedas, God descended to Earth 9 times. Avatars are of two kinds. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Vishnu) descends directly, the Hindus call him sakshat or shaktyavesha-avatara. But in the case when he endows a certain power with any person, so that she fulfills a certain mission entrusted to her, such a person is called avesa - an avatar.
There are two types of direct avatars of Vishnu - purna-avataras (in which Vishnu himself descends.) And amsarupa-avataras, in which he descends directly, but manifests only some of his qualities. These avatars include the first five of the dasa avatars - Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha and Vamana. We are talking about the primitive forerunner of the four modern world religions and the fifth worldview, which today is called science.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ is God who descended to earth in the form of a man who came to sacrifice himself for the salvation of mankind. In the teaching about Krishna, there are many predictions of the coming of Jesus Christ. Krishna lived 3000 years before the birth of Christ. In the Vedas, the image of Narasimha is the forerunner of the Mother of God.
The oldest church Makoshi (Matsya) was transformed into Buddhism, having gone through nine stages of Transfiguration. However, the other three most ancient Aryan churches (Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha) have gone their own way of transformations, forming modern Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All of them together form a certain completeness and harmony of the world. They also shape the consciousness of a modern person.
The Krishnaites also rank among the avatars of the prophet Caitanya Mahaprabhu, whom they worship as the joint avatar of Krishna and his eternal beloved Radha. Chaitanya is called the Golden Avatar or the most merciful Avatar, as he preached that everyone can achieve pure love of God, regardless of religious affiliation.
There are two different understandings of the personality of Krsna. In addition to the fact that Krishna appears as the eighth avatar in the list of ten avatars of Vishnu, millions of people around the world worship him as the original hypostasis of God and the source of all avatars. Although I will remind you that, most likely, Krishna in Russia had a real prototype, Prince Krishna, who formed the Krivichi family of Baltic Slavs in the Baltic states. Many people of the North-West of Russia (inhabitants of the Pskov, Leningrad, Tver regions), Poland, Germany, Lithuania and other countries of the Baltic region originate from the Krivichi. The circumstances of the birth of Krishna, described in the Vedas, strongly resemble the circumstances of the birth of Jesus Christ.
The descendants of the Krivichi will create a sanctuary of Arkona on the island of Rügen (modern Germany), in which the idol Svetovid will be. Here the freemen of the Varangians "people of long will" was formed. The primitive western church of Varaha solar cults on the island of Rügen will acquire its holy city. Many peoples of northern Europe will emerge from this island. This island is also known for the tales of A.S. Pushkin, as the Buyan island on which Prince Guidon settled. From this island the monks of Rurik will arrive in Novgorod and begin to reign in Russia. This is how Kievan Rus will appear.
The Qur'an revealed through the Prophet Muhammad is considered by Muslims to be the culmination of a series of divine messages. Divine messages, according to Islamic belief, began with Adam and included the Scrolls of Abraham, Taurat (Torah), Zabur (Psalter), and Injil (Gospel).
Returning to your question about Easter cakes, this tradition comes from the plot of the ancient books of the Vedas, where the son of the god Indra pierced twenty-one mountains with an arrow and killed the boar Emusha, who stole the "grain". It should be said that the boar most likely refers to the western church of Varakh ("boar") or Yara (Yarilo). The younger brother of Indra takes the stolen grain to the Alatyr mountain - this is most likely a prediction of the coming century of Christianity, the Christian church is the heir to the western primitive church of Varakh.
At the time of the struggle of Indra with the boar Emushu, gigantic settlements have long existed in Russia. There are especially many of them on the right bank of the Don and in the west of the primordial world along the Dnieper. This culture is called Trypillian. It was about 6 thousand years BC. At that time, neither African Egypt, nor China, nor India, nor Sumer did not yet exist. Civilization was concentrated in the Northern Black Sea region.
The largest (of the discovered) Eneolithic city in the world, located near the village of Talyanki (Cherkasy region), has an area of 450 hectares. On average 10-15 thousand people lived in Trypillian cities. Their dwelling was two-story.
The worldview of the Aryans was based on the law of circulation, which is read in ceramics paintings. Four suns recreate the cycle of movement of the sun in the sky, four cardinal points, four seasons and four holidays in their honor. These are the four main Aryan churches - Makosh (north), Yara (West), Roda (south) and Mary (east).
The compositions of the paintings are three-tiered. Russia is the fiefdom of the Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. There are many Trypillian images of the Triune, the most famous of which are three spikelets, not only personifying the tree of life, but also creating the image of the Triune World. Three spikelets are Yav, Prav and Nav. The consciousness of people of the past is multi-layered. Three spikelets are also the three main rivers of the Russian interfluve: Volga, Don and Dnieper.
The Aryans had a planetary mindset. The grain grows out of the Sun itself and grows into a triune tree in the Galaxy. On a pot from the city of Maidan, grain connects Heaven and Earth. Such an image of a cosmic generalization of agriculture has not been found in any other culture.
It is from these cosmic generalizations that the plot of the Aryan epic of India proceeds, when the boar Emusha had already begun to cook porridge from the stolen grain, and Indra pierced twenty-one mountains with an arrow and killed the boar Emusha.
After that, the youngest of the brother-gods, the Adityas, took away the cake of bread from the possessions of the Asuras and returned it to the gods to the Alatyr Mountain. This plot has a deep religious connotation. This is the origin of the tradition of bringing Easter cakes to the church, becoming like the youngest of the gods. At Easter we are all a little bit gods. On the first day of Easter, we are all equal so far.
The belief of the previous level in Emush (the boar-headed god) was replaced by the belief in the god Indra (who was the forerunner of the Christian apostle Andrew the First-Called).
The cognition of the proportionality of the world - the trinity in fourfoldness - was an ingenious discovery of the foundations of the Universe. It transformed consciousness: it became not only a way of artistic understanding of life, but also gave impetus to the development of architecture. This is how the kurgans arose, and later, in Africa and America, they were transformed into pyramids.
These light-like foundations underlie the "way of thinking" of many of our contemporaries. Then Indra (the forerunner of Andrew the First-Called) made the first attempt to restore faith in the One God to consciousness. This revolution of consciousness was continued by the prophets of our era.
In Orthodoxy, the ancient concept of Svetovid corresponds to the concept of Tabor light - the concept of "smart doing", when you can see God on Earth and make the Transfiguration.
When the grandmother brings the cake to the church to baptize, she is the younger sister of Indra, who was the forerunner of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. Two thousand years ago, he preached in Russia.

Recorded by Varvara Medvedeva

As theologians note, just as the death of Christ on the cross accomplished redemption, so His Resurrection granted people eternal life.

Today we know many customs of celebrating Easter: dyeing eggs, christianizing, etc., but there are some facts that may be of interest even to people professing a different faith or not believers at all. We invite you to read such a selection.

Interesting Easter Facts:

The most famous Easter eggs are made by Peter Carl Faberge - back in 1883, Tsar Alexander ordered a gift set of such eggs for his wife.

The largest Easter egg is found in Vegreville, Alberta, Canada. It weighs about 2 tons and is about 8 meters long.

In Russia, the largest Easter egg was made of ice in 2010. Its weight was 880 kilograms and a height of 2.3 meters.

Eggs are dyed on Maundy Thursday, just like Easter cakes are baked. At the same time, it was established to make Easter - a dish from cottage cheese.

The ceremony of carrying out the Holy Light on Holy Saturday is held together by the Greek and Armenian patriarchs of Jerusalem.

The world's largest Easter cake weighing more than 2 tons and a height of 2.4 meters was baked in 2011 in the village of Yalta, Donetsk region.

In Russia, painted Easter eggs or pysankas were kept at home throughout the year, in order to thus protect their home from fires, floods and other natural disasters.

In Kolomna there is a Pysanka Museum, the building is built in the shape of an egg.

During Holy Week, only once a year, miro is prepared - a special mixture of several dozen substances based on olive oil, aromatic herbs and fragrant resins.

It is customary in the Russian Orthodox Church to read the first 17 verses of the Gospel of John in various languages at the festive Easter service.

Catholic Easter in 45% of cases is a week earlier than Orthodox, in 30% of cases it converges, in 5% - a discrepancy in 4 weeks, in 20% - a difference in 5 weeks.

In 2014, Catholics celebrated Easter together with Orthodox Christians.

Of the former USSR countries, only in Belarus both Catholic and Orthodox Easter are considered public holidays.

The English name for Easter, Easter, comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn, Eostre. Here, this goddess is better known under the name Ishtar (and the corresponding Greek name Hestia, Germanic Eostre, Ostarta, Lithuanian Austra)

76 percent of Catholics, first of all, eat the ears of chocolate bunnies.

Easter kites are flying in Bermuda on Good Friday.

Speaking of Holy Week: Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita takes place during Holy Week and ends on the eve of Easter night.

In many Christian countries, Easter is also associated with the image of the lamb. On themed postcards, he is often depicted next to the cross and the inscription "Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God).

In the old days, parishioners took home candles with a blessed fire in order to use them to light up the home lamps and melt the hearths. This custom symbolized the sacrifice of Christ, who gave his life for the sake of people.

Many interesting signs have always been associated with Easter, and not only among righteous Christians, but also among those who seriously violate God's commandments. For example, thieves had a sign: if you steal something from parishioners during the Easter service in the church and do not get caught by the hand, you can safely steal all year, you will not be caught. The card players believed that a simple ritual would bring good luck in the game - going to church on Easter, you need to put a coin in your boot.

All Christians will celebrate Easter tomorrow. This day is special for everyone, at least because the family can finally get together and treat themselves to the festive table. Do not forget that this is one of the most joyful holidays, because it symbolizes the beginning of a new life. But do you all know about the traditions and customs of celebrating Easter?

Celebration

Who knows why Easter is celebrated on different days every year? Probably the majority. And yet ... In the 1st century AD, the resurrection of Christ was celebrated every week, but in the 2nd century disputes on this score had already begun. Therefore, the Council of Nicaea was held, at which it was decided that Easter will be celebrated after March 21 on Sunday after the full moon. And since this phenomenon always occurs in different time then the date of the celebration is different. Therefore, in order to determine the date for the celebration of Easter, first determine when the moon will first be full after the vernal equinox. And next Sunday will be a holiday.

However, Christians use two different calendars. Orthodox and Greek Catholics follow the Julian calendar. Catholics prefer Gregorian, according to which spring starts 13 days earlier. That is why Catholic and Orthodox Easter are celebrated on different days, but sometimes it happens that both dates coincide.

Easter night

A lot of interesting things happen at this time. Most Christians go to church at night. However, some European peoples have a custom: people light large fires, which symbolize the victory of Christ over the darkness of pagan times.

Our ancestors that night kindled a fire near the church and all night watched that it did not go out. Everyone else, although they stayed at home, also tried to stay awake. They said whoever falls asleep that night will be sleepy all year.

On Easter night, anyone could try their luck. The ancestors believed that if you take a red egg and go with it in search of hidden treasures, you will certainly find them. The egg, warming up in the hand, indicates the desired area. But they added that this ceremony is very dangerous.

Easter eggs

Almost all peoples have a tradition of painting Easter eggs. The egg has always symbolized new life. But it certainly happens that the old must give way to the new. Therefore, the egg is symbolically smashed.

The Slavs rolled the dyes on the ground for fertility and kept them for a year to protect the house from various adversities.

There are many legends about the emergence of the custom of painting eggs. Some associate him with the emperor Marcus Aurelius. A chicken that belonged to his mother laid an egg dotted with red dots, which signified the birth of the future ruler. The Romans sent colored eggs to each other as congratulations.

Others believe that after the death of Christ, the Jews gathered for a feast, which included fried chicken and boiled eggs, among other dishes. One of those present said during the conversation that Jesus would be resurrected in three days, to which the owner replied: "If the chicken on the table comes to life, and the eggs turn red." To his surprise, it happened.

Another legend says that the first to paint the eggs was the Virgin Mary, who thus amused little Jesus.

Someone is more inclined to the version that everything is much simpler: when during the fast it was impossible to eat many foods, including eggs. Wishing to preserve valuable products, people cooked them, and in order not to confuse them with raw ones, they painted them.

However, the most common is the story of how Mary Magdalene came to Tiberius and gave him an egg according to the custom of that time. When she told him about the resurrection of Christ, he did not believe: "How can someone rise from the dead? It's just as impossible as if this egg suddenly turned red." And so it happened, the egg turned red, to which the surprised emperor exclaimed "Truly has risen!"

By the way, the largest Easter egg is located in the Canadian town of Vegreville: 8 m long, 5 m wide, and this miracle weighs about 2 tons. Do not be surprised, it is so heavy, because it is built from the wreckage of aircraft (no matter how strange it sounds). Like a weather vane, it turns in the wind, and it can be seen within a radius of several kilometers. We created this miracle in memory of the first Ukrainians who came to Canada many years ago.

Easter

Over time, the celebration of Easter has acquired new customs and traditions. But this does not mean that we have forgotten about the old rituals.

For example, in ancient times, on the first Easter day, all the housewives stayed at home and laid the table. The hotels were ready in advance for the arrival of guests and stood all day. But the men went from house to house, congratulating relatives and friends.

From time immemorial, the whole family gathered for a festive breakfast to stay together next year. At this time the matchmakers went to each other. The newlyweds sat in the red corner, the groom turned to his future wife only as "you" and treated her to different dishes.

Pasca

Every year our hostesses prepare paska, which is perhaps the most important attribute in the festive basket. However, each country has its own analogue of holiday bread. The British, for example, bake an Easter cake.

The oldest holiday cake that has survived to this day was made back in 1821 by William Skinner. Interestingly, for so long it hasn't even grown moldy and still smells like fresh. The image of the cross is still visible on it. The relic belongs to the baker's great-great-great-granddaughter, 91-year-old Nancy Titman, who plans to pass it on to her children, grandchildren, and later great-grandchildren.

And if we turn to ancient traditions, Ukrainians fed the birds that sat on the window with a piece of consecrated pasque. It was a symbol of wealth and good fortune.

Festive festivities

After a festive breakfast, our ancestors arranged noisy walks with games, swings and round dances. In some places they could drag on for several weeks. Many peoples had a tradition to lead a big round dance to folk music. And everyone who wanted to get rid of sins and various misfortunes rode on the swing.

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