Holidays Holiday and Triumph of celebrations - this is how the Russian Orthodox Church calls the Feast of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. This is the main Christian holiday with a deep biblical history.
Easter is the most favorite holiday for Orthodox Christians. Behind Lent, forty-nine days of strict fasting and prayer. Let us also think about what they do on Easter? How to prepare and celebrate the Holy Day with dignity?
Preparation for the holiday
The week before Easter - Holy - is the strictest week of the year. Believers try to attend the main and significant services this week; on Maundy Thursday they confess and receive communion.
On the eve of the holiday, Orthodox housewives, as a rule, carry out a general cleaning of the house, wash the most hidden corners of the house, and restore order and cleanliness. Then they decorate the house for Bright Day: the curtains are changed to festive ones, the red corner is neatly tidied up, and hung Easter wreaths, compositions of eggs, flowers and twigs with the first leaves are placed, the windows are decorated with stained glass windows on a biblical theme... So, the house is ready for the Great Holiday, it’s time to think about the treat: what are they preparing for Easter?
Easter table
The main attributes of the Easter table are:
- painted eggs
- Easter
- Easter cakes
Modern technologies greatly facilitate the process of dyeing eggs and allow you to dye eggs in any color. Although the most common dye since the time of our grandmothers is still onion peel.
Buying Easter cake for the holiday table is now not difficult. Bakeries provide us with plenty of these products. However, prepared by our mothers and grandmothers old recipes, Easter cakes are much tastier and more aromatic than store-bought ones. Baking this treat requires special attention and dexterity, because Easter cake dough is capricious, afraid of drafts, and does not tolerate haste and fuss.
Also, there must certainly be Easter cottage cheese on the table, in the shape of a tetrahedral pyramid, a symbol of Golgotha.
After strict fasting, housewives try to prepare a rich festive table and pamper their loved ones with treats and delicious meat dishes. Traditional dishes include stuffed duck or goose, roast lamb, pates, jellied meat, aspic, and pies with various fillings.
Let's celebrate Easter
Easter joy comes to every Christian home at night. After the liturgy, a solemn night service, believers come home, set the festive table, and break their fast. On every housewife's table there are colored eggs blessed on Holy Thursday, Easter cottage cheese and fragrant Easter cakes.
Throughout the next week, called Bright Week, you can hear everywhere: “Christ is Risen!” - “Truly He is Risen!”... Orthodox Christians go to visit each other, celebrate Christ, share Easter joy and give gifts.
Yes, we will take care of the gifts too: what do they give for Easter?
Gifts for Bright Day
There is an ancient custom of blessing painted eggs on Easter. Therefore, you will never go wrong with a gift if you give an egg: chocolate or decorative, hand-painted or painted, embroidered or sculpted, bought in a souvenir shop or made together with children - each egg, as a symbol of the holiday, is expensive and memorable. It is also customary to give Easter cakes, Easter baskets, items of church utensils, icons, books for spiritual reading, candles, Easter cards, beautiful scarves for women.
Currently, Easter is celebrated not only by true Orthodox Christians, but also by non-believers who are slowly joining the traditions of celebrating Easter. Store shelves are bursting with a variety of Easter cakes, eggs are being sold out in dozens, there are smiles all around, general joy, housewives are baking pies, sweets... After all, what can compare with the immense joy and light that this Great holiday brings to every home!
so that a cherished wish comes true, wealth comes to the house, and the girl is invited to marry
- one of the most beloved Christian holidays, symbolizing the Resurrection of Christ and victory over death. On this day, believers visit, pray, congratulate each other, give colored eggs and consecrate Easter cakes. On Easter, it is customary to have fun (in moderation) and visit the sick and suffering, go to visit and greet everyone you know with three times “Christ is risen!”
Miracle of the Resurrection of Christ. Source: liveinternet.ru
What should you do on Easter so that the year is successful and money is not transferred around the house?
True signs for good luck
1. To make your wish come true
It is believed that it is worth asking the Higher Powers at the All-Night Vigil from Saturday to Sunday. Then it will definitely come true! You just need to be patient and stand through the entire service from start to finish.
Easter services last the whole night. Source: spravoslavia.ru
2. So that wealth comes to the house
At Easter, it is customary to bless not only Easter cakes, but also material things. For example, a wallet. There is a belief that a consecrated wallet will subsequently attract money throughout the year.
3. For good luck
In order for there to be luck in your home, and, as our ancestors advised, on Easter, when the bell rings, you need to whisper three times: “Christ has risen, and my family will have health, my home will have wealth, my field will have a harvest. Amen." Then the year will be truly successful.
4. To get married
It’s also customary for Easter. During a church service, when the priest says “Christ is Risen!”, you must quickly whisper: “Resurrection of Christ, send me a single guy to be my groom!” Or early in the morning at sunrise, on Easter, knock on the glass of your window and read: “Easter sun, roll across the sky, and you, groom, show up at my doorstep. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Christ has risen, and the groom comes to me. Amen".
5. To stop quarrels
If in your family members of the household do not get along with each other, you need to roll a red egg from a high mountain, saying: “How this egg came down from the mountain, so that grief would be released from me. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen". Also, to get rid of quarrels and conflicts, a cross was burned with an Easter candle on the doorframe of the front door.
What to do on Easter is strictly prohibited
1. Be sad, conflict and use foul language. The same rule applies to all days of the following week. It is believed that the one who is Holy holiday becomes despondent and will mourn all year. And whoever fights and swears will receive an administrative fine!
2. Get married and have sex . During the entire Easter week, priests do not perform weddings (and also do not baptize).
As for sex, any intimate relationship outside of marriage is not welcomed by the church. A legal spouses Sexual activity should be stopped during Easter.
3. Have noisy parties and celebrate birthdays. It happens that Bright Resurrection coincides with the date when a believer was born. It is better to postpone the name day celebration to another day, since the celebration of Easter is more important than the birthday party.
The same applies to funerals; grieving for the dead on a joyful day for all Christians is prohibited. For this there are parental Saturdays and Radunitsa.
4. Guessing. To things like conspiracies, magical rituals, The Church has a very negative attitude. But in the villages, girls quite often gathered in groups on Easter evenings to tell fortunes on Easter cakes and colored eggs about whether they would get married soon and what the near future would be like.
How to celebrate the Holy Resurrection of Christ
The week before Easter, Orthodox believers keep a strict fast. It is customary to break the fast after the Liturgy and Communion. The festive table should include colored eggs, Easter cakes, Easter cottage cheese, and Cahors. They also prepare jellied meat, aspic, stuffed duck or chicken, and pies with various fillings.
Easter cakes and Easter eggs are an indispensable attribute of Easter. Photo VKontakte
You should eat and drink in moderation on Easter. And the rest after the meal eggshells It’s better not to throw it away, but to bury it in a place where people and animals usually don’t go. You should do the same with stale Easter cake.
You can and should give gifts to friends and family on Christ’s Resurrection. For example, candles and cards, church utensils, books, Easter cakes and Easter baskets. Be sure to add them painted egg as a symbol of evidence of new life.
Should you work on Easter?
In important church holidays Believers tried not to do household chores and work. But it doesn’t always turn out that the day off falls on a Sunday. If you have to go to work on Easter, you shouldn’t make a problem out of it and quarrel with the management (especially now, when there are many for the slightest offense!). Do your work especially conscientiously. It is believed that the Lord will definitely appreciate the zeal of a believer.
But it’s better to postpone household chores on this bright holiday. It is better to find another day for washing and cleaning. Easter must be celebrated with ease and joy, and not in everyday hassles!
Signs associated with the cemetery
The clergy claim that the custom of coming to Easter did not arise during the years of Soviet power, when a ban was imposed on visiting and celebrating various Christian holidays. But commemorating dead ancestors was allowed. Today, when no one prevents believers from attending services, it is better to postpone until Radunitsa, which this year falls on May 10.
Pagans believe that Easter Sunday is the only day of the year when the sky opens and the souls of the dead descend to their burial places to communicate with living relatives and loved ones. Therefore, people rushed to come to the cemetery, bring their loved ones and sweets to the deceased, and ask the souls of the dead for advice.
But littering the grave, throwing food crumbs and eggshells, is extremely undesirable! This will attract birds and... It is better to leave some part of the blessed Easter cakes, eggs and other products on the funeral table in the church.
If you have blessed the food, leave some of it in the church.
On Easter Day, we usually say: “Christ is risen!”, without thinking about the meaning of the words spoken.
Behind such external attributes as Easter cakes and painted Easter eggs, the true spiritual meaning of this great holiday for all Orthodox is hidden.
The Holy Resurrection of Christ is a celebration of the triumph of life. Christ, who atoned for our sins and suffered for it on the Cross, received freedom and conquered death.
Everyone who believes in the Savior will also find eternal and worthy life after his death. By greeting someone with the phrase “Christ is Risen,” we are sharing the great news of Christ’s rebirth and affirming our trust in Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God.
The Old Testament Gospel tells us that on Good Friday, Jesus Christ was crucified on the Cross and buried in a cave, which was located not far from the place of execution. But the buried body miraculously disappeared from the coffin on Sunday night.
This is how the greatest event for the entire Christian world happened - the Holy Resurrection of Christ.
The Resurrection of Christ is a moving holiday, the specific date of which in each year is calculated according to the lunar-solar calendar. The calculation rules adopted in the 3rd century by the clergy of the Alexandrian Church are still in effect today. 
Easter occurs on the first full moon immediately following the day. This holiday always falls on a Sunday and never coincides with the Jewish Passover.
Some start counting from Lent - Easter comes 48 days after it begins. In 2015, Easter is celebrated on May 5th.
Orthodox Christians prepare for Easter in advance. Seven weeks before Christ's Resurrection, Lent begins. the last week which is the strictest, it is called Holy Week. On Maundy (or Maundy) Thursday Slavic tradition Preparations for the festival are underway: houses are cleaned, windows are washed, Easter cakes are baked, eggs are painted.
What else should you do on holiday? Great Easter? Believers have a tradition of not eating food from sunset on Good Friday until the end of the festive service. This time is devoted to prayers, cleansing the soul and thoughts.
On Holy Saturday, on the eve of the holiday, it is customary to consecrate Easter cakes, eggs, candy and other foods intended for festive table. In the evening of the same day, a solemn religious procession and all-night service begin in all Orthodox churches and temples.
After the end of the service, everyone congratulates each other on the day of great joy with the words: “Christ is risen,” kisses three times, and exchanges colored eggs.
This custom is very ancient, it is directly related to the biblical events telling about the resurrection of Christ from the dead. 
Saint Mary Magdalene came to the Roman Emperor Tiberius with the joyful news of the miraculous salvation of Christ. According to tradition, she brought him a gift, which she handed to the ruler with the words: “Christ is risen.”
In response, Tiberius laughed in her face and said that he would believe only if the egg turned red. When the emperor took the gift from Magdalene’s hands, a great miracle happened: the egg instantly turned bright red. That is why it is customary to paint eggs red at Easter.
The Holy Resurrection of Christ is celebrated for seven whole days. On this holy week you need to rejoice and have fun, you cannot be sad, make trouble, or call people names. It is advisable not to visit the graves of relatives and friends on Easter, and you should not cry or grieve for the departed. A week before and after Easter, no requiem service is served, and the dead are remembered on the first Tuesday, which comes after the seven-day festivities.
There are no wedding ceremonies throughout Holy Week. Spouses who are both common-law and church marriages, you should think about spiritual things and make a wise decision by giving up sex for the entire holiday week.
It has long been believed that on the holiday of Holy Easter many signs and superstitions come true.
— Working on Easter means you won’t see happiness.
— An Easter egg that did not break after being hit means good health.
- The Easter cake has not risen well or is cracked - someone in your house is seriously ill. 
- Hear the cuckoo - expect an addition to the family soon.
— The candle went out during the service - bad, burned out to the end - for good.
The long-awaited and beloved one is approaching Easter holiday, which in 2018 falls on April 8.
The Holy Resurrection of Christ is the greatest day for any Christian, one step higher than even Christmas. This is a time of joy and love, and also a tribute to Jesus himself, who gave his life for us.
There are many opinions about how to celebrate Easter correctly- some people throw big feasts and do not deny themselves anything on this day, while others go to church first.
Folk superstitions, preserved from pagan times, are closely intertwined with true traditions Orthodox Church, so it can be very difficult to determine what is right and what is wrong. So how to celebrate this holiday correctly, what can you do on Easter and what can’t?
What not to do on Easter
In Svetloe Christ's Sunday- the most important thing to remember is that this is a time to rejoice, remembering the Resurrection of Christ. All other restrictions and prohibitions emerge from this.
The celebration lasts the whole week (Bright Week), so the prohibitions apply for the entire period of the celebration.
Prohibitions for Easter
- You can’t quarrel with someone or be offended by someone. If you still have old grievances, try to let them go and forgive.
- On this day you cannot be greedy and stingy. Since ancient times, on Easter it has been customary to share food with the poor and needy. And this applies not only to money or food - give your smile to everyone around you, give forgiveness to everyone who asks you for it. In short, try to give everything you can.
- You can’t swear, be sad or give in to despondency. All seven days you need to be as kind as possible so as not to darken the bright holiday for others.
- You cannot get drunk and indulge in excesses. Everything should be in moderation - food, alcohol. The priests say that it is better to drink only wine during this period of alcohol, leaving vodka for other periods.
- You can't work at the expense of the holiday. However, if you have scheduled working hours, then there is nothing to worry about. But without great need, it is better to devote this time to communicating with friends and loved ones. The church does not prohibit working on this day, but clergy recommend postponing household chores until another day.
- No cleaning allowed. But there are also nuances: you should not clean in the full sense of the word, devoting half a day to washing the floors and wiping off dust. Of course, this does not apply to small everyday issues. Although, if this does not prevent you from being in a festive mood, then everything is in order. In any case, this is rather not a prohibition, but rather moral advice.
- You can't go to the cemetery. The church prohibits holding funeral services and mourning the dead this week. Since grief contradicts the spirit of the holiday - joy on the occasion of the Resurrection of Christ from the dead.
- You can't have an intimate life either. Sexual activity is prohibited for the entire week. Deny intimate life two spouses owe. This happens by mutual consent.
I also invite you to check out 21 inspiring ideas on how to decorate your own Easter basket using flowers. When I look at them, spring blooms in my soul!
I sincerely wish you that this Holy holiday brought happiness and joy to your home!
If you find this article useful, tell your friends about these tips, I am sure that for many of them they can be very relevant. We also have a lot of recipes in store for you for this bright holiday.
Christ is risen! Happiness and peace to your families, our dear readers!
Easter morning after the blessing of Easter cakes and eggs should begin with a family breakfast, during which it is customary to eat traditional holiday dishes. On this day and throughout the week, rejoice, invite guests, go to visit, treat each other. By the way, it is advisable to behave this way not only on Bright Week, let such behavior become an example of how to live every day.
What can you eat for Easter
On Easter Day you can eat anything, the main thing is to know in moderation, especially if you have been fasting. By consuming holiday food in moderation, you will be able to try all the dishes without adverse effects on your digestion. You can also drink a little wine, but don't overdo it.
What not to do on Easter
1. You cannot do housework on Easter - cleaning, sewing, knitting. Give your full attention to God and your family.
2. On Easter Day and during Easter week you should not be sad or cry.
3. It is forbidden to have sex - throughout the week you need to forget about worldly affairs and think about spiritual things.
4. You cannot go to the cemetery on Easter; this is what Memorial Week is for.
Easter signs
1. To prevent the family from falling apart, a husband and wife cannot become Christians.
2. To be beautiful, you need to dip something blessed in a basin of water in the morning after breaking your fast. Easter Egg, roll it there and wash with this water, you also need to roll the dye over your face.
3. For wealth, you should dip coins and silver in water with an egg.
4. To get pregnant, you need to go to church in the morning, dedicate the contents of the basket and ask God to give you a child.
