Easter, Great Day, Bright Resurrection of Christ - these are the names of the most important event for every Orthodox person, which we will celebrate on April 16, 2017.
The Easter holiday is dedicated to such a great gospel event as the Resurrection of Christ. The celebration of this bright day and the period of preparation for it are a great joy for people of many faiths.
Since ancient times, the Resurrection of Christ has been a symbol of hope for a happy and eternal life, devoid of grief, victory over evil and death, sincere love for everything that exists not only on Earth, but also in the Universe. 
Orthodox Easter in 2017 falls on April 16.
Main Christian holiday does not have a fixed date, but falls exclusively on Sunday every year. The day of this bright holiday is calculated based on the data of the solar-lunar calendar, as well as one of the tables, the first of which is called “Alexandrian Easter”, the second is called “Gregorian Easter”. This year, these tables are the same, so Catholics and Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter on the same day. Such a coincidence is very rare. According to statistics, the Easter days of these religious denominations coincide only in 25% of cases.Why is the date of Easter calculated this way?
The starting point in calculating the date of Easter is the spring equinox - another the most important holiday, personifying renewal, the triumph of life, the victory of light over darkness. To know when the spring equinox will occur, which, like the Resurrection of Christ, does not have a fixed date, study the solar calendar. The second most important phenomenon when calculating the date of Easter is the full moon. You can determine exactly when it will happen by studying the lunar calendar.The date of Easter is set based on when the first full moon occurs after the vernal equinox. In other words, the choice of Easter date falls on the nearest Sunday after the specified holidays. If the first full moon falls on a Sunday, Easter is scheduled for the following Sunday.
If Orthodox Easter may sometimes coincide with Catholic Easter, then its celebration on the same day as the Jewish Resurrection of Christ is unacceptable. The fact is that the solar calendar contains 365 days. The lunar calendar has only 354 days, that is, 29 days per month. Therefore, the moon becomes full every 29 days. This is why the first full moon after the vernal equinox does not always occur on the same day. Accordingly, Easter is dated differently every year.
When is Catholic Easter in 2017?
Despite the fact that the coincidence of the dates of Catholic and Orthodox Easter is quite rare, it is in the current year 2017 that this holiday in the two designated directions of Christianity will be celebrated on the same day - April 16.Why are the dates of Catholic and Orthodox Easter different from each other?
The tradition of celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead goes back centuries. For Catholics and Orthodox different approach to calculate the specific date of the Easter holiday. Sometimes the dates coincide, but most often their range can be from a week to 1.5 months. In Orthodoxy, the date of Easter is inextricably linked with the day of the Jewish holiday of Passover, and the definition holiday is based on data from the solar-lunar calendar. And for Catholics, the date of Easter is calculated using the Gregorian calendar, which differs from the Julian calendar, which the Orthodox use when calculating the date of Easter.The difference between the dates in the indicated calendars is 13 days. Gregorian dates are ahead of the Julian calendar, so Orthodox Easter is almost always celebrated later than the Catholic Easter holiday.
Easter traditions in Catholicism:
Like Orthodox Christians, Catholics boil down the essence of the holiday to the Resurrection of Christ. One of the main attributes of Bright Day, as in Orthodoxy, is fire, which personifies victory over darkness, rebirth, purification, deliverance, and the power of good forces. However, the traditions of Catholic Easter are still somewhat different from the traditions found in Orthodoxy.So, in Catholicism, the celebration of Easter begins on Saturday Holy Week. All Catholic churches perform rituals called the Easter Eve. Large bonfires are lit in front of the temple gates, from which the clergy light Paschal (a large thick candle). And from it parishioners can light their personal candles. Next, the Easter religious procession begins, which consists of a circular walk around the temple building with candles lit from Easter. During the procession, people must chant a sacred hymn, the text of which was written in ancient times. Just like Orthodox Christians, Catholics hear festive bells ringing from everywhere throughout the day.
Easter customs and symbols in Catholicism:
The most important attribute of Easter for Catholics is chicken eggs. Most often they are painted red. This is connected with the biblical legend about how, in the hands of a person who does not believe in divine miracles, a white egg turned red. Not every country celebrates Easter the same way. Of course, the basic customs remain unchanged, but there are still some differences.For example, in some Catholic countries it is not customary to observe Lent before the Bright Day of the Resurrection of Christ. Representatives of other Catholic denominations are sure that on a holiday it is necessary to visit the cemetery, remembering the deceased according to all the rules. Some Catholics say that on Easter, on the contrary, it is impossible to visit churchyards and places that represent the end of earthly existence, because on this day the holiday of goodness, joy, renewal and life is celebrated.
Dishes that Catholics prepare for Easter:
Just like in Orthodoxy, on Sunday evening Catholics gather at the festive table. The main dishes, in addition to traditional Easter cakes and krashenki, are rabbit, chicken and turkey. The Easter bunny is the most famous symbol of Easter in Catholicism. It has long symbolized fertility. Even in ancient times, they worshiped the hare (rabbit), knowing how fertile this animal was. It is believed that on the night from Saturday to Sunday, a live rabbit sneaks into every house and places colored bright colors eggs. The next day, the kids have fun looking for and collecting paints. This is where the Catholic Easter tradition came from, when adults hide eggs in the house late on Saturday evening, and children must find them on Sunday morning.Housewives bake gingerbreads and cookies in the form of rabbit figures from butter dough. But this is the traditional option. Edible bunnies can be made from anything - marmalade, chocolate, semolina, oatmeal with honey. After this, the delicacy is put on the festive table, they treat it to all their friends, neighbors, colleagues, relatives and even strangers passing by. The more gingerbread a woman can distribute, the happier and more prosperous her family will be.
The highlight of baking bunny treats is hiding an Easter egg inside one of the sweets. This is why gingerbread and rabbit-shaped cookies have quite a big sizes. After the gingerbreads are ready, each guest present at the evening breaking of fast takes a gingerbread for himself. Anyone who gets a sweet with an egg inside will be healthy, rich and happy in love all year.
On Easter, Catholics not only cook edible rabbits, but also make all kinds of souvenirs in the form of this animal. Materials for making souvenirs include clay, ceramics, paper, papier-mâché, wood, fabric, and plastic. All rooms of the home are decorated with figurines of rabbits; they are placed in the most prominent places - in front of front door, on the fireplace, festive table, window sills and sideboards.
What do Catholics never do on Easter? In no country except Britain do Catholic priests agree to marry newlyweds during Holy Week. In England, on the contrary, the Resurrection of Christ is considered traditional for the wedding of newlyweds. Also, on Easter Day, no Catholics work. This is considered a grave sin. On Sunday you just need to rejoice that Jesus defeated death and rose again.
Passover (Passover in Hebrew) is one of the most significant holidays for the Jews. Unlike many other nations, Jews consider Easter to be a purely family celebration. The festive table is almost always attended exclusively by relatives. This holiday is celebrated by Jews for 7 or 8 days, depending on the specific region of residence of the family.
Traditionally, the Jewish Passover falls on the 14th of the month of Nisan each year. Jewish Passover falls on April 11 in 2017. Over time, the tradition of celebrating Passover has remained virtually unchanged, so many customs have been carried through the centuries.
Unlike Christian Easter, this holiday in Jewish culture is a symbol not of the resurrection of Jesus, but of the deliverance of the Jewish people from Egyptian oppression, as well as the threshold of a new period in life. If translated literally, “Pesach” means “to pass by,” “to leave,” “to leave.”
History of the Jewish Passover:
The ancestors of the future Jews were Jacob and his 12 sons, one of whom, Joseph, was in the service of the Egyptian pharaoh. When famine and drought came to the lands of Judah, Jacob and his sons began to flee. After long wanderings, they came to the pharaoh, where their relative worked. He greeted the guests with honor, fed them, gave them something to drink and allocated territory for them to live. Everything went well, the Jewish family lived prosperously, observed its traditions, and gradually multiplied. After many years, the pharaoh changed. The new ruler was not aware of Joseph's services to Egypt. Pharaoh was confident that as a result of the fertility of the Jews, a mixture of races could occur and the Egyptian purebred people would cease to exist. As a result, Pharaoh decided to outsmart the Israelites by making clever laws against them, as well as coming up with cunning plans. But all attempts to exterminate or at least reduce the number of Jews were unsuccessful. Then the ruler of Egypt issued a decree stating that every son born to a Jew must be thrown from a cliff into the river, and newborn girls must be left behind. Thus, having matured, Jewish girls will marry the Egyptians and the Jews as a people will cease to exist.However, Pharaoh was not aware that among the Israelites, unlike many other nations, the genealogy is transmitted through the female line, that is, from mother to daughter, and not vice versa. One Jewish woman had a son; she hid him securely from prying eyes. The woman knew that the daughter of the ruler of Egypt had compassion for the Jews and in her soul opposed her father’s cruel decrees. The woman saw that the Pharaoh's daughter bathed every day in a certain place in the Nile River. When her son was 3 months old, she built a cradle from reeds and, placing the baby in it, left it on the river bank in the exact place where the Pharaoh’s daughter comes to bathe. After the bathing procedure, the daughter noticed a basket with a Jewish baby, took pity on the child and took him in with her. This is how Moses grew up in the court of Pharaoh.
One day the young man saw one of the guards brutally beating a Jew. He became angry, approached the guard and killed him, buried the corpse in the sand and set off on the run through the desert. During his wanderings, Moses met the priest Jethro, who sheltered the young man. Moses married the daughter of a priest and worked as a shepherd. One day, while grazing sheep, the young man saw a burning bush that could not burn completely. He was amazed, but, coming closer, he heard the voice of God, who said: “Moses, only you are able to save the Jewish people from torment. Go and lead the Israelites out of Egypt.” Thus, Moses became the savior of the entire Jewish people. Of course, the liberation was not easy, but it ended successfully.
Jewish Passover traditions:
Preparations for the holiday begin several weeks before the designated date. All Jewish families carry out general cleaning of the house and garden area. For Jews, this tradition symbolizes the beginning of a new life period. The house and surrounding areas are cleaned not only of debris, dirt and dust, but also of food products that are not kosher for Passover, called Chametz.Chametz is what Jews call any food product that has undergone a fermentation process. And it doesn’t matter what it will be – baked goods or drinks. Within a few weeks, every Jewish family is required to remove all leavened products from their home. Some of them can be eaten, others can be thrown away, distributed to poor people or stray animals. Many Jews, due to their natural enterprise and resourcefulness, manage to sell some chametz for a symbolic price.
What must be present at the Passover Seder?
The solemn Jewish meal in honor of the liberation of the Israelis requires the presence of festive table the following food products:*hazeret (finely grated horseradish, unseasoned);
* karpas (celery, parsley, radishes and boiled potatoes, which need to be dipped in salt before eating);
*charoseta (a mixture consisting of wine, all kinds of fruits and fruits, as well as various varieties of nuts);
*marora (horseradish root and lettuce);
*beytsy (hard-boiled eggs and then fried in a frying pan);
*zeroi (chicken cooked over coals, the neck or wing was most often used for this);
*matzo (unleavened bread, which is placed 3-4 layers on top of each other and transferred with a special napkin);
*sweet fortified wine or grape juice (there should be 4 glasses of drink for each person present).
In addition to the products listed, Jews also prepare dishes for Passover such as Passover pies and borscht, chicken stuffed with almonds, fish aspic, and chicken broth with kneidlach. Moza or chicken liver are usually used to make dumplings. Also on the table is a salad of finely chopped chicken eggs and onions.
Jewish and Christian Passover: what is the connection between them?
There are some common aspects between Easter in these two religions.First, the way the date is calculated. Both in Christianity and among Jews it is determined taking into account the Vernal Equinox.
Secondly, this holiday in both cultures does not have a fixed date, which can be completely different every year.
Thirdly, the name of the holiday itself. Christians borrowed it from the Jews, since the Resurrection of Jesus coincided with the celebration of Easter among Orthodox peoples.
Fourthly, Jews, like Orthodox Christians, do a general cleaning of their homes before Easter.
Fifthly, for Christians, eating consecrated Easter cakes, painted eggs and other foods represents the Last Supper. Jews also have a similar tradition called the seder. This is a ritual dinner at which a sacrificial lamb is eaten in memory of the departure of the Jews from Egypt.
By the way, back in ancient times it was decided that the Orthodox and Jewish holidays of Easter should under no circumstances fall on the same day. Hence the significant discrepancy in dates, because sunny moon calendar used differently by each culture. However, the first Christians in the world celebrated the Holy Resurrection of Christ on the same day as the Jews.
Folk traditions of Easter among the Slavic peoples.
Over the course of many centuries, the Slavs developed various Easter traditions that have survived to this day. Due to the fact that this holiday represents renewal and life, it is associated with three main aspects:*Holy Fire (church wax candles).
*Divine water (blessed water, Easter streams).
*Life (decorated Easter cakes and eggs).
Christ is Risen - Easter greeting:
Throughout the day, every person, regardless of age, when meeting others should greet them with the words “Christ is Risen.” In response he hears: “Truly He is Risen.” Next, people greeting each other must christen themselves - kiss three times on the cheek.Church visit and evening meal:
Even in ancient times, people from all villages, towns and cities came to the temples to listen to sacred chants, bless water and easter baskets with food. Also, when people attend church on Easter, they observe such a divine phenomenon as the descent of the Holy Fire. This fire is believed to have powerful healing and cleansing powers. Church candles are lit from it, because after this they strengthen their ability a hundredfold to heal not only physical ailments, but also mental illnesses.As for Easter streams, they symbolize the birth of life. And symbols of renewal and resurrection of life are painted eggs, Easter cakes and some meat dishes prepared, for example, from beef or rabbit. Since Easter is the first day after the Great 48-day Lent, the Slavic tradition involves coming home after visiting holy places to break the fast. Foods that were forbidden to be consumed during Lent are placed on the table. These are sour cream, milk, meat, eggs, cottage cheese, etc.
Before starting the evening meal, people who have endured Lent must taste the dye and a piece of blessed Easter cake. And only after this small ritual can you start eating other foods.
Battle on the paints:
The favorite Easter tradition of many Slavs was and remains the battle of the Krasniki. Each person must choose one blessed and painted egg. Then he approached any person who also had the chosen dye, and hit one side of his egg on the side of the egg that the other person was holding.Thus, the paints should hit each other. As a result of the impact, the shell of one egg must inevitably crack. Whoever's paint remains unharmed is considered the winner. Cracks and dents may remain on both paints at the same time. IN in this case there will be a draw. In ancient times, they believed that the more blows one egg withstood while remaining intact, the more successful the year would be for its owner.
Blagovest: If throughout Holy Week the church bells are silent as a sign of grief over the suffering of Christ, then on Sunday they ring all day. Anyone can climb the bell tower and ring the bell.
Rolling paints: Another fun that was loved in Rus'. After breaking the fast, various items were laid out on the table, for example, money, food and food. Each person present takes one colored egg and rolls it on the table, giving acceleration towards the laid out objects. Then you need to release the egg so that it rolls spontaneously. Let's say an egg touches a jar of honey. Then the person who rolled the egg becomes its new owner.
When are Easter cakes baked?
On the eve of Easter, Easter cakes are baked using rich butter dough. Some housewives, along with regular Easter cakes, also bake cottage cheese cakes. You can prepare this traditional holiday dish on any day during the entire week before Christ’s Resurrection.Many are sure that it is impossible to bake Easter cakes on the most mournful day of Lent - Good Friday - they must be cooked exclusively on Maundy Thursday. But no, you can! They say that on this day no food, including Easter cakes, goes stale. Some sources claim that it was on the night from Thursday to Friday that housewives in the old days placed the dough so that it would be completely suitable in the morning.
Only eating Easter cakes on Good Friday is strictly prohibited. It is believed that on this day Jesus was crucified on the cross, so it is inappropriate to eat Easter cakes to please the stomach. And in general, it is customary to start eating Easter cakes during the Sunday meal after going to church.
Among the Slavs, Good Friday is not only the day of the crucifixion of Christ, but also the day of Perun, who is the God of fire. Therefore, the dough for Easter cakes and the ash from the oven in which they are baked acquire powerful magical properties. They become able to heal, give love, cleanse the soul, protect against witchcraft spells and expel from home evil spirits. Due to these properties, a piece of baked Easter cake was always kept until the next Good Friday in case someone got sick, suffered from unrequited love, etc.
A small amount of ashes was also stored until the next Good Friday, carefully placed in a linen bag. If necessary, women sewed miniature bags with laces, where they put a pinch of ash and hung them around the necks of their children, brothers, husbands and other relatives. For example, if a husband went to war, Friday ash would definitely protect him during the battles. Such a bag can protect children from the evil eye, damage and any illness.
Why do you need to bake Easter cakes?
Long before the advent of Christianity, paganism already existed. And Easter cakes were baked twice a year (in spring and autumn). And during the reign of Peter I, Easter cakes began to be baked in winter, at the beginning of the new calendar year. Therefore, the tradition of preparing this dish for Easter arose precisely from paganism. Back then, Easter cakes were called ritual bread. And Easter cakes received their current name only after the merger of Christianity and paganism took place.The meaning of baking Easter cakes was to pay tribute to Mother Earth, who feeds and gives water. It was believed that the one who performed the special ritual would be happy, rich and successful in all matters throughout the year. The ritual involved baking ritual loaves, which are the prototype of modern Easter cakes, and then crumbling part of the bread on the ground (in a field, forest or garden). After this, the land always gave a rich harvest and bestowed all kinds of benefits on people.
For some time, ritual bread acted as the main attribute during pagan rituals, which had already begun to gradually penetrate Christian traditions. Over time, when two cultural traditions became intertwined, the pagan meaning of baking Easter cakes faded into the background, and then was completely forgotten. Instead, the Christian significance of baking Easter cakes, which is associated with the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ, became paramount. This is where the tradition of baking Easter cakes came from, although over time people began to cook this dish only in the spring.
When and why are eggs painted?
The first day of Holy Week on which you can start coloring eggs is Maundy Thursday. There is a lot to do on this day: prepare Thursday salt; carry out general cleaning of the home; wash and clean everything in the house, down to the carpets and curtains; take a swim and clean up.Unfortunately, many housewives simply do not have the time and energy to prepare dyes on Thursday. Therefore, you can paint eggs on Good Friday. But the most successful day for this activity is Holy Saturday. If you have the opportunity to color eggs only on Friday, start doing it after 15-00, since Jesus was crucified on the cross at this time.
The church does not have a clear answer to the question of why eggs are painted for Easter. There are several legends about this, one of which is the most popular.
Mary Magdalene, having learned about the Resurrection of Jesus, immediately went to Rome to convey this information to Emperor Tiberius. However, the customs of that time suggested visiting high-ranking persons only with gifts. Wealthy people made offerings to the emperor in the form of silver, gold, precious stones, and the poor could afford to bring only simple food products or some household items to the imperial court. Maria took with her an ordinary chicken egg and, handing it to the emperor, announced the news: “Christ is Risen.” The emperor replied that a person cannot be resurrected, it is impossible, just like the fact that a white egg cannot turn red. After the emperor smirked, the egg he was holding in his hand turned red. The amazed emperor said: “Truly He is Risen.”
Experts assure that such customs as preparing dyes and saying a special greeting laid the foundation for absolutely all traditions of the bright day of Easter.
Is it necessary to visit a cemetery on Easter?
Based on church canons, Easter is a holiday in honor of victory over death. It must be celebrated with the living, rejoicing and rejoicing. Therefore, visit such places in Bright Sunday do not do it. After all, visiting a churchyard in any case evokes longing for the dead. It is recommended to visit deceased people in Rodonitsa. Naturally, during periods when faith was persecuted by law and churches were destroyed, the churchyard was the only meeting place for believers. But today people are not punished for their faith, so there is no longer any need to visit the cemetery on Easter.Folk signs and beliefs associated with Easter.
Our ancestors were sure that any event that occurred during the holiday was filled with sacred Divine meaning. Through the centuries, some have survived to this day. folk beliefs and signs associated with this bright holiday.On Easter Day, you should never work, including housework. It is believed that if you break this “commandment”, you can waste all the happiness that is intended for the family.
On Tuesday of Holy Week you need to prepare medicinal herbs. Moreover, only women should be involved in this matter. They say that plants harvested on this day have powerful energy and can save even from a fatal illness and strong witchcraft spells.
Painting will help protect children from damage and the evil eye. You need to roll it three times on the child’s face, saying: “Be always healthy.”
You can be “born again” on the Wednesday before Easter. At 2 a.m., you should cross yourself three times and fill a ladle with water from a river, well, or barrel standing on the street. Then cover the ladle with a clean towel and let it stand for half an hour. After this, you need to undress and douse yourself with water from the ladle, leaving a little water on the bottom. Without drying yourself, you should put on new underwear. The rest of the water should be poured under a tree or bush.
Success in business and material wealth can be attracted with the help of a blessed egg and water. Pour some holy water into a glass, put dye, jewelry, Jewelry and coins. Let the glass stand all day in a secluded place, for example, on a windowsill or in a closet.
On Maundy Thursday, you must take a swim before sunrise. All evil slander, damage and the evil eye will go away instantly. To enhance the effect during bathing, you can say: “Go away that which defiles and denigrates the soul, Clean Thursday washes me, whitens me, heals me forever.”
Fortune and incredible luck can come to the family member who is the first to cross the threshold of his home, returning after a church service. You can get rid of the ballast of the past, long-standing grievances and sorrows on Monday of Holy Week. It is necessary to throw away all old and broken things.
Today, Easter for Orthodox people represents the Day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who devoted his life to serving people and accepted death, experiencing terrible torment in the name of atonement for human sins.
That is why Easter is the most Holy holiday called Divine and natural miracle, which people have worshiped at all times and continue to worship to this day.
Hello! In Izhevsk we publish the newspaper “Orthodox News. Izhitsa”. In the spring of 2008, there was a short article about the history of Easter (with reference to the source - Pravoslavie.ru). The following surprised me: at a meeting of priests (a very long time ago) they tried to come to a general reconciliation regarding the date of Easter. And “considering it indecent to celebrate Passover with the Jews,” they decided that it would be later than the Jewish Passover. My question is why is it indecent to celebrate Passover with Jews? If possible, a link to a site that covers the teaching of the Church on the relationship to the Jewish question. Veronica.
Archpriest Mikhail Samokhin answers:
Hello, Veronica! Christ is Risen! The celebration of Easter was established by the First Ecumenical Council in accordance with the chronology of gospel events. In accordance with the Gospel, the Resurrection of Christ occurred after the Jewish Passover. It would be strange to clearly contradict the Gospel in determining the date of the main holiday of Orthodoxy. About the position of the Church on the so-called “To the Jewish question” in the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians we read: “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is no longer Jew or Gentile; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal.3:27-28).
Sincerely, Archpriest Mikhail Samokhin.
Why do Jews, Orthodox Christians and Catholics celebrate Easter on different days and what are the Easter traditions of different religious movements, Gazeta.Ru looked into.
Every year, Jews celebrate Passover, a holiday that commemorates the chain of events during which the Jews left Egypt. In 2018, it is celebrated from the evening of March 30 to April 7. Happy Passover
President Vladimir Putin of Russian Jews, noting that the holiday “turns believers to the enduring spiritual and moral values of Judaism, the ideals of goodness and justice.”
According to the Torah and the Bible, the family of Jacob-Israel, the ancestor of the Jews, left Canaan (now a territory divided between Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan) due to famine and moved to Egypt. The Israelites lived there for 430 years, during which time their numbers increased significantly, exceeding the number of the Egyptians. The new pharaoh, fearing conflicts with the Jews, ordered them to be exhausted with hard work in the hope of curbing the growth of their numbers. However, this did not help. Then Pharaoh ordered the killing of newborn Israeli boys.
At this time, the future Jewish prophet Moses was born, and his mother, saving the baby, put him in a tarred basket and sent him along the waters of the Nile. The baby was found by the pharaoh's daughter and taken into her home.
As Moses grew older, he once encountered a taskmaster who was beating an Israelite. In anger, Moses killed the overseer and, fearing punishment, fled Egypt. He settled in the lands of the Midianites, a semi-nomadic people who lived in the Sinai Peninsula and northwest Arabia from Moab (west of Jordan) in the north to the Red Sea in the south. There he married the daughter of a local chief and priest and began herding cattle.
One day, while Moses was tending his flock, he saw a thorn bush that was burning, but was not consumed. When Moses approached the bush, God called to him from the burning bush, calling to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land - Canaan. When Moses returned to Egypt and demanded that Pharaoh release the Israelites, he refused. Then God sent ten plagues to Egypt - first, all the water in the Nile and other reservoirs and containers turned into blood, then Egypt was filled with toads, hordes of midges, “dog flies” (probably gadflies). Livestock died out, the bodies of the Egyptians were covered with ulcers and boils, a hail of fire fell on Egypt, hordes of locusts destroyed all the vegetation, then darkness fell on Egypt. And finally, all the firstborn died overnight - from the son of Pharaoh to the cattle.
It should be noted that all these events theoretically could have taken place in history and have a completely scientific basis - the “executions” could have been triggered by a bloom of Physteria algae, which led to a characteristic reddening of the water, and the toxins emitted by them caused the death of fish and a mass exodus of toads, the population of which increased sharply, as the fish stopped eating eggs. Due to the rotting of the fish, flies appeared that carried an infection that caused the death of livestock. The "hail of fire" was caused by a volcanic eruption, to which there are other references in the Bible. The darkness was the result of a sandstorm or volcanic eruption. Children and livestock apparently died due to a toxic fungus brought by locusts affecting grain supplies. According to tradition, the eldest sons ate first - they got a portion of the toxic grain. Among the livestock, older, stronger animals made their way to the feeding trough, which led to the same effect.
Also, according to the Torah and the Bible, the executions did not affect the Jews. This is explained by the fact that the Jews settled far from large Egyptian cities and, firstly, had independent food supplies, and, secondly, ate mainly meat and milk.
Ancient legends, however, offer a different explanation. According to them, before the final execution, God commanded the Jews to slaughter lambs, roast their meat, and mark their doorposts with their blood. Hence the name of the holiday: Pesach is derived from “passover,” which is translated from Hebrew as “to pass by.”
The word "Easter" came to Christianity through the Aramaic "piskha". From Aramaic the name came into Greek, then into Latin, and then spread into European languages.
Although Christian Easter has the same roots, the meaning of the holiday is very different. While Passover is celebrated as the liberation of Jews from slavery, Easter is associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The New Testament describes the Last Supper, the last meal of Christ with his twelve closest disciples, during which he predicted the betrayal of one of them and established the main sacrament of the Christian faith, the Eucharist - the rite of consecration of bread and wine and their subsequent consumption. They symbolize the flesh and blood of Christ.
Soon Christ was crucified.
In the Christian understanding, just as God freed the Jews from slavery in Egypt, so the Christian is freed from the slavery of sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Judaism and Christianity differ in the calculation of the date when Passover and Easter begin. Passover begins on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan according to the Jewish calendar - approximately in March-April according to the Gregorian calendar. The entire Jewish calendar is based on the determination of the first new moon, which, according to Jewish calculations, took place on Monday, October 7, 3761 BC. e. The Jewish calendar is lunisolar, so each calendar date always falls not only on the same season of the year, but also on the same phase of the moon. There are also six different year lengths, ranging from 353 to 385 days. Months begin only on the new moon, Passover always begins on the full moon at the beginning of spring.
Easter date in Orthodox tradition is determined in accordance with the Seventh Apostolic Canon (“If any bishop or presbyter or deacon celebrates the holy day of Easter before the vernal equinox with the Jews, let him be deposed from the sacred rite”), the rule of the First Ecumenical Council of 325 in the city of Nicaea (“Recognized as expedient , so that this holiday should be celebrated by everyone on the same day everywhere... And truly, first of all, it seemed to everyone extremely unworthy that in the celebration of this most holy celebration we should adhere to the custom of the Jews..." and the First Rule of the Antioch Local Council on the time of celebration Easter.
In 1054, the Orthodox and Catholic churches finally separated.
The tradition of calculating the date of Easter in Orthodoxy that had developed by that time was described in the “Alphabetical Syntagma” of the Byzantine canonist Matthew Vlastar: “Regarding our Easter, it is necessary to pay attention to four decrees, two of which are contained in the apostolic rule, and two originate from unwritten tradition. The first - we must celebrate Easter after the spring equinox. Second, do not celebrate together with the Jews on the same day. Third, celebrate not just after the equinox, but after the first full moon, which is after the equinox. And fourth, after the full moon, no other than on the first day of the week (that is, on Sunday)."
In 1583, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new Paschal in the Roman Catholic Church, called the Gregorian. As a result, the entire calendar changed. In response to this, the Definition of the Council of Constantinople of 1583 was adopted, which reads: “Whoever follows the Gregorian Paschal of godless astronomers, let him be anathema - excommunicated from the Church and the assembly of the faithful.”
Thus, the Protestant and Orthodox churches decided not to be guided by the calendar “proposals” of the pope, while other Catholic countries introduced the Gregorian calendar over several centuries. Currently, Western Christendom follows the Gregorian calendar, and Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
As a result Catholic Easter It is often celebrated earlier than the Jewish one or on the same day with it and precedes the Orthodox Easter in some years by more than a month, which contradicts the Orthodox tradition.
Easter traditions are also different among Jews, Catholics and Orthodox Christians. So, during the holiday, Jews have a ban on food prepared as a result of fermentation (chametz - “leavened”). Before Passover, all stocks of leaven in the house are liquidated. On the morning before Passover, the fast of the first-born men begins in memory of the tenth plague of Egypt and the salvation of the Jewish first-born. The main event of the holiday is the Seder, Passover evening. In ancient times, a lamb was sacrificed on Passover, the meat of which was fried and eaten with unleavened flatbread (matzo) and bitter herbs. Subsequently, sacrifices were no longer carried out, and the sacrifice was symbolized by meat, which was not eaten, but participated in the ritual.
During the seder, Jews read the Passover Haggadah, a collection of prayers, songs and commentaries on the Torah related to the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. They also drink four cups of wine or grape juice. The meal ends with "afikoman", a special dish that was previously the meat of a sacrificed lamb, and now a piece of matzo, broken off at the beginning of the seder. The Seder was the Last Supper.
For Orthodox Christians, colored eggs have become one of the traditional Easter treats.
This custom dates back to the time of Emperor Tiberius. According to legend, Mary Magdalene, having come to Rome to preach the Gospel, presented him with the first Easter egg with the words “Christ is Risen.” The unbelieving emperor exclaimed: “This is as incredible as if an egg turned red.” After his words, the egg turned red. There is another version of the story: drops of the blood of the crucified Christ fell to the ground, turned to stone, and took the form of chicken eggs. And the hot tears of the Mother of God left traces on them in the form of patterns. Symbolically Easter eggs represent resurrection, as a new being is born from an egg.
In the Catholic tradition, colored eggs are also common. Also in many European countries, a popular Easter character has become the rabbit, which brings Easter eggs. The explanation for this goes deep into paganism - according to legend, the pagan goddess of spring Estra turned a bird into a hare, but he continued to lay eggs (that's why Easter is called Easter in some languages). Another explanation for this phenomenon is more mundane: when children went to collect eggs from the chicken coop on Easter morning, they often found rabbits nearby.
And sometimes the celebrations of Passover and Easter coincide, and sometimes there is a difference of several weeks between them. Why is that? If Yeshua died on Passover, why does the Christian church celebrate His death and resurrection at another time? Why are these holidays divided?
How the day of Passover was established
The Jewish calendar, which establishes Jewish holidays, is different from the Western calendar. It is not a purely lunar calendar, but each new moon signifies a new Jewish month or “Rosh Chodesh,” which means “head of the month.” Passover always falls in the middle of the Jewish month of Nisan - on the full moon. God says that “Let this be the beginning of months for you”(Ex. 12:2). The Western calendar, on the other hand, does not follow the movement of the moon as strictly, so the cycle of the Hebrew calendar is different.
Moreover, the process of accurately determining dates based on the Moon is not easy. Sometimes Jewish holidays are celebrated twice when there is a difference of opinion as to the exact day, just to be on the safe side! In ancient times, it was necessary to carefully observe the sky, after which a message was sent to Jewish communities everywhere through signals and messengers. But this was not a flawless method; there were scoundrels who deliberately lit the signal lights at the wrong time in order to confuse and anger the Jewish people. Setting the date turned into a power struggle in the Jewish Diaspora.
How did the division happen?
In the first centuries after Yeshua, the first disciples naturally they remembered His death and resurrection every Passover, when it happened. And this is correct, because Passover was specifically established as a prediction of the atoning sacrifice of the Messiah. It is loaded with symbolism that all points to Yeshua and how His death and blood gain our freedom, causing death to “pass by” us just as it did the faithful Israelites who anointed the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. But over the years, the Messianic community became more and more gentile, and the gentile leaders became tired of being associated with the rabbinic authorities and depending on them to determine exact date to mark this important event. Relations between the rabbinic Jewish community and Christians had by that time deteriorated greatly, and there was a lot of hostility on both sides. Therefore, church leaders decided at the Council of Nicaea in 325 to take matters into their own hands:
“It was declared that it was unworthy, on the holiest of all holidays, to follow the custom of the Jews, whose hands were stained with the most terrible of crimes and whose minds were blinded. By rejecting their custom, we can pass on to our descendants the legal way of celebrating Passover... We should have nothing in common with the Jews, because the Savior showed us another way... we wish, dear brothers, to separate ourselves from the disgusting society of the Jews...” (From the emperor’s letter to everyone present at the Council: Eusebius, “Life of Constantine”, book III, 18-20)
These words may not shock you, although they should! The Nicene Self decreed that they would celebrate a separate holiday on the first new moon after the vernal equinox (which falls on March 21st on the Gregorian calendar) in order to consciously separate themselves from the people of Israel. Word Easter(English) Easter- approx. trans.) is not mentioned even once in the Bible. The King James Bible incorrectly translates the word Easter(Aramaic version of the word Passover) How Easter in Acts 12:4, but that's the closest we have. English word Easter derived from Ostara, goddess of spring, and was taken to name a new holiday in honor of the death and resurrection of Jesus, which was clearly not Passover.
Consequences and situation today
It is sad that there was such hostility between the two communities that led to the separation of Yeshua's followers from the roots of the tree to which they were grafted. They decided to separate themselves not only from the people of Israel, but also from God's holidays, which were specifically created to help us better understand God's plan of redemption. Passover was God's initiative and He created every detail of it on purpose. We are not judged for not celebrating Passover, but we are missing out on many treasures that God has put in His Word to teach us. Unfortunately, the Council of Nicea decided on behalf of all Christians that Passover no longer has anything to do with them.
Not only have Christians cut themselves off from the roots of their faith, their heritage, God's feasts found in their own Bible, but the message of Yeshua has become increasingly obscure and foreign to the Jewish people. The church became a foreign, non-Jewish, forbidden zone for Jews. They separated from each other, and the root of anti-Semitism entered Christianity, and for most of the history of the church, the Jewish people were persecuted, tortured and killed simply for being Jews. This happened especially at Easter, when angry crowds rampaged against those they considered “killers of Christ.”
Most Christians have no idea how sad this is, this is not what is taught in Sunday school, or even in a Christian history class. There is a big information gap between the people of Israel and the Church, and we have been separated for so long that we have a lot of catching up to do!
Jews and Gentiles Gathered Together in Yeshua
However, we live in exciting times, and tremendous strides have been made over the last century to heal this gap between Jews and non-Jews. Over the past 19 years, more Jews have come to believe in Yeshua as the Messiah than in the last 19 centuries combined! And more and more non-Jewish believers are showing interest in the Jewish foundations of their faith. Many churches hold Passover Seders that teach more about the holiday, and understanding of the people of Israel has increased as the Bible has been widely translated and printed over the past few centuries.
We are destined to become “one new person” in the Messiah, and this is the goal to which God will surely lead us. His Son, Yeshua, will only have one bride, not two! It is important to remember what Yeshua's death and resurrection mean and what it has already accomplished. Paul assures us in Colossians:
I remember the day when all three Easters coincided in our country on one day: Jewish, Catholic and Orthodox. This was in the early 90s of the last century, when there was a heyday of freedom, which came to us after 70 years of atheism. For many people, the coincidence of three Easter holidays at once was some kind of sign. Such a calendar coincidence was a subtle hint at deeper circumstances.“And you, who were dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He quickened together with Him, having forgiven us all our sins, having destroyed the handwriting that was against us, which was against us, and He took it out of the way and nailed it to the cross; having taken away the strength of the principalities and powers, he imperiously subjected them to shame, having triumphed over them with Himself.
So let no one judge you for food or drink, or for any holiday, or the new moon, or the Sabbath: this is a shadow of the future, but the body is in Christ.” (1 Col. 2:13-17)
Everyone knew that Catholic and Orthodox Easter have the same origin - from the Jewish Passover. Many have wondered why such a division if God Himself shows that Easter is one? This coincidence was emphasized in the media. Even on one of the Russian TV channels, during a conversation with one of the representatives of the Orthodox Synod, the question was asked: why, they say, three Easters, if it is clear that three Easters coincided at once, and besides, the origin of the Catholic and Orthodox have Jewish roots . And in addition, the presenter recalled that Christianity has Jewish roots, and Jesus Christ Himself is a Jew in the flesh.
I remember this program, apparently, for the rest of my life: after all, freedom came, they spoke freely about God on TV and radio. These were unforgettable days and, of course, such an event as the coincidence of three Easter holidays on one day was an indelible impression that was imprinted in the memory of not only me!
After the presenter boldly asked the question: maybe it’s worth celebrating Easter according to the Jewish calendar, having common roots of faith: one God, Jesus Himself a Jew according to the flesh, the first Christians were Jews, and the first communities lived according to the Jewish tradition, calendar Jewish holidays, even some way of life? Oh, you need to see the reaction of an Orthodox clergyman, because... It's hard to put into words! But I'll try. It seemed that in front of the audience was an educated priest with an element of intelligence, but after the question the appearance of his face and whole body changed sharply: he suddenly leaned back, threw his head up, the intelligence on his face was replaced by a fanatical expression, with admixtures of pride, religiosity, embitterment and detachment , and somewhere into the void this priest blurted out: “How can we, the Orthodox, celebrate our Easter with them, when they (the Jews) crucified our Lord?”
I don't know what your reaction would be if everyone saw and heard this. But my reaction was inadequate. I hope that dear reader will forgive me, and do not judge me wrongly for what happened to me at that moment, and do not judge me with human judgment, but I experienced both laughter and shock. These words of the priest were spoken at the same time so theatrically and vitally that, seeing and hearing all this: the merging of theater and life, at first I began to laugh, and the laughter captured me so much that I simply fell out of the chair and continued laughing on the floor, and at the same time I had tears in my eyes. And believe me, it wasn’t “Toronto blazing” if anyone or anything might have thought about me. At that time, we didn’t know or hear anything like this at all.
My reaction was natural: finally, I openly heard what the Russian Orthodox Church secretly emphasized in its ministry and policy: pronounced anti-Semitism, with all its inherent religious fanatical grin of bitterness, the roots of which go far back to the Middle Ages. But what struck me most of all was that the freedom that came to our country served to please the flesh and idols: TV became a place for the free expression of the position of proud arrogance, shamelessness, which has long accompanied the majority of Orthodox priests, both in Russia and in Belarus. My laughter was through my tears: I already saw the revanchism of Orthodoxy and all the consequences that awaited us then in the future and that still await us when this confession tries to become a state religion.
Years have passed. There was no such calendar coincidence anymore, but there were small coincidences when Jewish Easter began in the same week, then Catholic and then Orthodox, with a difference of only a few days. But the question of the host of the program on TV, which I saw in those years of freedom, remained relevant, and at the same time unresolved to this day, both for Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, and for the Jews themselves. To answer this question, we need to look into the history of the origin of Easter and the history of the Church.
The beginning of Christian Easter comes from the Jewish Passover, which was given by the Lord Himself to the Jewish people even when they were in Egypt. The Lord commanded this Passover to be observed “for all generations” or generations of the people, and Passover was and is an “eternal decree” for the Jewish people and all those who wanted to celebrate Passover with the people: a stranger or a proselyte. Passover is the liberation of the people from Egyptian slavery, where the Passover lamb is not only the salvation of the people, when the doorposts of the houses of the Jewish people were anointed with the blood of the lamb, but having come into contact with the lamb, the people left Egypt completely healed. At the same time, the Feast of Unleavened Bread began, and these two holidays formed one holiday, Passover. This is how the people celebrated Passover year after year, century after century. But, despite this, the people continued to sin, and everyone was waiting for the Messiah to come, who would change everything: human nature and the world. The Messiah was to be the Lamb who would change the existing order and situation. The sacrifices only covered a person’s sin, but did not make him clean from sin; everyone was waiting for the time to come when the words would be fulfilled: “Blessed is the one to whom God does not impute sin” and “Blessed is the one in whose heart there is no guile.” This could only be changed by the Messiah, who was to become the perfect sacrifice for the sins of not only the Jewish people, but all people.
Before Jesus Christ, no one could do this, and then the moment came when the last prophet of the era of the Mosaic Covenant, John, said: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of this world.” God bless! The time has come for change and deliverance of man from sin! Jesus Christ - the Lamb of God was slain for us according to the will of God and the Father. His shed Blood on Calvary and death on the Cross brought the promised freedom and eternal life, victory over sin and death, over Lucifer, the prince of demons. A replacement took place on the Cross: the suffering Lamb of God took upon himself that which brought a curse on earth. Jesus is our Redeemer and Savior from all the consequences of not fulfilling the Law that was given at Sinai. He delivered the nations from sinful slavery and the influence of this world! A believer in Jesus Christ has the Blood of the Lamb on the doorposts of his life and therefore the Word of God says that he who is within us is greater than he who is in this world.
The Holy Scripture says that on the first day of the week after Easter, the tomb in which Jesus was for three days was empty: He rose from the dead, the Firstborn from the dead! According to Scripture, Jesus died, shed His Blood and rose again. Today, few people say or even know that Jesus rose not on Easter, but on the day next holiday of the Lord, which was also given to the Jewish people “The Ascension of the First Sheaf”. This holiday begins immediately the day after Easter! Here it is the Easter of Christ: first the deliverance of the people from the slavery of Egypt, only this world - this is Easter, then - Unleavened Bread, as a cleansing, and then the Ascension of the First Sheaf - the Resurrection of the Firstborn from the dead! Jesus the Lamb offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the entire human race, accomplished cleansing with Himself and rose as the First Sheaf from the dead. God bless!
The Holy Scriptures say nothing regarding the celebration by the first Christians of what today we call the Lord's Passover. At least during the 2nd-3rd centuries nothing was said about this. But quite a lot is said about how the First Apostolic Church lived during this period. Both in Judea, the first Jewish Christians and pagan Christians lived in many ways like Jews: they observed the feasts of the Lord according to the Jewish calendar, even some churches had a Jewish way of life. At the same time, I would like to mention the church in Rome. The fact is that traditionally we believe that the believers in Rome were predominantly non-Jews, and in accordance with the historical novel by G. Sienkiewicz “Where are you going”, representatives of the Christian sect burned on the crosses. But many historical documents speak in favor of a completely different fact and relationship between Roman power and the name of Roman believers in Jesus. First, the Roman church was unusual: it was 50% Jewish and non-Jewish. Secondly, the way of life of the Roman believers was different from other churches of that period, which is why the authorities called them a “Jewish sect”: the clothes in their style, both Jews and non-Jews, were Jewish, the Jewish way of thinking was also distinctive characteristic of the believers in the Messiah in Rome. Therefore, the Roman authorities had problems with the “Jewish sect” that believed in the Jewish Messiah Jesus. Nero's conspiracy was against the "Jewish sect" of Christians.
By the time of the expulsion of the Jews from the historical land in 132 AD, when the Jewish uprising was suppressed and Jerusalem was finally destroyed, among the Jewish society there were, according to various sources, from 600 thousand to 1.5 million believers in the Messiah Jesus Christ. But that's not all. The spiritual leadership of non-Jewish churches was carried out by Judeo-Christians for a long time, until a historical and spiritual situation arose that changed the biblical order that was formed during these 2nd centuries while the Apostles and disciples of the Apostles were alive. After the death of the Apostles, their disciples subsequently began to retreat from the teachings of the Apostles. At the same time, increasing numbers of non-Jews began to accept Jesus Christ. In the 3rd-4th centuries there was an even greater manifestation of apostasy in the church among non-Jews, who began to bring paganism to Christianity. These pagans in Christianity brought a spiritual revolution and division, which led to what we have today for centuries: division with Jewish society and Judeo-Christians on the one hand and with each other into confessions and denominations. What happened at that time?
Most of the churches that apostatized from the teachings of the Apostles began to accept into communion many non-Jews who honored Jesus Christ and the pagan gods of that time. Many of them were opposed to spiritual patronage from the Judeo-Christians. Among the pagans in Christianity, there was an anti-Semitic tendentiousness towards Judeo-Christians and Jews in general, which subsequently reflected on the so-called “Church Fathers”, who replaced the Apostolic Letter and spiritual practice. It was these "church fathers" who created the "replacement" theology that gave rise to church anti-Semitism. They abandoned the Jewish roots of Christianity, creating their own theological school, because of which Christians today are in opposition and hostility to both Jews and Judeo-Christians.
The beginning and end were made at the Council of Nicea under Constantine in 325 AD, at which not only a creed was adopted, but decisions were made that the church does not usually announce or comment on. At this council, it was decided to prohibit all Jewish and non-Jewish believers from celebrating Jewish holidays, living the Jewish way of life, the calendar was changed: instead of the Jewish calendar, the pagan one was taken, and the beginning of their “church” holidays was laid. Every believer and community that wanted to practice the old way of spiritual practice was ignored and rejected by the pagan church.
After the division of the church into Byzantine (Constantinople) and Roman, each of these branches of Christianity had its own calendar, but the only thing that was common was the rejection of the Jewish roots of Christianity, the introduction of paganism and anti-Semitism. Therefore, today the Passover of Christ, which is the fulfillment of the Jewish holiday of the Ascension of the First Sheaf, is not celebrated by the Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox world on the first day after the Jewish Passover, but they have their own days to emphasize their individuality and isolation from the Jewish society, which “crucified our Lord” .
Then the question arises: did all these leaders and founders of Christian denominations know that Easter is related to the Jewish holiday of the Ascension of the First Sheaf, that the roots of Christian Easter are Jewish, and not Orthodox or Catholic, and especially not Protestant? Of course they did! But what to do with their pagan idols, the desire to emphasize their non-Jewishness, separation and distance from Jewish society, so that Jewish Christians do not dominate their pagan natural character, and thereby show that Christianity is “ours”, and Jewishness is "yours"? Where to put your “I”, Adam’s natural character? And today, as then, they know everything about the feasts of the Lord, they just want to prove that Orthodoxy, for example, is “ours, Russian.” “Why do we need these Jews? What should we do then with the icons that we Orthodox call “images”, and with our “saints”, their relics? What should we admit to ourselves and the whole world that we are idolaters? No, our Easter , Orthodox, Russian, to celebrate not with the Jews, because they crucified our Lord. We should have our own Easter, in Russian, and what do we care? Lord's feasts! We have our own holidays, our own calendar!
Do you think that Catholics or many Protestants are better in this regard? “We will celebrate with the whole world, like all nations, and so will we. And what difference does it make when we celebrate? After all, no one knows what date or day the Lord rose. Since it has been established this way, we will not violate existing tradition. True, why violate something that has already been violated. After all, according to the teachings of the “church fathers” we are the “new Israel”; all the promises that belong to the Jews belong to us. After all, there was a time when they believed that God had already rejected His people forever, that He had relations only with the church. But still celebrating our Passover with the Jews, well, you know, that’s too much!”
Paul calls on Christians to celebrate the Passover of the Lord, being cleansed from the leaven of sin, being unleavened, like unleavened bread. But “our own” Easter for most Christians is just a symbol of our redemption. For many, the Blood during the Lord's Supper is a symbol, the Bread is a symbol, then symbolic faith, symbolic going to church on holidays or during the Lord's Supper, a symbolic Christian, a symbolic "church." But our paganism is not symbolic and church anti-Semitism is not symbolic. Here is a paradox: everything that is God is symbolic, but everything that is human is significant! Should we really celebrate Easter as we are? Do we have anything to boast about before God? I don’t say before people: we have learned this, haven’t we? The Bible says: “We have nothing to boast about!”
Oh, if only Christians could truly boast in the Lord, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord, that you know Him!” But when there is nothing to boast about and you don’t want to part with the leaven of sin and your “I”, then such people will always find something to “boast” about: some in Orthodoxy, others in Catholicism, others in Protestantism, everyone will “boast” in their holidays, traditions, in order to further distance themselves from the Lord, from the Apostolic teaching, from the Jewish roots of Christianity, from the Jewish people, and at the same time talk about Easter, but with the leaven of a pagan flavor.
I was once asked: “Do you have what we have? Do you celebrate the holidays that we do? Do you celebrate only the Jewish Passover or the Christian one?” It would seem that these are naive questions, but behind them stands the same paganism, the same “church fathers”, the same Council of Nicea, the same remoteness and separation from the Jews, they say, “you see what we are like by grace, and what you are like” . I had one answer, and it will always be for all pagans in Christianity, no matter who it is: firstly, you ask me, as in one poem: “We have gas in our apartment. What about you?” And why should we be like you: Orthodox, Catholics, or Protestants? Where is it written in Scripture that we Jewish Christians should be like you? Is it not written that “you became imitators of us and of the Lord and of the churches that are in Judea”?
It is not written that the descendants of Japheth, i.e. the Gentiles, will they enter the tents of Shem? Is it not written that you Gentiles also will rejoice with His people? Is it not written that you of the Gentiles should arouse zeal for God among the Jewish people, and not hatred and hostility towards Him? Do you have anything to boast about before us, who believe in Jesus like you? And how long will you tear the Body of Christ apart, separating yourself from the unity in the Body of Christ and from His people, considering yourselves to be Gentiles more than Christians? If you answer all this honestly, then ask yourself one question: after all this, are you carnal or spiritual? And when you answer for yourself, then ask yourself another question: why should we, Jewish Christians, be like you?!”
And regarding, for example, Easter, I celebrate four Easters: the Jewish one, then when Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants celebrate; and the fourth day of the Lord's Passover - on the day of the Feast of the Ascension of the First Sheaf, i.e. on the first day of the week after Passover according to the Jewish calendar, when our Lord actually rose from the dead and after 40 days ascended to Heaven! But in reality, Easter is every day for me, for Christ, the Lamb of God, is our Easter!
