When is catholic easter in 18. Catholic Easter: traditions, interesting facts, as noted

Easter is celebrated by Christians of all denominations. Its name is taken from the Jewish day of the exodus from Egyptian slavery, and in Christianity it has acquired a completely different meaning. Believers celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many of the rituals and traditions of the celebration are taken from older religious cults and symbolize the dying and resurrecting gods, as well as the spring awakening of nature.

Orthodox and Catholic Easter almost do not differ in the basic principles of the celebration. True, they celebrate them on different dates. Catholics usually celebrate Holy Sunday a little earlier than Orthodox. This is due to different dates of Christmas and Lent, from which the date of Easter is counted. After all, Orthodox Christians live according to the Julian calendar, while the rest of the world and the Catholic Church adhere to the Gregorian. But every three years these dates coincide. What date is Catholic Easter celebrated, can you find out from the church calendar? In 2014, the Catholic celebration coincides with the Orthodox and is celebrated on April 20.

The main customs of the celebration of Catholic Easter

1. During the festive service, the Easter fire is lit in the church, which is carried from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is carried to all churches, and the priests distribute fire to everyone. In Catholic churches, a special candle is lit from him - Easter. It is believed that this fire is sacred, and people strive to keep it at home in lamps until next year. This Holy Fire symbolizes the light of God.
2. After the service, all Catholics make a religious procession. With singing and prayers they go around the temples. The Easter service is very solemn, the priests remember the feat of Jesus Christ, praise him and sing hymns.
3. In addition to lighting the Holy Fire, the traditions of Catholic Easter include dyeing eggs. Moreover, it may not necessarily be natural eggs. In recent years, wood, plastic and wax have become more popular. And children love chocolate most of all, especially if they have a surprise inside.
4. The symbol of Catholic Easter in some Catholic countries is. For some reason, it is believed that it is he who brings eggs to the holiday. And the chicken is recognized as unworthy to give people this symbol of life. Houses and apartments are decorated with rabbit figurines, they give each other postcards with his image and bake buns in this form. Often eggs are baked in them. Chocolate bunnies are very popular among children. For example, hundreds of tons of such sweet figurines are sold on Catholic Easter in Germany. And the next morning on Easter day, all the children are looking for painted eggs and small gifts, supposedly hidden by the Easter bunny.
5. Another tradition of Catholic Easter is a festive family dinner. It is customary to set a rich table with delicious dishes. They are different depending on the customs of the people, but pastries, eggs and baked meat dishes are a must. Everyone congratulates each other, plays different games, dances and has fun.

Despite the apparent similarity, there are some differences in the celebration of Orthodox and Catholic Easter.

Easter or Resurrection of Christ - the largest and most revered holiday in the Christian religion.

This is the main day of the year for Orthodox and Catholic Christians - it was on this day that Jesus Christ was resurrected.
The resurrection of Christ is a historical event that has its roots in the distant past. According to ancient legends, it was on this day that a miracle happened - Christ is Risen! Easter is celebrated according to ancient traditions that are still observed today.
The name "Passover" itself comes from the Hebrew word "Pesach" (passover). The Jews symbolize Passover with the liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. For Christians, Easter is a symbol of the redemption of human sins through the death of Jesus Christ and his subsequent resurrection. It is on this day that all believing Christians (Orthodox and Catholics) are given hope for salvation and resurrection after death. The resurrection of Christ is the main meaning of faith in the Christian religion.
The date of Easter is determined according to the lunisolar calendar and falls on Sunday - according to ancient tradition, Christ resurrected on the third day after the execution, on the night from Saturday to Sunday.

Easter is a movable holiday and each year the date is determined separately.
It is also necessary to know that the dates of Catholic and Orthodox Easter do not always coincide. This is due to the fact that the Orthodox Church uses the ancient Julian calendar for calculation, and the Catholic Church switched to the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. And only 30% of Catholic and Orthodox Easter fall on the same day. The rest of the time, Catholic Easter comes earlier - the time difference can reach up to a month.

Calendar of Orthodox and Catholic Easter for 2015-2025

Catholic Easter has something in common with the Orthodox, but it also has significant differences. The main similarity of Easter between Catholics and Orthodox is in tradition. The difference is that Catholics have a lot of fun with their use. One of them is baking an egg in. Many Orthodox have not even heard that there is a special Easter bunny. This animal has gained popularity as a symbol of fertility. Children have fun at Easter looking for eggs and rabbits. It is believed that the figurine of this animal brings good luck and prosperity.

Another difference between Easter for Catholics and Orthodox is the calendar. Catholics celebrate according to the Orthodox - according to the Gregorian. Only once in all the time did the dates of the celebration converge. This happened in 2011. Someone perceived such an event as a signal that all Christians should live in peace and love. Catholic Easter is celebrated in much the same way in different countries. This, however, does not exclude some national differences. For example, in England, Easter traditions are slightly different than in Poland, the Czech Republic or Greece. By the way, in Orthodox Greece this holiday is celebrated in a Catholic way.

The British celebrate Easter in the family circle. Among the special treats, special buns with the image of a cross should be noted. In England, in addition to the general one, each county has its own special amusements and entertainments. Competitions are often held on this holiday. Catholic Easter in Italy is one of the most important holidays in the country. After all, Italy is the birthplace of the Catholic faith. There is a solemn procession on Easter. Believers move from the Colosseum to the very Palatine Hill. The holiday here is also special because the Pope personally congratulates the faithful. It takes place at the church of St. Peter. Probably, every Catholic believer should at least once celebrate this event in Rome. As for the dishes, each has its own special treats.

In America, Easter is celebrated in a special way. It is known that in this country there are many Catholics from various states. The only thing that unites all believers is that the holiday here is considered traditionally family. Catholic Easter in the United States is not complete without such fun as rolling eggs. In all other respects, a representative of each nationality usually follows the traditions of his native country. The main celebration takes place on the square in front of the White House.

Catholic Easter differs from Orthodox Easter in that the fast preceding it is less rigid. It takes place twice a week on certain days. The holiday begins with the consecration of water and fire in temples. Then comes the solemn service. Catholics have a very interesting ritual, thanks to which the last week before the holiday was called "ash". This name is not accidental, because believers in this period as a sign of grief. The ashes are used not simply, but from under the willows left over from last year. The branches are burned, and the ashes are kept for this occasion. The action takes place on Wednesday.

The Catholics celebrate Easter with a lot of fun. Both adults and children look forward to it. Children expect delicious gifts and fun. Adults also do not mind playing and competing. Among the gifts, various baskets with rabbits and eggs are usually presented. Houses are richly decorated, and tables are set as magnificently as on Christmas or New Year. Easter symbolizes not only the resurrection of Christ, but the arrival of spring. People put on smart clothes to celebrate the holiday as it should be. After all, Easter day signals the onset of the warm season. It is the boundary between winter and spring.

The essence of Easter is the same for all Christians: on this day, believers celebrate the bright Resurrection of Christ. But the traditions and even, oddly enough, the date of the celebration of Easter among the Orthodox and Catholics differ. Why this happens and how it is customary to celebrate Easter in the Catholic tradition, the site tells.

1 When is Catholic Easter in 2018?

2 Why do Orthodox and Catholic Easter have different dates?

The dates of Easter between Orthodox and Catholics began to differ after the introduction of the Gregorian calendar by the Roman Catholic Church. The Julian calendar is based on the solar-lunar system of the report, and the Gregorian - only on the solar.

Catholic Easter sometimes comes earlier than Jewish. In Orthodoxy, this is considered unacceptable, because Christ was resurrected on the first Sunday after this holiday.

3 How long do Catholics fast before Easter?

Lent in the Catholic tradition lasts 45 days. The first day of Lent is called Ash Wednesday. The Catholic Church speaks of the need to observe a strict fast (without meat, dairy products and eggs) on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. On the rest of the days of Lent, you can not eat meat, but milk and eggs are allowed.

4 Do Catholics dye eggs?

Yes, in the Catholic tradition, as in Orthodoxy, a painted egg is one of the main Easter symbols.

Catholics in Central Europe paint Easter eggs using a variety of techniques, while in Western Europe traditional red eggs without designs are more common.

Easter for all Christians of the world is one of the biggest holidays, symbolizing the victory of life over death. Despite the common meaning of the Resurrection, the celebration is celebrated in each country in its own way. Not only traditions and rituals differ, but even the dates of celebration for different faiths. We will figure out what date is Catholic Easter, what this date depends on, and what main Easter symbols are revered by Catholics.

Catholic Easter in 2019: how the dates of celebration are calculated

Catholic Easter does not have a single date of celebration - the number is calculated annually according to the lunar calendar. After the church reform, Easter among Catholics and Orthodox began to be celebrated on different dates.

However, the difference in dates can be much larger - up to five weeks, sometimes Orthodox and Catholics celebrate Easter together.

How do believers determine the date of Easter for Catholics? Most turn to church calendars, where dates are written for the coming years. But you can try to calculate the date, what date is Catholic Easter in 2019 and on your own.

The main condition: the holiday does not go beyond the borders of March 21 - April 26 and must fall on Sunday.

Interesting! For the Orthodox, the date of celebrating Easter often falls on May days.

What date of Easter for Catholics in 2019 is determined by the first full moon after the spring equinox.

That is, the date of celebration, in principle, can fall directly on March 21, but it never happens later than April 26.

But this rule also has exceptions.

The first full moon in spring can sometimes be the second. Why? It's simple: spring comes not according to the usual calendar for contemporaries or on March 1, but after the spring equinox. That is, if the first full moon was before March 21, the date of Easter is calculated from the second full moon in the spring.

If the full moon falls directly on a Sunday, then the date of Easter is moved to the following Sunday. To the date of the first full moon after March 21, add another 7 days.

But that's not all. If the Jewish holiday Passover falls on this date, the date of the Catholic Easter is also shifted by a week.

If you are not yet confused about the rules and exceptions, you can try to calculate the date of Easter for Catholics in 2019, what date the day of Resurrection will be celebrated.

But you can simply refer to the church calendar.

Every year, churchmen calculate the date according to Paschal, which was compiled by the astronomer Aloysius Lily back in the 16th century.

Therefore, the calendar is compiled for several years ahead.

When is Easter in 2019 for Catholics?

So, Catholic Easter this year will be celebrated on April 21. It is this date that falls on the Sunday after the first full moon and after the spring solstice.

The dates of the celebration of Catholics and Orthodox do not coincide so often.

But in the last decade, Christians of these denominations celebrated Easter together 4 times: in 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2017. So, Catholic Easter 2017 was celebrated on April 16 - Orthodox and Jewish were also celebrated on this day.

Easter in 2019, Catholic and Orthodox, are different dates. Catholic Easter will be celebrated on April 21, while Orthodox Easter will be celebrated on April 28.

Read about all the differences in the celebration in the material: Orthodox and Catholic Easter: what are the similarities and differences.

Easter 2019: what date does the Catholics start

For Catholics, the Feast of the Resurrection is preceded by Great Lent, the rules of which differ significantly from Orthodox abstinence. Easter itself begins to be celebrated from the eve on Saturday evening.

The Liturgy of Light begins in the church on the evening of Holy Saturday.

Before the start of the ceremony, the lights in the church are extinguished several hours before. A fire is kindled in the courtyard as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

From the sacred fire, the priest lights a large candle and carries it to the temple to light all the candles in it.

Parishioners light their candles already from church candles.

During the service, passages from the New and Old Testaments are read that tell about the resurrection of Jesus. The Liturgy of Light ends with the hymn "Proclamation of Pascha".

One of the important parts of the service is the Liturgy of Baptism. It is on this night that infants are baptized. But, interestingly, adults who decide to convert to Catholicism can also be baptized.

Easter for Catholics 2019: the main symbols of the holiday

For most Catholics, Easter is more of a family holiday. Therefore, families gather at large tables that are bursting with snacks, pastries and sweets. Be sure to have a lot of meat dishes and symbolic pastries, painted eggs on the tables.

But still, the traditions to some extent differ from the Orthodox. What is the main symbol of Easter for Catholics? Each country has its own rituals and rules, which can be found in the article:.

But there are also common symbols that are honored by all Catholics.

Catholics practically do not bake Easter cakes or Easter cakes. These are primordially Orthodox symbolic dishes. But pastries are always present on the tables of Catholics.

Most often, this is rich Easter bread, which is baked by housewives with spices, dried fruits, and nuts.

Eggs dyed red are present on the tables of all Christians. , there are various legends and myths.

But pysanky, krapanki and other variants of painted Easter eggs are found only among the Orthodox.

Catholics, on the other hand, prefer a plain surface, but do not limit the color variety.

Green and yellow, blue and pink, light green and purple eggs flaunt on festive tables, folded into a wreath baked from dough.

They also like to give chocolate eggs. But this tradition is associated with another symbol - the Easter Bunny.

A funny animal in the form of a rabbit or a hare is an obligatory attribute of Easter Sunday for most Catholics.

It is this hero who works tirelessly all night before Easter to prepare colored eggs and gifts for kids.

Traditionally, in the early morning, children look for gifts from the Rabbit in the garden in the young green grass. So we move on to another symbol of Easter among Catholics - green grass.

To be precise, the symbol is not just grass, but young sprouts of cereals.

Usually, especially for Easter, Catholics germinate wheat, rye or oats. Moreover, greens can grow in pots, baskets, bowls.

The main thing is to put on the festive table a symbol of the arrival of spring and the awakening of life.

By the way, Easter eggs are often laid in baskets with young grass, which are additionally decorated with flowers and multi-colored ribbons.

Hens, chickens are another symbol of fertility, spring, life.

Therefore, Catholics try to decorate their homes and tables with figures of chickens. They flaunt on postcards, banners, shop windows.

In the store you can buy such symbolic figurines in the form of chickens or rabbits made of chocolate, marshmallows, marzipan.