What date will be Easter in 2020

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-12 17:37

Easter or Bright Sunday of Christ in 2020 is one of the most important and main events in the church calendar for 2020 for Orthodox Christians, so you should know what date it is. The date of the celebration of Easter influences many things, but most importantly, the beginning of the Charter of the church service and the end of Great Lent depend on it.

Easter in 2020 for the Orthodox

Easter for the Orthodox is not tied to a specific date, and therefore it becomes necessary to know what date it is in 2020. Under the influence of the lunisolar calendar, every year Bright Sunday occurs on different days. The main thing to be guided by when determining the date of the holiday is on the first Sunday after the spring full moon.

After the vernal equinox day passes from March 20 to March 21, spring will take full effect, driving winter away. When the hourly duration of the day is set equal to the length of the night, the full moon can be observed in the sky. And the very next Sunday will be the great holiday of Easter.

In 2020, Easter falls on April 19, and if you need to calculate what date Easter week begins, then you need to focus on the period from April 7 to May 8. It always begins on the first Sunday after the first full moon and the vernal equinox.

Not only the believing population praises and takes Easter seriously, but people who have nothing to do with religion can participate in the procession of the cross, visit the church where the solemn service is held, and most importantly, paint eggs and bake cakes.

Description of the holiday, traditions

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ was the reason for the creation of such a great holiday as Easter, which annually celebrates the overwhelming majority of the Christian population. In the second century AD, this holiday was recognized as an official one. Easter is always celebrated on Sunday, both in the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church.

Before Easter, according to tradition, there is a long Lent, and what date the beginning will be in 2020, it is enough just to find out - you need to subtract 48 days from the day of Great Sunday.

Several traditions have come down to our time, followed by Christians: they paint eggs, prepare cakes and cottage cheese pastries. It is customary to light all these delicacies on Saturday in church before Easter or after a solemn service on Sunday.

Preparing for Easter

There are long established traditions that unite many countries, nationalities and continents. For example, before Easter, people clean up their homes. Washing floors, dishes and other similar work on the day of the holiday is not encouraged. It is recommended to think about cleanliness in advance, namely on Maundy Thursday, because on Friday Christ was already crucified.

You need to keep track of not only order in the room, but also not to run yourself. It is important to think about the purity of the soul and body, fulfilling it to the fullest. In addition to water and hygiene procedures, the believing population devotes their time to prayers and reads the Holy Scriptures.

During the Easter days, church services are held in churches, which all believers try to attend. During the service, as well as the next day, people bring Easter cakes and eggs with them to light, and then serve.

Catholics have an interesting tradition when an Easter candle (Easter) is lit and everyone can take a little fire for themselves, coming closer with their own candle. Believers keep this fire until they go home.

The main service is held on Saturday, on the eve of the great holiday, when after its completion, everyone unanimously says: “Christ is risen! Truly resurrected! Further, a procession is held, and the religious population goes home, bestowing their joy on their relatives and friends.

Easter meal

Lent will begin 48 days before Easter in 2020 (it is not at all difficult to calculate the date of the beginning, however, how and when it will end). The end of the fasting period falls on the Saturday before Great Sunday.

At this time, you need to limit yourself in food, therefore, believers prepare for Easter according to all the rules. When Easter comes, all the restrictions imposed during the fasting period lose their force, and you can eat anything you want.

As noted above, before eating, believers bring eggs, cakes and other food to the temple for lighting. All family members, as well as friends and close relatives, take part in the festive feast. It is customary to lay a festive white tablecloth on the table, and put the main symbols of the holiday in the center: painted eggs, consecrated Easter cakes, etc.

According to an ancient tradition, meat is baked in the oven for a meal, homemade sausage, cheese, jellied meat, etc. are served. It is customary to share some of the dishes with needy and poor people.

Easter symbols

For Christians, the egg is a symbol of the Lord's tomb, which outwardly looks dead, but all life is collected inside. It is not surprising that eggs are considered one of the important items of the Easter holiday. Since ancient times, there has been a tradition to give each other colored eggs, which is what believers are doing to this day. There is an opinion that this rite appeared in paganism, when the ancient people organized a holiday dedicated to the meeting of spring.

According to ancient tradition, after a long Lent, the first food should be a boiled egg. Therefore, he is taken to the temple along with water in order to consecrate. The color of the eggs is influenced by the dye used in the dyeing. Usually food colors are used, but in ancient times only natural raw materials were used.

One should prepare for the holiday on the final week of fasting - on Maundy and Maundy Thursday. This is the day when you need to clean the house, bake cakes and cottage cheese pasta, and also paint eggs.

Paska and Easter cake are the main symbols of the holiday and personify the Resurrection of the Savior. Easter cakes baked on the basis of yeast dough are very similar to church artos - a large bread made with sourdough.

It is customary to consecrate traditional bread on the first day of Easter, and then put it in the center of the festive table. Pasca is made from cottage cheese, it is Easter bread in the form of a truncated pyramid and is a symbol of the tomb in which the great miracle took place - the Resurrection of Christ.

On the territory of European countries, Easter is symbolized by the White Rabbit. The image of this animal is used to decorate a festive tablecloth, towels and napkins. In the form of a rabbit, baked goods and pastries are prepared for those present at the feast.

Also, the symbol of Passover is a lamb, personifying the Lamb of God. It is customary to put figures and images of lambs on the festive table, give each other souvenirs and put on clothes where this animal is present. Lamb is roasted in many homes and served as a main course.

Bonus

Summarizing the above, several conclusions can be drawn:

1. Easter is one of the most important and important holidays of the year for Orthodox Christians, so they prepare for it in advance.
2. This is the day when all prohibitions and restrictions related to Great Lent are lifted. Any food can be eaten.
3. On Easter, it is customary to paint eggs, bake cakes and pasques, and then illuminate them in the temple along with water.