Easter.

 

You will have to get use to this…you have to know Russian culture if you want to do a good job with your girl, because that is one of things they will ask from you. //

So it is time for you to learn something about the word “Easter” , in some countries they use this Word to name Christmas and Easter, so you need to add Resurrection Ester to difference it from Christmas.

The difference with Spanish people is that we celebrate it on the April 12^th and in Russia they do on the April 19^th because Catholic Church uses Gregorian calendar but Orthodox Church uses the Julian one.

First Christians as you may know were Jews, they used to celebrate the Easter on the same day as Jews people did. But since Nicea´s agreement, Christian separated their Easter from Jews one Hebrews elements from it. But the main reason of the celebration was still there, it was that Jesus resurrected in the Hebrew Easter. Nowadays Catholic Church tries not to make this date match with the Jew Pésaj.

The week before the Easter Sunday, it starts the Palm Sunday where we remember when Jesus got in Jerusalem; people from East celebrate this day too. Every date has a different name and a different meaning but you will see on the East they have too Saint Thursday, Friday and Palm Sunday. Their traditions on these days are to go to church, and the pies they do are blessed by the priest. They live all that with happiness and joy, while we feel it in a much more sad way. There, even non- Christian celebrate it.

It is normal during these days people change the way they say hi to each other. One person say: “Christ went to heaven” and the other person says: “yes he did”.

Meals during these days are shared with relatives and friends, where lamb, cakes and eggs blessed by the priest have miracles properties. They also celebrate it with fireworks and gunshots to the air.

It is a tradition that you give some present too…flowers?

By the way, have you ever wondered where does the egg tradition come from?

Well the traditional Easter egg has its origin in the Easter Seder, which remembered when the Pharaoh had his heart of stone and would not let Hebrews leave the land. After that, Christians use the egg to remember when Hebrews could leave as the beginning of the new life (resurrection)

And now you must be wondering what is the Easter Seder…

Well, I will explain it too, is the last supper Jesus had with his disciples. It is a familiar celebration which has place on the first night of the Jewish Easter. A family, placed around a table read the scripts where Jews left Egypt (Hagadá).  You have to drink 4 glasses of wine which represents the 4 liberation promises God made to them.

• First glass means the creation, they make a prayer too.
• The second glass is called Mishpat remember the 10 Egypt pests.
• Third glass, which is drink after the supper, is the redemption glass, to remember the innocent blood of the lamb which redeemed Israel from Egypt.
• The fourth glass is the “Hallel.” Hallel in Hebrew means “worship”.