The center of the annual cycle of worship of the Orthodox Church is the day of the radiant Resurrection of Christ. The feast of the Lord's Easter is a testimony of the Church's faith in eternal life, the triumph of good over evil. This holiday resonates in the most reverent way in the hearts of a believer.
The calendar used to mark Christian holidays is replete with various celebrations that are an integral part of Orthodox culture. The degree of importance and solemnity of the holiday finds its definite designation in the calendar. So, the great twelve-year holidays are printed in bold letters in red. Easter Day of Christ stands out from all the celebrations. This holiday corresponds to a whole week, indicated in red.
The feast of Orthodox Easter is not annually dated to one specific date, as, for example, the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord or Epiphany. In order to find out the day of the main church celebration, a believer needs to turn to Easter - a special calendar dedicated to the dates of Easter for the coming decades. The Orthodox Passover is compiled from considerations of the dating of the Jewish Passover, depending on the lunar calendar. In the Orthodox tradition, Easter necessarily follows the Jewish holiday.
In 2016, the Orthodox Church will celebrate Easter on the first day of May. It turns out that the beginning of this month, beloved by many, will be marked by the bright Easter joy of people who hope for a future life and resurrection. The Easter holiday does not end on May 1, it will last the whole month and will capture the first part of June, because the Resurrection of Christ has 39 days of afterfeast, on the 40th day the Church already celebrates the feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven.
The time assigned to Christians for the celebration of Easter was established in the 4th century at the First Ecumenical Council (325). The Holy Fathers of the Council decreed that this celebration must necessarily follow on the next Sunday after the spring full moon (after the Jews celebrated their Old Testament Passover).
