Easter has a special place among Christian holidays. Despite the great importance of the Nativity of Christ, Easter is more significant, because everyone is born, and only the Savior has risen.
One of the names of the Easter holiday is the Bright Resurrection of Christ. On this day, Christians remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ - the victory over death, which gave humanity hope for salvation, for deliverance from sinful slavery.
It is necessary to prepare properly for such a grandiose celebration.
Great post
Christians begin to prepare for Easter long before the holiday, observing Great Lent. It starts 7 weeks before Bright Resurrection. It is easy to find out the exact date in the church from the priest, and if this is not possible, on the Orthodox website on the Internet.
You should not imitate those people who overeat before the beginning of the fast, celebrating Maslenitsa: firstly, this is a pagan holiday, and secondly, a sharp change in the composition of food is by no means good for health.
The week preceding Great Lent is called meat-eating or cheese: you can still eat dairy products, but meat is already prohibited. A person gradually enters the fast, preparing for it both physically and psychologically. Cheese week ends with Forgiveness Resurrection, when Christians ask for forgiveness from each other. It is important that this is not just a tribute to tradition, but a sincere desire to make peace with everyone.
Fasting is not a diet, food abstinence is not a goal, but a means to cultivate humility, to become stronger in spirit. After all, a person who does not have enough willpower to abstain even from a piece of sausage is unlikely to be able to abstain from sinful acts and thoughts about them.
Lent is the strictest of all fasts; on certain days, only bread and water can be consumed. Not every person is able to fully comply with it - one must take into account both the state of health and the nature of the work. Fasting should not be limited to food restrictions - it is necessary to refrain from entertainment, from empty talk. It is good if a Christian determines for himself what kind of habitual sin he will get rid of during fasting, and will make every effort to this.
The essential ingredients of fasting are earnest prayers and reading spiritual literature. You must confess and receive communion at least 2 times during Great Lent.
Holy Week
The last week of Great Lent, immediately preceding Easter, is called Holy Week. This week, Christians remember the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, so fasting at this time is especially strict. People who did not observe Great Lent from the very beginning are advised to fast at least during Holy Week.
On Thursday, Christians confess and receive communion, as if attending the Last Supper, on Friday they mentally follow the Savior to Calvary.
The last days before Easter are devoted not only to repentance and prayer, but also to preparing for the holiday: Christians clean up their homes and prepare Easter food. In Russia, traditional Easter food is Easter cake, cottage cheese Easter and colored eggs. All these products are consecrated in the church on Holy Saturday - on the eve of Easter.
