Great Wednesday This day brings a stark contrast between repentance and betrayal. According to tradi- tion, a woman poured expensive perfumed oil on Christ’s feet and anointed them as a sign of deep contrition and respect. Juxtaposing this act of love and repentance is Judas Iscariot’s decision to betray his teacher. It was on this day that he went to the Jewish high priests and agreed to betray Christ for 30 pieces of silver. Liturgical tradition often interprets these two events together – as a choice between repent- ance leading to forgiveness and betrayal lead- ing to downfall. Great Thursday Great and Holy (Maundy) Thursday com- memorates the Last Supper, as the last meal that Jesus had with his disciples before his ar-
rest. It was during this meal that Christ took the bread and wine and assigned new meaning to them, telling the apostles that represented his body and blood. And, thus, the Eucha- rist (Holy Communion) was established – as one of the cen- tral rites of the Christian faith. The Gospels also record an- other powerful symbol of that evening’s gathering: Christ washed his disciples’ feet, which was the task of a servant ac- cording to the culture of the time. In so doing, he offered an example of humility and service to others. After dinner, he went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, where he spent the night in prayer, knowing the fate that awaited him. It was there that Roman soldiers arrested him following Judas’s betrayed with a kiss. Great Friday Great and Holy (Good) Friday is considered the saddest day in Christianity. After a night filled with interrogations and trials before the Jewish high priests and Roman gover- nor Pontius Pilate, Jesus was condemned to crucifixion – the punishment preferred by the Romans for the most serious criminals and rebels. Before being crucified, he was whipped and forced to carry his own cross to Golgotha, beyond Jeru- salem’s city walls. There he was crucified between two con- victed thieves. According to Gospel tradition, he was on the cross for several hours before succumbing. Following his death, his body was removed from the cross and placed in a tomb provided by a prominent mem- ber of the Jewish council who was a secret follower of Christ. According to the Orthodox tradition, there is no Divine Lit- urgy on that day, although a Holy Shroud – a cloth depict- ing Christ’s body prepared for burial - is brought out and placed in front of churches for the faithful to pass in silence and prayer. Great Saturday Great and Holy Saturday is a solemn day of silent ex- pectation between the Passion and the Resurrection. The Church remembers Christ’s time entombed, but also his de- scent into Hades to free the souls of righteous people who’d
died prior to his arrival. Despite being marked by mourning, Holy Saturday also carries the hint of coming joy. Midnight sees the start of the Easter Vigil service and the announce- ment of the most important message of Christianity: the victory of life over death. EASTER AND CUSTOMS OF JOY After a day spent in quiet remembrance of Christ’s suf- fering, the midnight liturgy on Holy Saturday turns into the celebration of Easter. According to Gospel tradition, Christ rose from the grave on the third day after the crucifixion and thus defeated death and opened the way to eternal life. The faithful gather in Orthodox churches at midnight, when the priest announces the good news with the words “Christ is risen”, the traditional response to which is “He is truly risen”. The faithful then light candles and participate in the liturgy marking the end of Lent. The painting of eggs is one of the most recognisable Easter customs in the Orthodox tradition. The first colour- ed egg, which is usually dyed red, is called the “house guard- ian” and is kept in the home until the next Easter as a sym- bol of protection and wellbeing. The red serves as a reminder of Christ’s blood and sacrifice, but also of new life and resur- rection. On Easter itself, the family gathers around the fes- tive table and it is customary to first “smash” Easter eggs – a symbolic game in which the holder of the egg that remains undamaged is the winner. The celebration continues the following day, on Renew- al Monday, or Bright Monday. It is then that, according to an old Orthodox custom that’s widespread across Serbia and other Orthodox regions of the Balkans, people go to ceme- teries and leave painted eggs on the graves of their closest relatives. This act symbolically connects the joy of resurrec- tion with remembrance of the departed, with the belief that the message of life’s victory over death also belongs to them. This day is also used as an opportunity in many regions to arrange family gatherings, visit relatives and continue the celebration of Easter, which lasts several more days in the Orthodox tradition.
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