HISTORY

CHRIST IS RISEN: Today we celebrate Easter, here are the customs for this day!

by Serbian Times20. April 2025.20. April 2025.

Orthodox and Catholic Christian believers celebrate Easter today, the greatest and oldest Christian holiday, which is observed in remembrance of Christ’s resurrection—His victory over death and sin.

Besides the Serbian Church, the resurrection of Christ is also celebrated today by the Russian, Greek, Bulgarian, and Ethiopian Churches, as well as some groups of Eskimos living in Alaska, and Orthodox believers in Egypt.

Church teachings say that Jesus was crucified on Friday, lay in the tomb on Saturday in Joseph’s garden, and at dawn on Sunday there was a strong earthquake, and an angel of God descended upon the tomb. The guards who were watching over the tomb fell as if dead from fear, and Jesus rose from the dead.

According to belief, Mary Magdalene was the first to meet Christ on Easter, and afterward, He appeared to His disciples. Only the disciple Thomas, who was absent, did not immediately believe in Christ’s resurrection, so he had to be convinced personally. From this comes the popular saying: “Doubting Thomas.”

According to the decisions of the Council of Nicaea in 325, which are still respected by all Orthodox churches today, Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox, but always after the Jewish Passover.

Easter can vary within a span of 35 days, occurring as early as April 4 and as late as May 8 in the Julian calendar. According to the Gregorian calendar, this corresponds to a period from March 22 to April 25. For this reason, Easter is a movable feast and is celebrated over three days.

The tradition of giving eggs is associated with this holiday. The egg is a symbol of the renewal of nature and life, which represents Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and rebirth.

The first dyed egg, which is traditionally red, is set aside until the next Easter and is given special importance.

The red color symbolizes the blood Jesus shed on Golgotha, but also the color of the resurrection. The first egg is considered a “guardian of the home,” a protector of the house and health.

Mary Magdalene gave a red egg to the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who did not believe in Christ’s resurrection, and greeted him with the words “Christ is Risen.”

Today, the Easter celebration traditionally begins after the morning service, after which believers greet one another with the words “Christ is Risen” and respond with “Truly He is Risen.”

Easter is celebrated by Christians over three days, and in the calendar of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday are marked in red letters.

The first Monday after Easter is called Pobusani Monday, also known as All Souls’ Day—a day dedicated to the dead.