Like every year,
\nEaster, the greatest feast in Christendom, which the majority Orthodox
\nRomanians always look forward to, overshadows everything else going on at the
\nmoment. The usual political scandals and almost daily social protests we’ve
\nseen recently will die out for a few days to make room for prayer,
\nintrospection, generosity and, last but not least, celebration. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Church says
\nEaster is a time for love, peace and joy. The Romanians are thus called upon to
\nhelp the orphans, the lonely elderly and the helpless sick, in other words all
\nthose in need and sorrow. On Saturday night, many people will be attending the
\nspecial services held in most churches and monasteries across the country and
\nin Orthodox churches abroad. At midnight, the priest will greet the news of
\nChrist’s resurrection by proclaiming Christ is risen! and the congregation
\nwill respond Truly He is risen!. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Betrayed by Judas, one of his 12 apostles,
\nChrist is tried for blasphemy by the Jewish religious authorities. His
\nconviction is, however, a political act, as the Roman authorities of the day
\ndecide to crucify him for his alleged attempt to undermine the state. Jesus
\ndies on the cross in terrible pain, is put in his grave, but rises from the
\ndead on the third day. His death does not therefore mean entry into
\nnothingness, but into the divine light of the Father. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In fact, on Saturday
\nnight, the priest invites people to get Holy Light by lighting a candle. This
\nlight, considered a miracle of Orthodox Christianity, is brought over all the
\nway from Jerusalem, where it descends every year on Holy Saturday from 12.30 to
\n14.30. A fire ignites in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, descending on the
\ntomb where Jesus was placed now more than 2,000 years ago. The Patriarch of
\nJerusalem lights two bunches of 33 candles and then starts distributing the
\nHoly Light to the congregation and the religious delegates who will then
\ndeliver it back to their countries. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
94% of Romanians say they celebrate Easter,
\nwith 87% of them saying they will attend the Saturday night service. For most
\nof them, Easter is also about enjoying a good meal, so the week before Easter
\nis spent making the final culinary preparations. Women dye the Easter eggs red
\nand make the special sweet dishes called paska and cozonac. Lamb roast and wine
\nare also part of the Easter meal, which brings families together. Many Romanians
\nwho work and live abroad return to Romania for the Easter holidays to be with
\ntheir loved ones. Others spend Easter in the mountains, at the seaside and even
\non a mini-holiday abroad. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Majority Orthodox Christian Romania is preparing for the greatest feast in Christendom, Easter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":68393,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[39278,29008,39277,33369,39276,39279],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-77208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-cozonac","tag-easter","tag-holy-light","tag-jesus","tag-orthodox-romania","tag-pasca"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n