Many Orthodox
Christians in South Africa celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection on Easter
Sunday. The Orthodox Christian date for Easter Sunday is often observed at a
later date than the Easter date observed by many western churches. The day is
known as Pascha, as well as the Sunday of the Resurrection
What do people do.
Many Orthodox Christians in South Africa celebrate Pascha according to the
Easter date in the Julian calendar. Easter is the most important event in the
church calendar. The Easter Sunday church liturgies are joyous as they
celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection, according to Christian belief, as well
as spiritual victory. Many Orthodox
Christians in South Africa fast during Lent prior to Easter. Easter Sunday is a
time for families and friends to get together for a festive meal, where meat
and dairy products can be eaten again. Lamb and tsourekia(or tsoureki),
which is a type of Easter bread, are popular Easter dishes in many Greek
Orthodox communities in South Africa. Traditional Easter egg games are also
popular. Each person takes a dyed red egg and tries to crack other challengers’
eggs. This game symbolizes Jesus Christ breaking from his tomb. The person whose
egg lasts the longest is assured good luck for the rest of the year. Some
people bring dyed Easter eggs to church to be blessed at the Easter liturgy.
Special egg painting workshops for pysanky (special type
of Easter eggs) are held in some cities, such as Johannesburg, prior to the
Orthodox Easter date. These beautifully decorated eggs are customary in
some eastern European countries such as Ukraine. Many people are banned from
setting off fireworks during the Easter celebrations.
Public life
The Orthodox Christian date for Easter Sunday is not a federal public
holiday in South Africa. However, it is held on a Sunday, which is a non-school
day and non-working day for many South Africans. Sunday trading hours still apply in areas where there is Sunday trading,
particularly in major cities.
Background
Many Orthodox churches base their Easter date on the Julian calendar, which
differs from the Gregorian calendar that is used by many western countries.
Therefore the Orthodox Easter period often occurs later than the Easter period
that falls around the time of the March equinox.
There are different types of Orthodox churches in South Africa, including
the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Slavic Orthodox Church, and the Greek Orthodox
Church. There are many Greek Orthodox Christians in South Africa. The federal
government’s 2006 census recorded that there were 85 000 Greek-born people in
South Africa, with the largest numbers in Johannesburg. The census also showed
that 84 000 Greek-born South Africans are of the Eastern Orthodox faith.
Symbols
The Easter egg is hard-boiled and dyed red to symbolize the blood of
Christ. It was an important symbol connected with spring fertility rituals in
many early civilizations. Many Greek Orthodox Christians rap their eggs against
their friends' eggs and the owner of the last uncracked egg is considered
lucky.
The Orthodox custom of decorating the round Easter bread with red eggs at
the four edges of the cross on the bread dates back to around the 12th century.
Another important symbol associated with Easter is the lamb. It is often
depicted with a banner that bears a cross, and it is known as the Agnus
Dei, meaning "Lamb of God" in Latin.
Easter 2015
This Year Easter Sunday was celebrated on the 12 April. My Family and I
celebrated Easter at St Athanasios Church in Benoni, 25 Km East of Johannesburg
City. It was a joyous occasion of Eating Lamb on the spit. A total 0f 48 lambs
were cooked that day. Eggs were broken and everyone enjoyed Live music and
dancing. The festivities continued until early Sunday evening. Please see a
short clip of the festivities attached.
So…from
myself Efh Kanavou, The Hellenic Community of Benoni, South Africa…
XRISTOS
ANESTH
KAI
XRONIA POLLA
BY EFΙ KANAVOU
E. Kanavou
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