EasterHistory

When is Easter celebrated?

Holy week

Traditions

Attributes of Easter

This is interesting!

History

Easter was started to celebrate earlier than Christmas. At about III-IV century AD.

Egg dyeing in Lithuania is mentioned in one of Martynas Mažvydas chants (1549). Folkrore says about magical egg power: at the end of XIX century lithuanians still used to sacrifice and egg to Žemyna.

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When is Easter celebrated?

Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.

So, the celebration of Easter may vary every year from March 22 to April 25.

Holy Week• The celebration of Easter in the Catholic Church begins on

Holy Thursday and continuous all Easter period. • On Saturday, which may nol always known as Holy, the

celebration of Easter night begins after the sundown. • Church bells and the organ stops on Holy Thursday. • The cross is solemnly honored on Good Friday, Christ‘s

suffering, death and burial day . • A wake is performed next to symbolic tomb of Christ, his

passion and death is considered, fire and water is sanctified on Holy Saturday.

• At midnight again organ and bells are played and very solemn Mass is held.

• The first day of Easter begins on Sunday.

Traditions

• One of the most common traditions is egg dyeing tradition. There is a big variety of dyeing techniques.

Other traditions• Waking up of the sleeping, Eastering; • Egg rolling;• Egg beating (Election of the strongest egg);• Kiaušiniavimas (Children visit neighbours and ask for eggs);• Dėdinėjimas (Youngsters visit girls and ask for eggs);• Lalavimas (All people takes rattles and goes around the

house singing a song); • Sprinkling with water (Youngsters visit girls and sprinkle

them with water); • Swinging.• Lots of other are already forgotten.

Attributes of Easter• Velykė – elsewhere is knows as Easter

grandmother, is quite forgotten Easter character and is kind of Santa Claus.

• Earlier children used to find two eggs as presents on the windowsill in the morning.

• It used to be a present from Velykė. At night she visits and rewards all of them.

• Easter Tree – in the past it was common tradition for all. People used to do it by themselves: they used to make fir tree-shaped tree, decorate it with fresh spring pussy-willow branches, molded cookies, paper bird and flowers, make there some nests and put 9-12 eggs. It was believed that these eggs brings people luck.

From pagan times egg symbolizes the birth of life, fertilization and space. People used to believe, that when you crack the egg, the spirit of snake pretended as an embryo comes out. Ancestors attributed to eggs many healing powers. They believed that eggs heal wounds and raw eggs treat female infertility. It was believed that Easter eggs have special powers.

Interesting!

It is not allowed to sleep for a long time on Easter day as you may have a headache for a long time. Also you may have a headache if you brush your hair on this day. It is inappropriate to visit guests on Easter day. If however someone comes, you need to give him to clean fur. At Easter it is not allowed to move or disturb the ground, otherwise the ice rain will destroy the crops.

Thank You

Made by Paulius and Žavinta 8d.