Orthodox Christians to Celebrate Easter May 5th – Holy Week Begins April 28th with Palm Sunday Commemorations

For Immediate Release:

 

Contact:

Rev. Athanasios C Haros, Pastor

Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church of Florence

Office: 843-662-5471 Cell: 843-496-4533

TransfigurationFlo@mail.goarch.org

www.GoFlorence.org

 

Orthodox Christians to celebrate easter may 5^th – Holy Week Begins April 28^thwith palm sunday commemorations

                                      

(Florence, SC – April 24, 2012) While much of the world celebrated Easter March 31^st, more than 300 Million Orthodox Christians worldwide are just getting started with Holy Week observances with Palm Sunday on April 28^th. For Orthodox Christians, Easter, or Pascha (Passover) as it is preferred to be called by Orthodox Christians, is celebrated this year on May 5^th, as the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

                                                                                                      

“I bet you thought Easter was last month,” said Reverend Father Athanasios C Haros, Pastor of Transfiguration of our Savior Greek Orthodox Church, commenting on why Orthodox Christians don’t celebrate Easter on the same date as most of the Christian World. “The difference is really just because we use the Old Julian Calendar. Ever since the 16^th Century East and West have used different calendars to calculate the date for the resurrection of Christ using a formula that dates to the early 4^th Century. It’s the same formula, just using different calendars.” Every three or four years the two calendars coincide and the entire Christian world celebrates together. The next time this occurs will be 2014.

 

Pascha (a Greek/English transliteration for the Hebrew Pesach) is the oldest, most venerable and preeminent feast of the Church. According to Rev. Dr. Alkiviadis Calivas, Professor Emeritus of Liturgics for Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, “The prototype of Pascha is the Jewish Passover, the festival of Israel’s deliverance from bondage. Like the Old Testament Passover, Pascha is a festival of deliverance.”

 

The traditions of Holy Week originated in the practices of the ancient Christian Church, and have been documented as early as 150AD. This year will begin with Palm Sunday commemorations and continue with services each evening next week culminating with the ancient Midnight Resurrection service Saturday night and last into the early morning hours on Sunday. Holy Week services include readings from the Gospels highlighting the events surrounding the betrayal, trial, crucifixion, burial, and ultimate resurrection of Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe to be the Incarnate Word of God.

 

Services for Holy Week take place twice each day in the Church and visitors are welcome to attend. A special Midnight Resurrection Service will take place on Sunday, May 5^th (Saturday night) at MIDNIGHT. The complete Holy Week Schedule is available at www.GoFlorence.org.