TIRANA, April 4 /ATA/- All Christian believers celebrate on Sunday the feast of Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which took place according to the New Testament, three days after his crucifixion and death on the cross.
Although a holiday that falls on different days depending on the year and with differences between the Catholic, Orthodox and Jewish calendars, it remains one of the most important festivals in the calendar of celebrations for Catholic believers.
The feast of Easter for Christians, is established every year on the following Sunday, the first full moon to occur after the spring equinox.
Easter is preceded by a preparatory time of fasting that lasts 40 days called Lent that begins on “Ash Wednesday” and ends on “Palm Sunday”, the last Sunday before Easter. The 40 days commemorate the 40 days that Christ spent in the wilderness praying and fasting.
After the celebration of the “Way of the Cross, the blessing of food is another ritual of the Catholic faithful on the Feast of Easter.
Believers turn to the Church to receive the blessing of food to celebrate this important feast of Christ’s resurrection. The food basket on the table of Easter Sunday contains Easter Bread, a bottle of wine, some cheese and green garlic that epitomize the arrival of spring as well as the red egg, the symbol of Christ’s resurrection and rebirth.
The main highlight of Easter is rebirth, resurrection, exemplified by flowers and mainly in lilies. Legend has it that, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, lilies were found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus is said to have prayed before his crucifixion. They were believed to have sprung up from a drop of sweat from his brow when his head was bent in prayer.
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