Orthodox Easter 2025 in Ukraine: what date and when will it be
We will also tell you when Catholic Easter will be in 2025.
Millions of people around the world are preparing to celebrate the most important holiday for Christians – Easter, which is dedicated to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Although the traditions and religious rituals of celebrating Easter vary in different denominations and around the world, many Christians celebrate this holiday with church services and prayers. But when will Orthodox and Catholic Easter 2025 be in Ukraine?
MigNews will share with you the date (yes, this year it will be the same for everyone) and the features of this significant event.
When is Orthodox and Catholic Easter 2025 in Ukraine, according to the new and old style
The date of Easter celebration changes every year. Traditionally, it is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. And its time is determined according to special tables, coordinated with the Gregorian calendar in Western churches and the Julian calendar in Orthodox churches.
This rarely happens, but this year Orthodox and Catholics will celebrate Easter on the same day – April 20, 2025.
Why are Orthodox Easter and Easter on different days?
Simply put, the differences in dates are due to the different calendars followed by individual religious denominations. While most Western countries and Christian denominations use the Gregorian calendar, the date of Orthodox Easter is based on the older Julian calendar.
As History.com notes, the Julian calendar, which is based on the solar cycle, was established by Julius Caesar in 45 BC and was later replaced by the Gregorian calendar. Although most of the world now uses the Gregorian calendar, it is still customary to use the Julian calendar to calculate the date of Orthodox Easter, as was the case when the Orthodox Church was founded.
Orthodox Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after Passover. This is because the Julian calendar is linked to the Earth's rotation around the Sun. In addition, Orthodox Easter always falls after the Jewish holiday of Passover, because, according to the New Testament Easter story, Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection occurred after He celebrated Passover.
How is Orthodox Easter celebrated?
In Ukraine, it is customary to bake traditional Easter cakes, Source: pexels.com
Like Catholic Easter, Orthodox Easter is celebrated with joyful church services, family feasts, and, of course, lots of beautiful white lilies. But there are also several traditions that are unique to this holiday.
For example, in Eastern Orthodox churches, Holy Saturday, the day before Easter, is usually marked by an Easter Vigil that ends just before midnight. This is often followed by a candlelight procession, and Easter services and celebrations begin at midnight. And then there’s the feast! Families and friends gather together to enjoy traditional foods such as roast lamb and Easter cake. Another tradition is the blessing of food baskets. These baskets are usually filled with Easter cakes, cheese, meat, eggs, butter, salt, and other traditional Easter foods, as Lent is over and meat and dairy products can be eaten again.
Eggs also play an important role in Orthodox Easter celebrations, although they vary slightly from country to country. In Greece, hard-boiled eggs are dyed bright red. In Ukraine, pysanka are decorated with intricate patterns using the wax restoration method. Romanian krashanki are decorated with a variety of colors and patterns, many of them in the traditional colors of yellow, red, and black.
Did you know who has Angel Day today? Here we talked about who needs to be congratulated today.
