How, when and how should children learn about Easter? If we are talking about a child or teenager from a non-Orthodox or non-Christian family, then it would be a reasonable and honest decision on the part of the parents to ask the child to ask a question about Easter to a teacher of the Basics of Orthodox Culture at school, a priest or one of their Christian relatives. It is very important to see the personality in your children from a very young age and give them the opportunity to make their own judgment on such a serious issue.
Easter is one of the brightest holidays and children from an early age should understand its meaning.
If we are talking about a Christian, in particular, Orthodox family, then one of the closest family members should tell the children about Easter.
It is desirable that this is a person who has the greatest authority among children. Mom, dad, grandmother or grandfather - it doesn’t matter, the main thing is that this person sincerely believes in what he is talking about and enjoys the trust of children. This is the very question, in the coverage of which it is important not eloquence, but the sense of confidence of the narrator in his words. The relationship the narrator has with the children is also important. It is desirable that children, thanks to him, see that faith in Christ makes a person kinder, more condescending to other people's shortcomings, more patient, etc.
At what age is it better to tell a child about Easter
Most likely the best moment for such a conversation will be the age when the child first realizes that human life is not endless. Usually, this happens at the age of 4-5 years. It is then that children develop the fear of losing their parents, brothers and sisters, or their own death. At this moment, it is important to convey to the kids the joyful news of the Easter of Christ. Surely, you should not talk about this topic, standing at the stove or doing car repairs. It would be nice to choose a time when we can all sit together and listen carefully to each other.
Talk about Easter should be conducted during preparation for the holiday It is advisable to tell the children about Easter before the start of Lent or a few weeks before the holiday, so that they can prepare, feel the upcoming holiday.
Great Lent childlike
In order for the first Easter to become a significant event for children, it is especially important for the family to walk the path from Forgiveness to Bright Sunday together. It is wonderful if children fast together with their parents. For a five-year-old kid, a post can be considered a refusal to watch your favorite animated series for a while, and the child must clearly understand why he is doing this.
If you can correctly tell about the meaning of Easter, children will gladly accept the need to infringe on themselves for the sake of the upcoming holiday.
Suitable mood
Be sure to approach this conversation responsibly. What matters is the mood of the children and the narrator himself. You should not tell what Easter is to children when they are excited by an outdoor game, and mom is annoyed by troubles at work. Of course, it’s good if children listen to this story at home, in a warm, tidy room and feel that their mother or grandmother has some especially solemn and joyful mood.
Visiting the temple with children will create the right mood The narrator must first read the relevant chapters of the Gospel. You can replace the story with a joint reading of the Children's Bible, along the way commenting on what was read.
Suitable environment
The environment in which the conversation takes place is also important. Let the children have the kindest and warmest memories of the first acquaintance with the good news of the Resurrection of Christ. Many parents watch cartoons about Christ with their children. This issue is up to them. But, it is necessary to take into account that it is desirable that the image of God in the mind of a person is not linked to cartoon pictures. It is better to watch a cartoon with a good instructive plot and discuss together how this story can be interpreted from the point of view of Christianity. And God must remain for the child someone unknowable, not a person, but an image, a person with a capital letter.
You can use special children's books What to talk about
In the story of Easter for young children, the emphasis should be on the Divine Resurrection
Children need to understand the main idea - death does not stop the life of the soul, thanks to the sacrifice of Christ, we can gain the continuation of life and the opportunity to reunite with deceased relatives after the death of the body.
sample story
An example of such a story: “More than two thousand years ago, a girl named Maria lived on earth. She was the most kind, patient, modest, merciful girl in the world, and for this the Lord wished to make her the Mother of his son. They named him Jesus. When He grew up, he realized that he wanted to devote his life to people. After all, He loved them very much, as did His Father. Jesus began to travel around the country and everywhere he helped everyone who needed it. He healed the sick, gave bread to the hungry, comforted those who were suffering, and told everyone about God and how He really should be served. 12 friends traveled with Him, whom He called apostles.
Because people began to listen to the words of Jesus about God, the priests decided to kill Him. After all, they taught the people quite differently. Among the friends of the Savior was a traitor - Judas. For money, he betrayed Christ. Jesus could have avoided arrest, but He was willing to voluntarily accept suffering and death so that people, thanks to His sacrifice, would be cleansed of their evil deeds. Then they can all be forgiven and live forever. When Christ was executed, there was a solar eclipse. The earth was plunged into complete darkness for several hours. On Sunday night there was a terrible earthquake and the stone that closed the entrance to the cave where Jesus was laid fell off. It turned out that Christ is alive again. He appeared to his friends so that they would know about it and rejoice. This is how Easter was born.
Information to help parents Children need to be explained that if a person tries, as often as possible, to do as the Savior did, then he will be able to come to life after death.
About Easter traditions
One of the versions, quite suitable for children, sounds like this: “After the Resurrection, Mary Magdalene went to Rome, to the court of Emperor Tiberius, to tell him about the miracle that happened in Jerusalem. It was impossible to come to the king without a gift, but since Mary had almost no money, she was able to buy only one egg. When she was let in to the emperor, she handed it to Tiberius with the words: “Christ is risen!”. The emperor replied that he would believe it if the white egg turned red. At that very moment, the egg in Maria's hands turned red. “Truly Risen!” exclaimed the astonished king. This story can be told to the kids while painting Easter eggs together.
Children's crafts for Easter What else will be useful for children to know
It would be appropriate to mention other myrrh-bearing women, especially when it comes to girls. They will benefit from an example of gratitude and care for a person, even after his death. You can draw their attention to the fact that the myrrh-bearing women were not too lazy to get up very early, before sunrise, they were not afraid to set off in the dark, if only to quickly pay their last tribute to love for the Savior. If it is customary in the family to bake Easter cakes at home, then this activity can be combined with the story that Christ is the bread of life. Therefore, it is customary to bake the most delicious bread for Easter. Butter dough and decorations symbolize the special joy of the upcoming holiday. If the listeners are boys, they can be told about John the Theologian, the most devoted friend of Christ. Draw their attention to the fact that he accompanied Jesus until the last minute without fear of arrest and punishment. It is useful to mention that John gladly took upon himself, at the request of Christ, the care of His Mother.
It is necessary to tell that Easter is celebrated for forty days, because it was during this time that the Savior appeared to the disciples after death.
Be sure to take your child to the Easter Blessing Ceremony Easter joy is expressed by the fact that people go to visit each other, exchange Easter cakes, colored eggs and "Christ" - friendly hug and kiss each other with the words: "Christ is risen! He is truly risen!"
Easter. Christ is risen! Truly Risen!
God, as you remember, created the world in six days, from Sunday to Saturday, but he devoted Saturday to rest. For the first Christians, the week also began on Sunday. And only since they began to celebrate Easter separately from the Jews, this day has become the final, weekend, as we are now saying. During the year we have a rest on Sundays - this is our little weekly holiday. But Easter Sunday is called Great Sunday, because on this day "Christ rose from the dead, trampled down death by death, and gave life to those in the tombs."
For believers Easter- this is the end of Great Lent, and for everyone together, including non-believers, the joy of meeting with family and friends at a special, festive table, the dignity of which includes traditional, purely Russian dishes and Russian fun.
This holiday always evokes a feeling of the final victory of spring and the awakening of nature. This is not contradicted by the religious meaning of Easter, symbolizing the immortality of Christ, the main holiday in Orthodoxy, the second most important in Catholicism and other areas of Christianity.
Christians have been preparing for this day all year long, both old and young are waiting for it. On Easter, they dress up in festive clothes and prepare a festive dinner too. After seven weeks of fasting, it is finally allowed to eat whatever the soul desires, to have fun and have fun: “This is the day, the Lord has created it, let us rejoice and rejoice in it.” The Church testifies: “God became man in order that man might become god, enter into the glory of the Lord. As Christ Himself said: “And the glory that You gave Me, I gave them” (John 17:22).
Easter days are devoted to church and entertainment. You can take the children to the forest, to the park, to ride the children on a swing (traditional entertainment in old Russia).
There is a good omen: whoever spends Easter in a joyful mood will have happiness in life and good luck in business all year.
Russian people consider Easter the main Christian holiday. In honor of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, this day is called Velikoden (Great Day), and also - Bright Resurrection, and also - Christ's day. The very word "Passover" is translated from the Hebrew "Passover" as "origin", "deliverance" (from Egyptian slavery).
Christian Easter from the Greek "paschein" - "suffer". This is because Christ suffered before he was resurrected. But from the 5th century, Easter turned into a joyful holiday of the Resurrection of Christ.
Each year, calculated according to the lunar calendar, Easter falls on different numbers (theoretically from April 4 to May 8). In the Soviet era, there were only a few old women who had Paschalia rewritten for several years in the cities. Nevertheless, everyone knew the days of the main traveling holidays. By the importance of the blessings received by us through the Resurrection of Christ, Pascha is a Feast of feasts and a Triumph of celebrations, which is why the Divine Liturgy of this Feast is distinguished by grandeur and extraordinary solemnity. All the bells are ringing throughout the Easter week. Holy Pascha is celebrated in the most solemn way in all Christian countries. New Testament Easter is a holiday of deliverance (through Christ) of all mankind from slavery, from everything low, diabolical and the gift of eternal life and eternal bliss to people.
Having accepted on the eve, in the evening of Good Friday, terrible torment at Golgotha, Jesus Christ died on the cross. After that, the noble member of the Council Joseph of Arimathea and another secret disciple of Christ, Nicodemus, with the permission of Pilate, the Savior was taken down from the cross and buried in a new grave carved into the rock.
All this happened on Friday, because on Great Saturday they mark the transition from sorrow to the joyful approach of the Resurrection. During the singing of the Mid-Lamb, the Shroud is taken to the altar and placed on the throne, where it remains until the feast of the Ascension of the Lord as a sign of the daily sojourn of the Resurrected Savior on earth.
What is the Shroud? The shroud is a large silk cloth with the image of the Savior lying in the tomb. It symbolizes just the canvas with which Joseph of Arimathea, together with Nicodemus, wrapped the body of Christ before the position in the tomb: “And, taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in a clean shroud; and laid him in his new tomb, which he carved in the rock...” (Matthew 27:59-60).
The Paschal liturgy ends with the jubilant "Christ is Risen", to which those praying in the church joyfully answer in chorus: "Truly Risen." The Great Resurrection of Christ is celebrated as a great Act of God. Great because Life conquers death, Good conquers evil, finally, the Divine conquers the satanic, God conquers the devil... This eternal confrontation is the essence of earthly and universal Life. And one very important thought: salvation is accomplished in solitude, salvation - from dislike. Salvation is accomplished alone, but celebrated together. Russian people associate Easter with spring - the life of nature, with the flowering of good feelings - the unity of people, with the hope for future happiness. With the Resurrection of Christ, for the first time on Earth, the victory over death, the victory of Life and Immortality over the evil forces of hell took place.
Easter among Orthodox Christians is not only the biggest holiday, but it is also celebrated the longest of all holidays - a whole week (week): “That whole week is one day; for when Christ was risen, then the sun stood, not setting all that week, ”says figuratively in ancient Scripture. Even in ancient Rus', the Bright Week was known under the name of the Holy, Great Day, Joyful.
Many prominent prose writers and poets have descriptions of Russian Easter. Particularly piercing words can be found among those who were forced to leave Russia during the years of the revolution - A. Kuprin, I. Bunin, N. Shmelev, Sasha Cherny, Z. Gippius and others.
Easter folk omens
The bright Resurrection of Christ among the people has long been associated with the sun. The peasants had a belief that on Easter "the sun plays." And people tried to watch, to peep the moments of the play of the sun. Views of the harvest and the weather were also associated with the play of the sun.
On the first day of Easter, they noted: on Easter the sky is clear and the sun is playing - to a good harvest and a red summer; on holy rain - good rye; on holy thunder - to the harvest; the sun rolls down from the Easter hill in the summer; if the weather is clear on the second day of Easter, the summer will be rainy; if it is cloudy, the summer will be dry.
It was believed that from the Easter egg there could be relief from any ailment. If the egg is kept from three to twelve years, then later it can even cure diseases. And if the consecrated dye is put into the grain, then there will be a good harvest. There is also such an opinion: if the egg is left until the next Easter, then it can fulfill any desire. Children on the first day of Easter turned to the sun with chants, talkers, songs.
Extracurricular activity on the topic: Easter for primary school students
Conversation for elementary school children. "Easter is the happiest holiday"
Chelysheva Irina Vasilievna, educator of the educational institution "S (K) O boarding school of the VIII type No. 5" in Kursk.Target:
To acquaint children with the Orthodox holiday "Easter", to cultivate respect for Russian Christian traditions, culture, love for the Motherland, for Russian folklore.
Preliminary work:
Reading literature, learning poems, preparing an exhibition, coloring eggs and making Easter cakes and various sweets at home by parents.
Conversation flow:
The bell sounds.
Educator: Hello good fellows!
Hello red girls!
Drops drip loudly
In front of our window.
The birds sang merrily
Easter has come to visit us.
- Guys, today we will talk about the most important Christian holiday celebrated in Rus' - the feast of Holy Easter. The word "Easter" came to us from the Greek language and means "deliverance". In Rus', Easter has been celebrated since the 10th century. On this day, believers celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Easter is always celebrated on Sunday. According to church tradition, after Jesus was taken down from the cross, his disciples buried the body in a cave in Joseph's garden. The entrance was blocked with a large stone and guards were placed so that the body of Christ would not be stolen. On the third night, an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled away the stone from the entrance. The soldiers who stood guard were petrified with fear, and then, waking up, ran to the Jerusalem priests to report what had happened. The women who came in the morning to anoint the body of Christ with fragrant myrrh, according to custom, did not find him. In the cave there was an angel who said to them: “You are looking for Jesus crucified, he is not here. He rose from the dead." Then Jesus himself appeared to Mary Magdalene and his disciples, with whom he spoke for forty days about the Kingdom of God.
The celebration of Easter is a "feast of holidays" that glorifies the victory of good over evil, life over death, light over darkness. On this day, it is customary to bake Easter cakes, to make cottage cheese Easter.
Russian poets were very fond of Easter and devoted many poems to this holiday.
Children read.
1st child.
Bells sing in the morning
Easter cake and eggs on the table.
Today is a holiday on earth!
Holy Easter has come to us!
And Happy Easter
A fairy tale has come to earth.
Holy Sunday -
As a symbol of rebirth.
2nd child.
The dormant bell woke the fields,
The sleepy earth smiled at the sun.
Blows rushed to the blue skies,
A voice resounds through the woods.
The white moon hid behind the river,
A roaring wave ran loudly.
Silent valley drives away sleep
Somewhere behind the road, the ringing stops.
3rd child.
Great post behind! Easter has arrived!
Fills our hearts with kindness and affection.
Easter is a day of miracles.
We say: "Christ is risen!"
Educator: On this day, bells rang in all churches. This ringing is called Easter Blagovest (phonogram sounds). The service in the church on Easter is special. All night the people do not sleep, pray, ask forgiveness from Jesus Christ for their stupidity, for betrayal, for evil, and prayers are heard that are sung by the church choir, the priest and believers.
At Easter, there is a custom to paint eggs. The egg is a symbol of life, its rebirth. Eggs are dyed in different colors and given with the words: "Christ is Risen!" In response, one should say: “Truly He is risen!” - and kiss as a sign of forgiveness and love for loved ones.
Educator: There are several types of colored eggs. Krashenki are boiled eggs that are dyed the same color. For coloring eggs, it is best to use onion peel. Depending on the color of the husk, the color of the eggs turns from light red to dark brown, and it can also be dyed in an infusion of herbs and birch leaves.
Eggs painted by hand with patterns are called Easter eggs. You can wrap them with multi-colored threads (preferably silk) or silk shreds and boil them with soda, let them cool, and then unfold them - they will have unusual stains. Eggs are also dyed with the juices of various fruits and vegetables.
If spots, stripes, specks of a different color were indicated on a general colored background, it was a speck.
The name "krapanki" comes from the Ukrainian word "krapat", which means to cover with drops. The egg is dyed one color. When it cools and dries, hot wax is dripped onto it (for example, using a burning candle). Now the egg is dipped into another dye, it must not be hot so that the wax does not melt.
Educator: Let's play a little with you. Begin.
The game "Whose egg touches the prize."
(Rolling eggs on the board to the candy.)
Educator: Whose testicle touches the candy
You get it, kids!
The game "Who will scroll the egg longer."
And here are three more eggs,
There will be a new game:
Who will spin the egg longer
That one will win!
Educator:
Praise the Lord from heaven
And sing incessantly
The world of his wonders is filled
And glory unspeakable!
Praise the Lord from heaven
And praise, people!
Christ is risen!
Christ is risen!
And death is corrected forever!
Educator: Guys, this is the end of our conversation.
Invites to the table for tea.
Good day! Just a little more, and a bright celebration will come! We, adults, reverently prepare for it. In a special way feel in these moments and our kids. Especially if this is a churched family, where the baby, as they say, knows everything about the holidays of the church from birth. And what about other girls and boys, how do they know about Easter? After all, a person from childhood should know the history of his fatherland and its traditions. Tell us about the great event, show in practice what Orthodox symbols and customs we have, make the Easter holiday brighter and more understandable for children.
The Orthodox call this day “the feast of holidays”, “the celebration of celebrations”. This is the most important day of the Orthodox church year. This is the resurrection (transition) from the dead of Jesus Christ, this is the transition from darkness to light, this is the victory of good over evil. Easter is celebrated not only by Orthodox Christians, but also by representatives of other branches of Christianity. There are similar holidays in other religions. Even many non-believers celebrate, because Easter is the beginning of spring, the awakening of nature. Easter does not have an exact date for celebration. Every year it is calculated according to a special church calendar.
It is always touching to see in the house, and if you make them together with your child, then every time you look at this craft you will be proud of yourself and the baby. You also need to congratulate on this bright holiday with a beautiful postcard, which you can choose from this article for Easter. Attach to her a wish from this about a great holiday. Well, and if you have a desire, then you can tell the child in a language he understands.
From the history of the Easter holiday in a language understandable to the baby
Begin your story with a brief account of an event in the spiritual life of Christians over two thousand years ago. You don't have to go too far into history. The child needs to understand simple things. In a word, start with why Jesus Christ came to earth, and then continue in order in a language understandable to the baby.
On the third day after the burial of Christ, early Sunday morning, several women went to the tomb (to the cave) to bring incense intended for the body of Jesus. Approaching, they saw that the large stone blocking the entrance to the tomb had been rolled away, the tomb was empty, and the Angel of the Lord in snow-white robes was sitting on the stone. “Do not be afraid, for I know what you are looking for: Jesus crucified. He is not here. He rose again, as he said, ”the Angel turned to the frightened women. With fear and joy, the women hurried to tell the Apostles about what they saw. “And lo, Jesus met them and said, Rejoice! And they, coming forward, took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them: Do not be afraid; go tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” On the bright feast of Pascha, the Church calls on the faithful to “purify their senses and see Christ shining with the impregnable light of the Resurrection, and, singing the song of victory, hear clearly from Him: “Rejoice!”
Telling a child about the betrayal of Judas
And Jesus came to us to save the world. When he was a boy and when he grew up, he never did anything wrong. On the contrary, he showed everything by his deed and word that it is possible to live purely, without envy, without taking someone else's, without killing, without being greedy, i.e. without harming others.
However, there were people who did not like such holiness and purity. They were angry because they did not want to live honestly and kindly. Therefore, they dreamed of getting rid of the one who prevented them from sinning as soon as possible (here you can say two words about sin, giving an example of a situation with deceit or theft)
Even among the students there were traitors. There was a Judas who sold his teacher for only thirty coins. But how to tell what exactly he sold? The fact is that Judas was ordered to kiss Christ at the meeting. It was a sign to the enemies that it was Jesus. Although these people did not find evidence of guilt, they sent him, pure and innocent, to execution, having paid change with the traitor. Hence the expression "kiss of Judas" appeared, which means a hypocritical attitude and betrayal of ideals.
We talk about the crucifixion of Christ
Briefly tell the child that in the past only terrible criminals were sent to the cross. Although Jesus was holy, he endured torments beyond words. But suffering had to be endured in order to save the whole world, including us. Therefore, the cross is considered the salvation of Christians. After all, the holy blood cleansed everything around from evil, giving our soul immortality.
When Christ died, according to the evangelists (that is, people who were witnesses of everything that he did), the earth trembled, the mountains moved. This happened on Friday, which is now called Good Friday (after the name of the passion experienced by Jesus). These days we especially pray for our loved ones.
Resurrection of the Lord
As the story of the origin of Easter testifies to us, having stayed in a stone cave (which was previously called a tomb), Christ came to life on the third day. Women were convinced of this when they came here to anoint his body with pleasant oils (in those days it was customary to do so). The angel announced to them: "He is risen, as he promised ...".
Incredible joy then seized the people who loved the resurrected very much. And it has been passed down to us through the ages. Since then, we celebrate Easter, the holiday of victory over death, because the soul always remains alive. Tell the child that it is no coincidence that the seventh day of the week was named that way, because on this day the resurrection of Christ took place.
A week before Easter, the entire Orthodox world celebrates Palm Sunday.
From the history of Palm Sunday, we introduce the child to Holy Week
A week before Easter, the Lord and His disciples went to Jerusalem. Approaching the Mount of Olives, the Lord asked His disciples to bring a donkey with a donkey from the nearest village. Then he mounted a donkey and went to Jerusalem. Many people spread their clothes before him, while others cut branches from trees and laid them in the way of Jesus. All the people praised the Lord with loud cries. Jerusalem met him at the entrance with green branches and cries of "Hosanna!" (the rescue).
And today the Orthodox during Matins on Palm Sunday stand with willow and with candles. Christians glorify the Lord with the words: “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Easter is preceded by seven weeks Great post. The Church invites parishioners to think less at this time about bodily blessings and more about spiritual ones.
The week before Easter is called Holy Week(weeks). Each day of the week is associated with the events of the last days of the earthly life of Christ.
Great Monday And Maundy Tuesday- a recollection of the last conversations of Jesus Christ with the people and disciples. These days in Rus' they clean houses, bake Easter cakes and cook eggs.
Great Wednesday. One of the twelve apostles of Christ, Judas Iscariot, being greedy for money, came to the high priests and said: “What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?” They rejoiced and offered him 30 pieces of silver. Since that time, Judas has been looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus Christ outside the people.
On Great Wednesday, at the evening service, the sacrament of unction, or unction, is performed.
Maundy Thursday- the establishment of the sacrament of Holy Communion, the betrayal of Judas. On Thursday of Holy Week, the most important evangelical event is remembered in the service: the Last Supper, at which the Lord established the New Testament sacrament of Holy Communion.
On Maundy Thursday, when Easter cakes are already baked, there is order at home and nothing earthly distracts us, Orthodox people go to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ at the morning liturgy, in remembrance of that very first Communion, which was established by the Savior at the Last Supper in Jerusalem. Maundy Thursday is not Maundy Thursday because on this day they go to the bathhouse or wipe the furniture from dust, but because people come to the temple to confess and take communion.
Great heels(Friday) - the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, the death of Judas. The last trial of Jesus Christ by Pilate, the scourging of the Savior. The Jews take upon themselves and upon their posterity the responsibility for the death of the Lord. The Savior with the cross goes to Golgotha. Crucifixion of the Lord at 12 noon. Darkness over the whole earth from 12 to 3 o'clock. At 3 o'clock - the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Earthquake. A warrior pierces the rib of the Savior with a spear. Joseph takes off the body of Christ and wraps it in a shroud. Burial of the Savior in a cave.
There is no liturgy on Good Friday, because on this day the Lord himself sacrificed himself, and the “Royal Hours” are performed.
At Vespers, the clergy raise the shroud (that is, the image of Christ lying in the tomb) from the throne, as if from Golgotha, and take it out of the altar to the middle. This is done in remembrance of the removal from the cross of the body of Christ and his burial.
On this day, you must definitely come to the Holy Shroud with the whole family, with children and grandchildren, attach even the smallest to this shrine. And in prayer to thank the Savior, who took upon himself the sins of the entire human race, and therefore each of us!
Holy Saturday- the day of remembrance of the presence of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ in the tomb, where it was laid by those who removed the Savior from the Cross, Joseph and Nicodemus. A special sign of the significance of Great Saturday is the annual miraculous ignition of the blessed fire in the cave of the Holy Sepulcher in the Jerusalem Resurrection Church, which takes place on this day. The receiving of the Holy Fire from ancient times to the present day by the Patriarch of Jerusalem with a huge gathering of believers is one of the visible evidence of the truth of the Christian faith and the gospel story.
For believers, the day of Great Saturday is the time of preparation for the meeting of the greatest feast of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. Usually on this day, after the morning service in churches, the consecration of Easter cakes, Easter cakes and eggs for breaking the fast on Easter day begins.
Usually, consecration is performed as follows: believers put their offerings (placed in a bag, plate or small basket) on a special table in the temple, inserting a candle lit before the start of consecration into the Easter cake. The priest reads a special prayer and sprinkles the offerings with holy water. At midnight, while singing the stichera "Thy Resurrection, Christ the Savior," a procession is made around the temple. Then, with the doors closed, Paschal Matins begins, and finally the clergy and worshipers enter the temple. Joyful exclamations: "Christ is Risen!" - will be heard all this bright day. The royal gates of the main altar will be open throughout the next week, in memory of the fact that when the Lord resurrected, the sun did not set for a whole week, just as the sky will be opened for another seven days.
This is how St. Theodore the Studite said about Pascha: “Why do we look forward to Pascha that comes and goes with such impatience? Haven't we celebrated it many times before? And this one will come and go - in the present age there is nothing permanent, but our days pass like a shadow, and life runs like a messenger gallops. And so on until we reach the end of this life.
So, someone will ask, is it not necessary to rejoice at Easter? - No, on the contrary, let's rejoice in it much more - but in the Easter that happens every day. What is this Easter? - Cleansing of sins, contrition of the heart, tears of vigil, a clear conscience, the mortification of earthly members: fornication, impurity, passions, evil desires and any other evil. Whoever is worthy to achieve all this, he celebrates Easter not once a year, but every day.
Easter traditions
On the eve of Easter, they bake in the house Easter cakes and eggs are dyed with onion skins. You can paint eggs with multi-colored special dyes that are sold in stores, you can paint with a thin brush, stick beautiful stickers on them. Colored eggs look even brighter against the background of green grass, and a plate of grass is easy to make yourself. This is a fun creative activity.
Why are eggs painted and blessed at Easter?
The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, while preaching to Emperor Tiberius, came across unbelief on his part. He told her: "A man cannot be resurrected, just as a white egg cannot itself become red." And then the Lord gave such a sign that the white egg turned red, thereby confirming the preaching of Mary Magdalene. Therefore, on the Easter holiday, people traditionally paint, bless eggs and give them to each other.
By the way, there is a more prosaic explanation of where the custom of painting eggs with onion skins came from on Easter. During fasting, it was impossible to eat eggs - this is not a fasting dish. But the chickens did not know about this and continued to rush. There were no refrigerators then, and our wise ancestors noticed that if you boil eggs in onion skins, they can be stored for several weeks.
Beautiful and joyful festive Easter table. It's fun to come up with new ways to decorate it. The main decoration of the table are, of course, Easter cakes and Easter cakes. If Easter cakes are bought in a store, you should not be too lazy to decorate them with icing and sprinkle liberally with colored sugar. Then even store cakes will look original.
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Plate for Easter
Ten days before Easter, a little earth should be poured into the bottom of a beautiful deep plate. The land is sold in flower shops. Mix wheat or oat grains with the ground. They can also be bought in the market or in the store. Pour the mixture so that it is like a liquid slurry, and keep in a warm room, watering from time to time. As the seeds begin to sprout, the blades of grass will reach for the light, and the plate must be turned frequently to keep the grass growing straight. By Easter, the plate will be covered with thick green grass, on which you can put colored eggs.
Family Easter customs
As a rule, many relatives and friends gather for the Easter table. We must try to prepare an Easter gift for everyone: a beautiful egg and a small Easter cake.
For centuries, the favorite Easter game in Rus' was egg rolling. They arranged this game like this: they installed a wooden or cardboard “skating rink” (slide) and around it they freed up a flat place on which they laid out painted eggs, toys, plain souvenirs. Playing children approached the “skating rink” in turn and each rolled their own egg. The object that the testicle touched became the winner. Why not revive this custom? A "skating rink" can be made from any suitable board, for example, from a bookshelf taken out of a closet.
Even on Easter, it is customary to “clink” eggs with each other, hitting the opponent’s egg with a blunt or sharp end of a painted hard-boiled egg. The one whose egg does not crack wins.
On Easter it is customary to celebrate Christ. Old and young, children and adults, men and women kiss each other three times. It is customary for the younger ones to say "Christ is Risen!" they were the first to greet, and the elders answered them: "Truly Risen."
In Russia, as in other Orthodox countries, after the silence of the bells during Passion Days on Easter itself, the blagovest rings especially solemnly. Throughout Bright Week - the week after Easter - anyone can climb the bell tower and ring in honor of Christ's Resurrection.
Easter decor - decorate the house with the children
Before the holiday, invite your child to decorate the house together. After all, you are entering a bright holiday, which has become a symbol of rebirth and new life. When using decor, tell us why you use Easter attributes in this way. So let's get started!
Candles
They may be in the form of eggs. Out of stock? No problem! Make them with your why. Trust him to pour the warm, melted wax into the empty eggshell and place the wick in it. Once the candles are cool, have a little helper arrange them. In parallel, explain the meaning of the candle, remind you that you will soon be marching with a burning candle in the procession.
Wreaths and garlands
There are never too many flowers, so create some beautiful composition with your child in the form of a wreath or a bouquet. Inspire him with the creation of garlands of cut-out circles strung on a ribbon, like Easter eggs. And then let him hang them around the house.
Krashenki and Easter eggs
Creating holiday decor with them is also easy. While dyeing eggs with your baby, briefly talk about this tradition. Then put everything beautifully in baskets or on plates, decorate with plants, paint eggs with paints, fill them with wax, etc.
Easter traditions: children's games for Easter
Yes, these games played by our ancient ancestors are also popular with modern children aged 5 and older. Here are just a few of them.
- "Clinking" eggs. Another tradition that your little little one will definitely like. The point is that two children (or a child and an adult), holding an egg in one hand, hit the opponent's egg with either end. The one whose shell cannot withstand such a blow will win.
- "Egg rolling". Play with your baby in this interesting Easter game. Install something like a skating rink (made of cardboard or plywood) on the floor or table with it. Place toys and souvenirs next to the painted eggs. So roll in turn on the "skating rink" each of your eggs. Whoever touches the prize with it will take it.
- "Search for an Egg". These searches take place in an apartment or in a country house. Here, too, you can come up with some nice rewards for someone who finds Easter eggs and Easter eggs hidden in different places.
Pay attention to children on the bright holiday of Easter. A short and capacious, simple and accessible presentation of the essence of the holiday of holidays will be remembered by your child!
Svetlana Tarasova
How to tell your child about Easter.
How tell a child about easter.
How tell your child about Easter, Christ's Resurrection?
Easter- This is one of the most Great and significant Christian holidays.
He is loved by both adults and children.
There are practically no children in a Christian family who have not heard about Easter and how it is celebrated. But why this holiday is so great, why it is so joyful for everyone, many children do not know.
After all, parents do not always introduce their children to the faith, even if Christian holidays are observed and celebrated.
And, if so, then, of course, it makes more sense tell the child about: Why Easter became a great holiday, and why the Day Easter considered the most important of all days? AND Here: It doesn't matter how much you yourself believe in God.
How tell your child about Easter, Christ's Resurrection?
If you find it difficult or simply do not know how to do it right, it is available tell the child about Easter and its history, we offer you an interesting and simple option story who will introduce child with the history of the holiday, Easter and the Resurrection of Christ.
So, in order to the story is clear, colorful and interesting, we suggest you prepare illustrations with image: Jesus Christ, Devil, King (abstract image, God. As well as symbols Easter: dyed eggs, Easter cake and cottage cheese Easter.
Story accompany with illustrations. Then to kid it will be easy and interesting to listen to your story.
Easter story for kids.
Introduction:
You know that a holiday is coming soon, for which we will paint eggs, make cottage cheese easter and bake cakes. Do you know what this holiday is called? - Easter.
But as Easter it's called something else, you know? - Resurrection of Christ.
This holiday is considered the most important holiday for all believers in God. It is the most solemn and most joyful of all holidays.
Do you know why? Because on this day the greatest miracle on earth happened, which gave people hope for eternal life.
Main part:
The fact is that once upon a time Jesus Christ, the son of God, lived on earth. And Jesus Christ came to earth to help people and save them from death so that their souls would not go to hell. Easter- Christ Sunday
Hell is another world in which the Devil rules. The soul in this world is tormented by fire. Easter- Christ Sunday
Jesus Christ told people that if they stop sinning, then God will forgive them. And after death, their soul will go to Paradise, to God. Easter- Christ Sunday
Jesus Christ explained to all people that in order not to sin, one should not do bad deeds, one should not offend anyone, one should never deceive, one should always speak only the truth. This is what Jesus Christ always did. Easter- Christ Sunday
Many people, and the King who ruled at that time, did not like it. The king did not want all people to become better and know the truth, because then he would not be able to rule.
And so the King ordered to kill Jesus Christ, if he does not stop doing good to people. But Jesus Christ was not afraid. He wanted to save people, so that people would become better, so that they would stop sinning and God would forgive them and let them into paradise.
At that time, the most terrible and shameful punishment was crucifixion, because only bandits were killed in this way.
And in order to frighten people who wanted to become good, and to convince everyone that Jesus Christ is a deceiver, he, too, like a bandit, was crucified on a cross. Easter- Christ Sunday
After the death of Jesus Christ, they put it in a special place for the dead - the tomb.
And after three days and three nights, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Thus, he proved to people that everything he said was true and that if they did not sin, then God would open Paradise for them. And after death, their soul will be able to live there even better. All people have the confidence that their soul can be immortal if they become better. Easter- Christ Sunday
Conclusion.
The day that Jesus Christ was resurrected is called Easter. And it became the most joyful and happy day for all people.
That is why the first thing to say on the day Easter when you see someone That: "Jesus is Risen", and in return you should say: "Truly Risen". And vice versa.
Symbols Easter Steel Eggs, cake and cottage cheese Easter.
The symbol is an egg.
The egg has become a symbol Easter because Jesus Christ was reborn to new life from the tomb. And from the shell of an egg, new life is born.
Eggs used to be dyed only red, since red means the blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross, defending the lives of people. Easter eggs
The symbol is a cake.
Easter cakes are baked on Easter because bread has always been considered the most important dish on the table. Therefore, from the moment Jesus Christ was resurrected, special bread was served on his table.
Nowadays, this bread is called kulich. And it's always baked on Easter to have it on the table. Easter cake
Symbol - cottage cheese Easter.
It was also served on the table, it was placed in a special wooden dish - a pastor. At the top of the pastry box there should be the letters ХВ (Christ is risen, and on the sides - images of a cross, a spear and a cane, as well as sprouts and flowers, symbolizing the suffering and resurrection of Jesus Christ. curd Easter
That is why, in Easter day on the table put colored eggs, Easter cakes and cottage cheese easter.
Only for children under six years of age talk about Easter, Can limited to:
Introduction.
The story about that Jesus Christ was able to defeat the main evil of man - this is death. Because after death he was resurrected.
And Conclusion.
Thus this story includes those concepts that almost everyone knows child. It is easy to understand and should not cause difficulties.
Of course, you can come up with your own interpretation. stories about Easter based on your knowledge child and his abilities.
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