Easter is the biggest holiday of Christianity, the holiday of holidays.
The forty-day fast ends on Holy Saturday, families returning home from the procession solemnly eat the Easter dinner consisting mainly of bread, ham and eggs. It is an old custom on this day to run out into the garden at the first ring of the bell and shake the fruit trees so that the old fruit will fall and the new fruit will be healthy.
Holy Saturday is the eve of the Easter holiday, the real Easter celebration begins in the afternoon. It reminds of the day when Christ's body lay in the rock-hewn tomb, but rose again on the third day, that is, at dawn on Easter Sunday. Then there is the consecration of the fire, which is followed by the consecration of the Easter candle and water of the cross, and then the vigil mass.
The fire is a symbol of Christ, with whose resurrection the Christian churches celebrate the birth of hope and light.
At the mass, the joy over the Savior's resurrection is manifested, the bells ring again for the Gloria, and the Alleluia is sung. The resurrection procession is held in the evening.
The forty-day fast ends on Holy Saturday, families returning home from the procession solemnly eat the Easter dinner consisting mainly of bread, ham and eggs.
It was customary on this day to run out into the garden at the first ring of the bell and shake the fruit trees so that the old bad harvest would fall and the new one would not be wormy.
The ashes and embers of the consecration fire were preserved and used for healing; they put it in the cattle's drinking water, scattered it in the barn, the house and the fields.
According to the pre-published program of Pope Francis, despite his illness, he will be present at the Holy Week ceremonies, but they will be celebrated by members of the body of cardinals, just like last year.
On Maundy Thursday he visited a women's prison in Rome, where he washed the feet of twelve convicts after mass, on Good Friday he led the way of the cross in the Colosseum, as he will do with the vigil on Maundy Saturday in St. Peter's Basilica.
Featured Image: Vatican.va
