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Easter Celebrations &
History
Religious Easter Traditions in Western Christianity
Liturgy
The Easter festival is kept in many different ways among Western
Christians. The traditional, liturgical observation of Easter, as
practised among Roman Catholics and some Lutherans and Anglicans
begins on the night of Holy Saturday with the Paschal Vigil. This, the
most important liturgy of the year, begins in total darkness with the
blessing of the Easter fire, the lighting of the large Paschal candle
(symbolic of the Risen Christ) and the chanting of the Exsultet or
Easter Proclamation attributed to Saint Ambrose of Milan.
Old Testament Readings
After this service of light, a number of readings from the Old
Testament are read; these tell the stories of creation, the sacrifice
of Isaac, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the foretold coming of the
Messiah. This part of the service climaxes with the singing of the
Alleluia and the proclamation of the gospel of the resurrection. A
sermon may be preached after the gospel. Then the focus moves from the
lectern to the font.
Baptism
Anciently, Easter was considered the most perfect time to receive
baptism, and this practice is being revived in some circles. Whether
there are baptisms at this point or not, it is traditional for the
congregation to renew the vows of their baptismal faith. This act is
often sealed by the sprinkling of the congregation with holy water
from the font. The Easter Vigil concludes with the celebration of the
Eucharist and Holy Communion.
Additional Easter Celebrations
Additional celebrations are usually offered on Easter Sunday itself.
Some churches prefer to keep this vigil very early on the Sunday
morning instead of the Saturday night to reflect the gospel account of
the women coming to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week.
Some churches read the Old Testament lessons before the procession of
the Paschal candle, and then read the gospel immediately after the
Exsultet.
Celebrations on Easter Morning and Mass
In predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines, the morning of Easter
(known in the national language as Pasko ng Muling Pagkabuhay or the
Pasch of the Resurrection) is marked with joyous celebration, the
first being the dawn Salubong, wherein large statues of Jesus and Mary
are brought together to meet, imagining the first reunion of Jesus and
his mother Mary after Jesus' Resurrection. This is followed by the
joyous Easter Mass.
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