Easter Greetings

English Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! Christu Jee Utta! Sachmuch Vo Jee Utta! Kristu Uyirthezhunnettu! Avan Satyamaayum Uyirthezhunettu! Kristu Uyirthelundar! Unmaiyahave Uyirthelundar! Bengali Kannada Kristaru Punarutthana Vagiddare! Nija Vagiu Avaru Punarutthana Vagiddare! Konkani Jezu Jeev Zala! Nizaki Tho Jeev Zaala! Kristu Punarudhanamaiyadu! Nijamuga Punarudhanamaiyadu! Yisu Yaani Uaday Kela! Kharach Thyani Uday Kela! Kristu Ugaryo Che! Sachesach Te Ugaryo Che! Kristo Beche Uthe Chien! Shothie Unni Beeche Uthe Chilen!

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Guajarati Tamil -

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THE SPEAKING TREE

Bright Week Of Celebration

Marguerite Theophil

I learned about the Eastern Orthodox tradition of Bright Week through Krikor, a doctor from Egypt, who said late one Easter Sunday, Now my familys celebrations will begin. Begin? I asked. And was told that Bright Week is observed from Pascha, or what we call Easter Sunday, right up to the following Saturday. This entire week is to be set aside by Orthodox Christians for the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, which is the cornerstone of their faith. It might even be said that Pascha is the fundamental and most important festival of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Church calendar. Every other religious festival, including Christmas, is secondary in importance to the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The name of each day of the week is preceded by the word "bright" as in Bright Monday, Bright Tuesday and so on. Interestingly, many consider the entire week to be one continuous joyful, celebratory day. On Bright Friday, in addition to the usual hymns, special prayers in honour of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, known as Theotokos or birthgiver of God, are chanted in commemoration of her Icon of the life-giving Spring, or life-giving Font.

During Bright Week the preceding time of fasting, the time for crying and sorrowing, is now over; it is a time for singing and glorifying the Risen Lord. Every church service during the week is completely different from any other time of the year, as are prayers in homes everything is sung joyfully rather than read or spoken. Even older members of the community, who traditionally fast every Wednesday and Friday, believe that they should not fast during this particular week. The customary greeting all week is Christ is risen! responded with Truly, He is risen! For all of Bright Week the Royal Doors, or Holy Doors of the Iconostatis, before the sanctum otherwise kept closed to the general public are left open. This is the only time of the year when this occurs. The open doors represent the stone rolled away from the opening of the tomb Jesus was buried in. On the Holy Table or altar, the Epitaphios, representing the burial clothes of Christ, is displayed. These doors are closed late on the following Saturday night. Church bells, in the Russian Orthodox tradition, are referred to as voices of God, which accompany all liturgical observances with their resonantly transformative sounds. In old Russia, there was a tradition that throughout Bright Week, this privilege, otherwise the domain of respected and experienced bell-ringers, became open to anyone who wished to take a turn ringing the bells at any of the numerous bell towers that dotted the entire land. This tradition is being revived in some parts of Eastern Europe today. Pascha is the key event that fulfils the purpose of what is understood as Jesus Christ's ministry on earth defeating death by dying, and purifying and exalting humanity by voluntarily assuming and overcoming human frailty. Bright Week is also known as Renewal Week, and Pascha, or Easter, is considered the feast of complete joy, hope and renewal. It is the gift and promise of eternity and plenitude, through which it is taught to believers of the Christian faith that sin, suffering and death, while not suppressed, are certainly overcome.