Orthodox Easter

Orthodox Easter History

Orthodox Easter commemorates Jesus' resurrection three days after his crucifixion and death. Following his death, he was removed from the cross and buried in a tomb. On Sunday, it was discovered that Jesus' tomb was empty. Angels informed onlookers that Jesus had risen. Throughout the next 40 days, Jesus appeared to his apostles and disciples before finally ascending to heaven.

Orthodox Easter is the highest and holiest of holidays in the Christian Orthodox faith. Orthodox Easter follows the Julian calendar and must take place after Jewish Passover. For these reasons, Orthodox Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox.

Top 8 Facts for Orthodox Easter in 2026

• The Holy Fire ceremony remains the most anticipated event of the liturgical year, where the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem enters the tomb of Jesus in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to receive a "miraculous" blue flame that is said to spontaneously ignite candles and does not burn skin for the first 33 minutes.
• Orthodox Christians strictly follow the ancient rule from the First Council of Nicaea that requires Pascha to always occur after the Jewish Passover to preserve the biblical timeline of the Passion.
• A central culinary tradition involves the preparation of Tsoureki, a sweet, brioche-like bread flavored with mahlab and mastic that is often adorned with a single red-dyed egg.
• The practice of dyeing eggs exclusively red symbolizes the blood of Christ, and families participate in a competitive game called tsougrisma to see whose egg is strong enough to remain uncracked, representing the breaking of the tomb.
• On Good Friday, congregations participate in the Epitaphios procession, where a flower-covered bier representing the tomb of Christ is carried through the streets in a funeral-like march.
• The midnight service on Holy Saturday concludes with the joyous proclamation of "Christos Anesti," to which the faithful respond "Alithos Anesti," marking the official end of the 40-day Lenten fast.
• Following the midnight liturgy, many families break their fast with a traditional soup called mageritsa, which is made from lamb offal and lettuce to gently transition the digestive system back to meat.
• The year 2026 marks a significant departure from the previous year’s rare calendar alignment, as the Orthodox and Western dates for Easter will diverge by exactly one week due to the differences between the Julian and Gregorian calendars.

In the News and Trending in the US for Orthodox Easter

Top things to do in the US for Orthodox Easter

• Wear some new clothes to church. This is an ancient tradition that goes back to the early church when newly baptized persons were given a white gown to wear on Easter.
• Take an Easter basket to an Orthodox church and have it blessed. Some Eastern Orthodox Church members put together special baskets with particular items that symbolize different aspects of their faith. These items often include bread, wine, salt, cheese, ham, and horseradish.
• Stay up late and go to an Orthodox vigil service. Bringing light into the church is a dramatic and joyous occasion.
• Russian Orthodox believers often visit the cemetery on Easter, placing a dyed red egg on each loved one's grave. The eggs are dyed red because of a tradition that says Roman soldiers put on Jesus' red cloak after he was crucified. Consider paying homage to your deceased loved ones on Easter.