Orthodox Easter: the date in 2025 when to paint eggs and bake cakes
On April 20, 2025, Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter, the main holiday of the Orthodox calendar. Celebrations dedicated to the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead are eagerly awaited by many families. When to consecrate Easter cakes-2025 and how to paint eggs — read in the Izvestia article.
What to put in the Easter basket
The Easter basket is an ancient symbol, since it is in baskets that pilgrims have been carrying consecrated food to the temple since time immemorial. There is even a tradition to give ready-made Easter baskets if you come to visit during Holy Week. As a rule, an Easter basket is filled with a cake or several small cakes, colored eggs and a bottle of cahors. You can add cottage cheese Easter and meat snacks. The bottom of the basket is decorated with a white linen towel.
When to paint eggs and bake cakes for Easter 2025, is it possible to bake cakes on Maundy Thursday
The popular belief that the main preparations for Easter begin on Maundy Thursday and that it is on this day that you need to clean the house and garden, paint eggs and bake cakes is only partially true. Maundy Thursday is generally associated with most of the signs and customs.
According to the Bible, it was on this day that the Last Supper took place — the last meal of Christ with his disciples, at which the Sacrament of Communion (the Eucharist) was established. The Savior broke bread and shared a cup of wine with the disciples, which meant the Body and Blood of Christ. Over time, the entire liturgical life of the church was built around the Eucharist. In addition, He washed the disciples' feet, bequeathing them love, humility and service to their neighbor.
In reality, it is customary for believers to receive communion on this day after confession the day before, on Holy Wednesday. And the bishops in the cathedrals wash the feet of 12 monks or priests, who symbolize the disciples of Jesus. In this way, believers keep not only their bodies, but also their souls pure. The clergy clarify that it is possible to confess on any day of Holy Week, since this sacrament is usually not performed on Easter and the following Holy Week. You can bake cakes and paint eggs on any day of Holy Week. The main thing is that these troubles do not interfere with spiritual life.
How to color Easter eggs, how much to cook, how to decorate
Painted eggs for Easter are one of the most ancient Christian traditions. It is connected with the legend of Mary Magdalene, who informed Emperor Tiberius about the resurrection of Christ. At this point, the white chicken egg turned purple, so most often the eggs are painted in shades of red or burgundy.
Traditionally, Easter eggs are boiled hard and painted with onion husks. To boil an Easter egg, put it in a saucepan, add water and onion husks and cook over low heat for 10 minutes after boiling. To prevent the eggs from bursting and cracking, it is recommended to put a little salt in the water. In addition to onion husks, beetroot, turmeric, karkade tea and even wine are used for coloring. The cooking recipe is the same, but after cooking the eggs should be left in the colored liquid overnight to fix the color and add a little vinegar. Beetroot gives eggs a pink hue, turmeric is a sunny yellow, and red cabbage is a delicate blue. Another way to color eggs for Easter is to use thermal stickers. This saves time and effort: the complete instructions for painting are indicated on the package. With the help of food coloring agents, you can put the inscription "Christ is Risen" — "XB" on the shell and decorate Easter eggs with a pattern.
How to bake a cake for Easter 2025
The most popular Easter treat remains a fluffy cake with a cap of icing sugar and colorful sprinkles, stuffed with candied fruits and raisins. Historians of Russian cuisine Olga and Pavel Syutkin explained that earlier the cake was more dense and had the shape of low rounded bread. This is explained by the fact that in most peasant houses it was baked in ovens, on the hearth. It also took a while to add raisins and candied fruits to the filling. At first, the cake reminded of the poor bread of the apostles, some of which they left on the table as a symbol of the presence of Christ after his ascension.
Igor Bednyakov, chef of the Barrel restaurant, is sure that a good pastry cake should be airy and high, not stale for a long time and have a slightly sweet taste. He recommends adding a little leavened wort to the recipe for a bread flavor and making a sourdough cake using high-quality flour. You should put two types of raisins in the filling, which is also typical for Russian cakes, and use icing and nuts — cedar, walnuts, pistachios - as decorations on top.
Another traditional dish that has become especially popular in the northern regions is cottage cheese Easter. It is prepared in the form of a truncated pyramid — a pasochnitsa. It symbolizes the tomb in which the miracle of the Resurrection of the Lord took place, the victory of light over darkness. The cottage cheese Easter served as a substitute for the Old Testament lamb and reminded that the time of sacrifice had passed.
When to consecrate Easter cakes and eggs
The consecration of food in churches begins on the eve of Easter — on the morning of Holy Saturday. This is due to the large number of visitors to the temples these days. Traditionally, the food was consecrated on Easter day, during the night or morning service, and then sat down to a meal.
What can be consecrated at Easter in the church except cakes and eggs
The consecration of food, drinks, and other things surrounding a Christian is part of an ancient tradition. In this way, believers ask for God's blessing. Previously, part of the food (tithe) was left in the temple for those in need, this tradition has been preserved to this day.
In addition to Easter dishes, believers can bring to the temple any product that symbolizes the transition from a lean diet to a fast one. The exception is strong alcohol. Although the ban on wine at Easter is lifted, gluttony and drunkenness are still a sin, the priests remind. As for holy water, most Orthodox Christians keep it until Epiphany and can use it all year round, including at Easter.
When and how to have a conversation on Easter
Communion, or the first meal after Lent, on Easter begins immediately after church service and communion. The festive meal begins with consecrated eggs and a cake, then you can drink juice or some cahors. Only after that you can start other dishes.
Is it possible to baptize a child on Easter
According to Orthodox canons, it is possible to be baptized on any day of the year, therefore, in theory, it is possible to baptize a child on Easter 2024.
In practice, this is an exceptional case, Archpriest Igor Fomin explained to the Thomas edition.
At the same time, Great Saturday, which precedes Easter, is considered a wonderful day to begin "life in Christ."
In this case, a person already celebrates Easter as a "faithful" Orthodox.
Is it possible to go to the cemetery or commemorate the deceased on Easter
Usually, no commemorations or funeral services are held on Easter, and in the following days of Holy Week they are held in a special Easter rite. This also applies to visits to cemeteries — it is better to make such trips after the holiday. Memorial services begin to be served only on Radonitsa, the Tuesday of the second week after Easter. However, commemorations of the deceased can be served before the liturgy throughout Holy Week and on Easter Day. And if a memorial dinner in memory of the deceased is considered not the most appropriate for Easter, then alms with prayer in memory of him will be an excellent alternative, the priests explain.
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