Orthodox world celebrates Easter today
Today, Sunday, April 12, 2026, millions of Orthodox Christians around the globe gather to celebrate Pascha, the "Feast of Feasts" commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This holiday, which symbolizes the triumph of life over death, follows a complex historical calculation known as computus paskhalis, News.Az reports, citing TASS.
Based on the 4th-century Council of Nicaea, the date is set for the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox, provided it falls after the Jewish Passover. Because the Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar, this year's celebration occurs exactly one week after Western Christian Easter.
The name "Pascha" itself is rooted in the Hebrew word pasah (to pass by), drawing a spiritual parallel between the Exodus of the Israelites and the Christian belief in passing from death to eternal life. Preparation for today’s joy reached its peak during the solemnity of Holy Week.
Believers spent the last several days reflecting on the Last Supper of Maundy Thursday and the mourning of Good Friday, a day of strict fasting when the church bells fall silent to honor the crucifixion. The atmosphere shifted dramatically on Holy Saturday with the miraculous descent of the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, a light that has since been transported across borders to reach local parishes for the midnight vigil.
In the Russian tradition, the holiday has seen a profound transformation over the last century. Once a cornerstone of pre-revolutionary life, it was suppressed during the Soviet era, only to be fully restored as a central national event following the 1000th anniversary of the Christianization of Rus in 1988.
Today, top state officials, including the President, traditionally attend the midnight service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, a service broadcast live to those unable to attend in person.
The celebration is marked by vibrant sensory traditions. During the midnight liturgy, the air is filled with the scent of incense and the sound of the joyous greeting, "Christ is Risen!" (Khristos Voskrese), and the resounding reply, "Truly He is Risen!" (Voistinu Voskrese). Families are now breaking the forty-day Great Lent with a traditional feast.
Central to the table is the Kulich, a tall yeast bread representing the presence of the Lord, and the pyramid-shaped Paskha, a cheese-based dessert symbolizing the Holy Sepulcher. Red-dyed eggs, representing the blood of Christ and the shell of the tomb, are exchanged among loved ones as a sign of new life. Today also marks the beginning of Bright Week, a seven-day period of continuous celebration where the Royal Doors of the altar remain open to signify that heaven is accessible to all.
By Leyla Şirinova
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