Two Easters??

In 2007 our attendance at the Orthodox Church for Easter did not raise any questions because last year the two Easters happened to occur on the same day. But this year Western Easter (Catholic and Protestant) occurs the earliest it will in 200+ years and thus separates the celebrations by more than a month. My parents recently attended our church with us and were curious about the difference in Church calendars. For me, the difference has never sparked much curiosity because of my belief that all calendars are man's arbitrary attempts to measure time. The event and the way it is prepared for and celebrated is far more significant. But my parent's question made me think that more people might be curious as well, so I did a little research and this is what I found.

Both the West and the East (Orthodox) calculate the date for Easter with the same formula: The first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal (Spring) equinox. But the difference is not created through the formula, but the definition of terms in the formula (e.g. vernal equinox). The Western Church uses the Gregorian calendar, the standard calendar for much of the world, while the East uses the older Julian calendar that was in place during the establishment of the early Church (First Ecumenical Council).

The Catholic Church adopted the Gregorian calendar to fix some of the errors in the Julian calendar, but in the case of the vernal equinox opted for a fixed date of March 21 instead of using the movable astronomical day used in the Julian calendar. While the dates can coincide (like in 2007), they can also be between one and six weeks apart (except three weeks).

The Orthodox Church uses the actual astronomical date when the full moon can be observed in Jerusalem, the place of crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. This method also insures that the date for Easter is also after the Jewish Passover, which coincides with the original event we are celebrating.

For the Orthodox, Easter or Pascha, is the high point of the year. It is preceded by 12 weeks of preparation -- strict fasting and many symbolic services that incite contemplation -- which culminates in one of the biggest celebrations I've ever seen. The children in our church look forward to Pascha with more anticipation than Christmas! Here are some pictures from last Pascha. Yes there is confetti! And in the second picture the candelabra is blurry because it is swinging.

There has been talk between the different branches of coming to a more unified formula or even possibly a fixed date. Either way, Christ is Risen!

http://orthodoxwiki.org/Pascha

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/easter1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter

Orthodox Weddings

Our friend James Moes, who recently joined the Orthodox Church, invited us to his wedding last month. This was Shannon and my first joint experience of an Orthodox wedding and there were some definite differences from a typical Western wedding.

Here is a brief list of some of the main differences between an Orthodox wedding and a Protestant one:

• Matrimony is a sacrament in the Eastern Orthodox Church. A sacrament, or holy mystery, is a physical object or ritual that acts as a vessel for divine grace. Marriage is one of seven officially recognized holy mysteries, although the enumeration of those seven is not meant to exclude other sacraments. Indeed, all of life can be sacramental, that is, a vessel of divine grace. Most Protestants recognize only baptism and communion as "official" sacraments.

• The wedding ceremony is very similar to a Sunday morning liturgy (which, I suppose, is not a very helpful statement if you haven't experienced an Orthodox liturgy). One of the things I love about it is the full, standing participation of the congregation. Through singing/chanting every attendee can actively participate in worshipping God, and in blessing and supporting the couple.

• For most of the ceremony there is little room for the preference of the couple. This, in my opinion, is a good thing. For Shannon and me, who had a very contemporary Western wedding, little choices—like, Should we have a unity candle?, If so, should we extinguish our individual flames? Should we take communion together? What Bible passage(s) should be read aloud?—all these little decisions were part of the fun of planning our Protestant wedding but they were also a source of unnecessary toil and worry. While arguably important, these little details oughtn't be the couple's focus as they prepare for their life together. Orthodox weddings cut out that distraction: the reading is prescribed (The Wedding of Cana), and most of the ceremony is exactly the same as my Orthodox grandparents'.

• The ceremony is actually split into two parts, formerly held as two separate events, but now celebrated together:

The Betrothal: This part takes place either outside or in the narthex, just outside the nave (the main part of the church). Similar to Western tradition, rings are exchanged, but they are worn on the right hand and are exchanged numerous times, with the wife wearing the husband's ring and vice versa. This multiplicity of exchanges symbolizes the mutual enrichment that will constantly transpire between husband and wife for the rest of their lives. The former difference—rings on right hands—is a mere cultural triviality, however, and not a significant departure.

What is a major difference is the absence of vows. The Church is not the granter of married status or a legal entity drawing up a juridical contract. Instead, the ceremony is the Church's way of formally recognizing and blessing the indissoluble spiritual bond of human love that is already a developing reality for the couple.

The Crowning: For this second portion of the matrimonial process, the couple moves into the nave where, amid the typical chantings and blessings, they receive crowns. These, depending on the tradition, can be made of gold and silver, or leaves and flowers. The crowns are crowns of celebration but also of martyrdom, since marriage will demand constant self-sacrifice.

At the end of this portion, the couple drink from the same cup of wine, an act that begins their shared life together and recalls Christ's miraculous blessing at the wedding of Cana.

The priest also doesn't say, "You may now kiss the bride." And I don't remember any official pronouncement of man and wife or Mr. and Mrs.

The Reception: At the Moes' wedding at least, the reception was not markedly different from a Western celebration. In fact, I guess you could say it was a Western celebration as it was just a party to celebrate the new couple, where cultural, familial and personal preferences were given free reign. There was dinner, dancing, toasts, garter and bouquet tosses, beautiful personalized decorations, and all the typical merriment—nothing especially Orthodox about it.

*We will also be posting some pictures and thoughts from the Moes wedding at our family blog Rushcapades.