Holy Week and Pascha

[NINGirl]

I'm sure I'm not the only Coptic who enjoys Holy Week. The timing goes terrible with school, but it's a week and it's definitely worth it. I'm planning to attend the evening Pascha prayers this entire week, and perhaps attend the Liturgy on Great Thursday.

[Yeznik]

I'm sure I'm not the only Coptic who enjoys Holy Week. The timing goes terrible with school, but it's a week and it's definitely worth it. I'm planning to attend the evening Pascha prayers this entire week, and perhaps attend the Liturgy on Great Thursday.

The Armenian Holy week is the same week of the RC Holy week. What is your Easter greeting ?

[erinipassi]

Hi Yeznik,

Our Easter greetings is "Ekhristos Anesti" (Christ is Risen) and the other person responds "Alithos Anesti" (Indeed He is Risen).

If you are interested to know why we (Coptic and Eastern Orthodox) celebrate passion week this week and why is Easter the 1st of May this year, here is a good website that explains it: http://www.suscopts.org/literature/print.php?id=1084913586&archive=


love and blessings
erini

[NINGirl]

Excellent site Erini!

I just returned from Tuesday eve Pascha right now. Exhausted, have tons of homework, but I would not pass up the opportunity. :)

[Rilian]

What some Coptic traditions around Pascha?

[erinipassi]

Hi Rilian,

There is a Pascha Prayer Book that we use and has detailed prayers as well as explanations about what we do at Pascha week and why we do it. Unfortunately, the only way to obtain it is to buy it. But there is a brief summary of the Pascha Book available on website:
http://www.zeitun-eg.org/paschag2.pdf

As to what actually happens in Pascha week. Most people Abstain from eating food till 12pm lunch time or with some untill 3pm. Some people abstain till 5pm. Abstaining from food is what we call deeper fasting, where we feel the hunger which reminds us of the pain that Jesus suffered. Of Course the suffering of Jesus cannot be compared to us feeling a little hungry, but its a small physical reminder of what he has gone through. Also abstaining has other spiritual meanings. On Holy Friday (Good Friday), All the church abstains from food till 6pm, which is the 12th Hour, when Jesus was buried and the congregation then eats at 6pm.

As to the prayers during the Pascha week. There are prayers said every day and there are two prayer sessions every day. From Monday to Wednesday, there is one in the Morning, which is usually 2 hours. And there is one at night, which is usually 3 hours.

On Thursday morning, the Church prays a special prayer of the "Washing of Feet" and the priest washes the feet of the Congregation and ends the prayers with the devine Liturgy. On thursday night, there is a prayer for 4 hours.

On Holy Friday, the Church prayers start at 8 am and finishes at 6pm in the evening where the Congregation spends the whole day at Church Abstaining from food and meditate deeply in prayers and the suffering of Jesus.

At the midnight of Holy Friday till Saturday Morning 7am, the Church Spends it in prayer, ending it with the Devine Liturgy, reminding us of Jesus while he is in the Tomb.

The Easter Devine Liturgy starts on Saturday at 7pm and ends at Midnight.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

love and blessings
erini:)

[Globalnomad]

Nothing on the actual Sunday?


When do you sleep???

[CopticGirl]

Nope nothing Sunday...except of course the Saturday night Divine Liturgy that ends after midnight, thus ending on Sunday! :)

God Bless,
Elizabeth

[Rilian]

The Easter Devine Liturgy starts on Saturday at 7pm and ends at Midnight.

Do you guys break the fast with a feast after the Paschal liturgy?

[CopticGirl]

After the end of the liturgy the fast is over, and most people go home and feast at midnight!

I know my brother on his way home from church always stops at Wendy's for a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger! And then I usually make something good for him to come home to as well. I think last easter I had babyback ribs waiting for him.

God Bless!

[Rilian]

After the end of the liturgy the fast is over, and most people go home and feast at midnight!

What about after the normal weekly liturgy, do you guys have a communal meal?

[Globalnomad]

After the end of the liturgy the fast is over, and most people go home and feast at midnight!

I know my brother on his way home from church always stops at Wendy's for a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger! And then I usually make something good for him to come home to as well. I think last easter I had babyback ribs waiting for him.

God Bless!
What, you didn't go to church yourself? :mad: ;)

[CopticGirl]

What, you didn't go to church yourself? :mad: ;)

Crockpot! :)

[erinipassi]

Hi Rilian,



Do you guys break the fast with a feast after the Paschal liturgy?



What about after the normal weekly liturgy, do you guys have a communal meal?

In Egypt after the Easter Liturgy past midnight, people have a huge feast in their homes where all the relatives and families gather after Church in one home. So you will find that in one home, there are at least 20 persons there. But Coptic people outside Egypt, for example, in Australia, in some Churches have a communal feast after the Liturgy where everyone brings a plate and eats together in the Church Hall. The Church Hall is usually a building beside the Church. The Church that I attend in Australia has this communal feast after the Easter Liturgy and there are at least 300 persons gathered in one big family.
The reason why some Churches have this communal feast after Easter is because the congregation may be small in that area and since most people don’t have relatives residing in their area, the Church people become their relative and family. So traditionally, in Egypt, the gathering is in one family member’s home.

As to what happens after normal weekly Devine Liturgy, all the Coptic Churches in Australia (I don’t really know what they have in the USA), have a kitchen which is in a separate building where they sell sandwiches and food. This “Kitchen” is like a food store where people buy food and sit down with the rest of the Church Congregation eating together. The money that is from the Kitchen goes to funding various Church activities and functions.

Love and blessings

erini :)

[CopticGirl]

When I was younger in my church, after the liturgy each sunday, in the basement of the church there was a kitchen, and lunch would be prepared for the congregation.

But, over the years, we stopped doing that for various reasons, and now in the basement of my church we built another altar because our congregation has grown so much, and there isn't enough room for everyone. So now, each sunday we have a liturgy in Arabic/Coptic on the altar in the basement, from 7-9, and one on the main level altar from 9-12 in English/Coptic.

God Bless.

[domi]

I feal so left out.. :( I hope i find a church soon.

O and by the way...i love u erni...:) and i love u chirstaina...and lizzy..i love lizzy..everyone else i dun know lol... i had to express happyness while i'm a good mood. :)