Pascha (Easter) — LLMpedia

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Pascha (Easter) is the principal festival of the Christian year commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is central to Christianity, celebrated by Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, Lutheranism, Methodism, Presbyterian Church (USA), Baptist, and other Protestant bodies, and it intersects with traditions in regions associated with Byzantine Empire, Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Alexandria.

Origins and etymology

Early Christians adopted the term Pascha from the Hebrew language and Aramaic language word for the Passover (Jewish holiday), reflecting links to Moses, Pharaoh of the Exodus, Temple in Jerusalem, and Herod the Great-era practices. Church Fathers such as Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Eusebius of Caesarea, Athanasius of Alexandria, and John Chrysostom used Pascha alongside Latin-derived terms like Paschal Triduum and Paschal Mystery. Linguistic transmission traveled through Koine Greek, Latin, Coptic language, and Old Church Slavonic, influencing medieval usages in Frankish Empire, Holy Roman Empire, and Kievan Rus'". The term coexists with vernacular equivalents in English language, Spanish language, French language, German language, and Italian language.

The biblical basis rests on accounts in the New Testament Gospels attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and Pauline theology in letters such as First Epistle to the Corinthians and Romans (Epistle to the Romans). Narratives of the Last Supper, Crucifixion of Jesus, and Resurrection of Jesus connect to Synoptic Gospels and Johannine literature, while early liturgical references appear in the Didache, writings of Clement of Rome, and the Apostolic Constitutions. Councils like the First Council of Nicaea and synods in Antioch and Alexandria shaped celebration timing and rites, influencing traditions in Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity and affecting rites observed by Coptic Orthodox Church, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and Armenian Apostolic Church.

The theology of Pascha centers on the resurrection as fulfillment of prophetic texts such as those in Book of Isaiah, Psalms, and Book of Exodus typology, interpreted by theologians including Athanasius of Alexandria, Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Karl Barth, and contemporary scholars at institutions like University of Oxford, Harvard Divinity School, and University of Notre Dame. Doctrinal formulations involve concepts articulated in creeds such as the Nicene Creed and events commemorated in liturgies like the Eucharist, Holy Week, and the Paschal Vigil. Debates over atonement theories referenced by Anselm of Canterbury, Irenaeus of Lyons, and Gustavo Gutiérrez inform pastoral and academic approaches across Roman Curia, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, World Council of Churches, and denominational seminaries.

Determining the Paschal date involves astronomical and calendrical rules: the Paschal Full Moon after the vernal equinox defined by calculations tied to the Julian calendar or the Gregorian calendar. The First Council of Nicaea established principles later implemented in computus systems developed by Dionysius Exiguus, Victorian computists, and medieval scholars at Canterbury. Western churches generally follow the Gregorian system promulgated by Pope Gregory XIII, while many Eastern churches retain the Julian reckoning used historically in Byzantine Rite communities, producing frequent divergence between dates observed by Roman Catholic Church, Church of England, Ecumenical Patriarchate, Russian Orthodox Church, Serbian Orthodox Church, and Georgian Orthodox Church.

Liturgies associated with Pascha include the Paschal Vigil, Matins, Divine Liturgy, Mass of the Resurrection, and rites of the Paschal Triduum such as Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Practices feature sacramental elements like the Eucharist (Holy Communion), baptismal rites, readings from the Lectionary, and chanting traditions such as Gregorian chant, Byzantine chant, Znamenny chant, and hymns by composers like Palestrina, Bach, Handel, and Mozart. Clerical and monastic orders—Benedictine Order, Franciscans, Dominican Order, Eastern Orthodox monasticism—observe specialized vigils and processions in cathedrals like St Peter's Basilica, Hagia Sophia, Santiago de Compostela, and basilicas in Rome and Jerusalem.

Secular and folk customs around Pascha encompass customs such as egg decoration traditions in United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Philippines. Foods like hot cross buns, kulich, paska (bread), mazurek, lamb roast, and colomba di Pasqua appear alongside processions such as those in Seville, Rome, Jerusalem (Old City), and Vatican City. Cultural expressions include visual arts by Giotto, Masaccio, Caravaggio, El Greco, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo, music and oratorios like Handel's Messiah and Bach's St Matthew Passion, and public holidays declared by states like Italy, Spain, Greece, Russia, United States, and Australia that reflect local church calendars and civic customs.

Contemporary ecumenical efforts addressing Pascha involve dialogues facilitated by World Council of Churches, Vatican II reforms initiated by Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI, bilateral conversations between Anglican Communion and Orthodox Churches, and academic symposia at institutions such as Pontifical Gregorian University and University of Edinburgh. Proposals for unified date determination have been discussed by commissions including representatives from Eastern Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, and Lutheran World Federation, engaging scientific bodies like observatories in Greenwich Observatory and astronomers at International Astronomical Union. Interfaith interactions involve Jewish-Christian dialogues concerning Passover (Jewish holiday) rhythms, and cultural diplomacy through events in Jerusalem, Constantinople/Istanbul, and Rome aimed at fostering mutual understanding.