The Easter baskets may have been packed away in many Niagara homes, but for several Christians, the holiday is this weekend. The Eastern Catholic and many Eastern Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar, which means they celebrate Easter Saturday and Sunday.
Friday was Holy Friday for Orthodox – a day of fasting to honor Christ’s crucifixion – which will be followed by feasts on Easter.
In Niagara Falls, the 70 or so families at St. Mary’s Ukranian Catholic Church took part in the annual tradition of blessing the Easter baskets filled with bread, butter, salt, meat, cheese, eggs and horse radish, among other food items, Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
They celebrated service – known as nadhrobne – at 4 p.m., before placing a symbolic shroud of Christ on the altar where it will remain.
“This is very important,” said Father Victor Nazartchyk, who leads the congregation.
Sunday morning, there will be a resurrection matin or special service.
After the liturgy, there will be a blessing of Artos, a special bread, and parishioners will be annointed with oil and then kiss the bread, which will be given out in small pieces next Sunday, known as St. Thomas Sunday, in the Orthodox Church.
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