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Easter services are also organized at all Russian Orthodox churches across the world, the number of which exceeds 30,000. After midnight and for the next 40 days after Easter Sunday, Orthodox Christians will be greeting each other with the words “Christ is risen!” expecting the reply “He is risen indeed!” The end of the short dialogue is celebrated by three traditional kisses.Christians celebrate Easter to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion. The Resurrection of the Savior symbolizes his victory over sin and death.Preparations for Easter celebrations begin on the last day of the Holy Week, known in Russia as Passion Week. On Holy Saturday believers come to churches to have their paschal cakes and eggs blessed by priests.The Easter service begins shortly before midnight. Then, priests and believers carrying crosses and icons get going around the church glorifying the Resurrection. The service lasts several hours, well into the early hours of Sunday.Easter is preceded by a long period of fasting. Believers abstain from meat, fish, eggs and dairy products for 48 days, spending time in prayer. The real challenge is to help people refine their souls and learn to restrain desire. Russians celebrate the end of Lent by painting colorful eggs – as a rule red, as a symbol of the blood of Christ – they exchange with each other, and preparing rich Easter cakes with raisins and nuts. Easter is a moveable feast. Eastern and Western Christianity base their calculations on different calendars. The former uses Julian calendar, the latter Gregorian, so their Easter days differ. Last year it was marked by the Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant and Anglican churches on the same day, which happens quite rarely. In 2012 nearly half a million Muscovites flocked to the country’s churches to take part in evening and night services across the Russian capital. The largest service drew 6,000 people and was held at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Patriarch Kirill, who heads the Russian Orthodox Church, led the Easter service in Moscow’s landmark Cathedral. … Read More