Holy Week and Easter

The Holy Week is the week before Easter. It can be in March or April depending on the date when Easter falls. It begins on Palm Sunday where the Christian Church congregation throughout the world receive palm leaves.

There is an important significance of using palms during holy week. Palms remind Christians of the time Christ entered Jerusalem and the manner in which the crowds hailed Jesus as a "King" by laying palms in his path.

The next important day in Holy Week is Thursday. It is called Maundy Thursday. It keeps alive the memory of the "Last Supper", when Jesus introduced Holy Communion. The last supper was a passover meal that Jesus ate with his disciples and his very closest followers.

Good Friday is the saddest day of the year for Christians. On Good Friday Christians throughout the world remember the crucifixion - "being put to death on a cross.' The day before Easter Sunday is Holy Saturday.

Easter is a happy and very important day, which carries a special spiritual message for Christians.

Christians celebrate their beliefs in the resurrection, which means the 'Rising from the dead' of Jesus Christ.

Like any other festival there are Easter Egg is an Easter  symbol. In many of the world's cultures the egg  stands for 'New Life.' New life bursts forth from the eg. Therefore, the Easter Egg reminds Christian of the resurrection of Jesus and the spiritual life it gave them.

People of all Christian denominations in Sri Lanka attend Easter services in their own places of worship, where special hymns are sung and Bible sermons are delivered on the "Resurrection of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

Like any other religious festival in the world, 'Easter' too has its beliefs and traditions which Christians observe.