Traditional preparations for Orthodox Easter

• Painted eggs– eggs boiled and painted in different colors, symbolizing life and joy. They break among themselves according to the formula “Christ is risen! – Truly he is risen!”. It is a tradition of pagan rather than Christian origin.
• The colors when dyeing Easter eggs have different meanings, depending on the tradition and faith of each one. In general, it is considered that:
  • Red – symbolizes the blood of Jesus, fire, the sun, love, life and the joy of living
  • Orange: it is the color of the sun and light, but also of joy and merriment. It symbolizes the power of God and his love for people
  • Yellow – represents light, harvest, hospitality, happiness
  • Verde – expresses the renewal and strength of nature, freshness, fruitfulness, hope
  • Blue – means faith, heaven, serenity, vitality, health
  • Violet: it is the color of fasting and repentance, but also of royalty and dignity. It symbolizes the suffering of Jesus before the crucifixion and the hope of resurrection
• Roast lamb – baked or grilled lamb, seasoned with garlic, rosemary and other herbs. It is served with potatoes or green salad. Easter lamb meat has a deep religious significance, which is connected to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind. The lamb is a symbol of Jesus, called the “Lamb of God”, who sacrificed himself and died on the cross as an innocent lamb. Eating lamb on Easter is, therefore, a way of commemorating and celebrating the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, who washed away people’s sins with his own blood. The tradition of eating lamb on Easter comes from Judaism, where the lamb was sacrificed during the Jewish Passover, which marked the liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. The blood of the lamb was used to sprinkle the doors of the Jewish houses, to protect them from the angel of death. Christians took over this custom and turned it into a symbol of Jesus, who is considered the new Easter of Christians.
• Post – a round and fluffy bun, filled with sweet cheese, raisins and lemon peel. It is decorated with braided dough or dough crosses. It symbolizes the body of Christ and his empty tomb according to the neopagan tradition, introduced into the Christian tradition.
• Lamb soup – a sour soup made of lamb meat and vegetables, flavored with lemongrass, tarragon or parsley. It can be made with sorrel or borscht.
• Sweet bread – another type of cake, bigger and longer, filled with walnut, cocoa, poppy or shit. It is baked in special shapes and dusted with sugar. It is a traditional dessert for holidays. Cozonac symbolizes the celebration of the Resurrection and the joy of sharing bread with loved ones, although it is a Balkan dessert, rather of pagan or folkloric origin than Christian.
• The wine it is a traditional drink at the festive table, which pairs well with roast lamb and desserts based on cheese and fruit.
• Before the Easter meal, Christians must eat the consecrated bread and sprinkled with vin from the church. The bread symbolizes the Body of Christ, and the wine symbolizes His Blood shed for the Redemption of the world.
• fish – besides lamb, Christians can choose to eat fish. It doesn’t matter if it’s salmon, herring, trout, mackerel. fish is a symbol of Christians from the first centuries, when it was used as a secret sign of recognition between believers. Greek name of fish (IHTIS) it meant Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior. Christ fed the multitudes of people with bread and fish. The fish was also a symbol of water baptism and the forgiveness of sins.

Moreover, on an astrological level, the activity of Christ on Earth and the appearance of Christianity marked the transition from the astrological age of Aries to the astrological age of Pisces in which we are currently.

The lamb would represent the Old Testament, from the time of the sacrifice of the lambs at the Jewish Passover during the Exodus from Egypt, and the Fishes would represent the New Testament, when Jesus fished for people to save them.