CHRISTIAN CELEBRATION OF EASTER

The New Fire of Easter

THE nEW FIRE

• Easter Vigil is also known as the Paschal Vigil or Great Vigil of Easter,
• It is a service held in traditional Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus.
• Historically, during this service people are baptized. It is held at night between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Day and is the first celebration of Easter.

THE PASCHAL CANDLE

PASCHAL CANDLE

• The Paschal candle is a big, white candle used at liturgy in the Western rites of Christianity.
• The cross is always the centre symbol The Greek letters signify that God is the beginning and the end Five grains of incense are in candle. during the Easter Vigil to represent the five wounds of Jesus: the three nails that pierced his hands and feet, the spear thrust into his side, and the thorns that crowned his head. In the mediaeval church Paschal candles often reached a stupendous size. The Paschal candle of Salisbury Cathedral was said to have been 36 feet tall. Today, in the United States and Southern Europe (e.g., Italy and France) the candle is approximately 2 inches in diameter and 36 to 48 inches tall; in Northern Europe the candle tends to be shorter in height (19 to 24 inches) and wider in diameter (3 to 5 inches).

Untitled Slide