Easter
Author: Đorđe Bajagić
Easter is the greatest holiday in human history. With the resurrection from the tomb, Christ crowned all the earlier feasts, from Christmas to Epiphany, until Lazarus' Sabbath, Bloom and Good Friday. And so the great holidays depend on Easter: the Ascension and the Spirits. Only the crucified love of God, manifested through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, could defeat Satan's pride and death, save man's disobedience out of sin, lift human nature out of the grave, and ascend it to the throne of God through the resurrection.
Easter is a moving holiday and is celebrated after the Jewish Passover, on the first Sunday after the full moon that falls on or just after the day of the spring equinox. The earliest it may fall on April 4, and no later than May 8, according to the new calendar.
Easter is associated with beautiful customs. Across the Christian world, this holiday is bound by the custom of gifting eggs. The egg is a symbol of the renewal of nature and life. And just as the Christmas tree burning on the hearth gives a special charm on Christmas night, so does the red egg of Easter for joy for those who give it and who receive it.
Good Friday is the saddest Christian holiday, which according to the Christian religion is marked by the suffering of Jesus Christ, His crucifixion on the Holy Cross, and His death for the salvation of the world. On that day, church bells do not ring because of great sorrow and sadness.
On that day, the Church remembers the events that immediately preceded Christ's Crucifixion; beginning with the taking of Jesus Christ to the court of Pontius Pilate, the unsuccessful attempt to accuse Him, to the loud shouting of the people of Judah, "Crucify Him!"; carrying a cross through the city on the way to Golgotha; the crucifixion and forgiveness of the executioners with the words: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing"; dying to remedy human sins, removing Him from the cross, anointing Him with peace, wrapping His body with linen, and laying Him in a tomb; setting a soldier to guard the grave so someone does not steal His body.
The Easter egg painting is one of the oldest and most interesting Christian customs. This is borne out by the story of Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus Christ, who came to Rome to preach Christianity. On this occasion she visited the Emperor Tiberius and gave him a basket of eggs as a gift. The emperor did not believe in the resurrection of Christ and said that if this were true, then the white eggs in the basket would change color. At that moment Mary said " Christ has Resurrected " and all the eggs in the basket became red.
Since ancient times, eggs have been painted in various colors. The housewives had the custom of using a variety of plants for painting, starting with onions, nettles and other plants, and today more and more industrial colors and pictures are being used.
There is a custom to paint the first egg in red, symbolizing the innocently shedding of Jesus' blood. This egg is called the "homeguardian", it is kept all year long and as the name implies, it keeps the house and the family from evil. The Homeguardian Egg itself in our people, is attributed with magic power, chases evil forces away from home and the family.
There is an old custom to leave the painted homeguardian egg the night before Easter in the water with basil, cornel, and the family wash themselves with that water on Easter morning to keep everyone healthy throughout the year, especially the children. This egg is kept until a new egg is painted next year, as it is believed it guards the family from external accidents. It is believed to bring prosperity and happiness to the home and family, so plenty of families keep it in special decorative boxes.
When the day of the Resurrection of Christ is dawned, bells are ringing at all Orthodox temples for a long time to announce coming of the great holiday. The householder, and if it is possible the rest of the family, goes to church for a holy Easter service. After the service, the people greet each other with the words "Christ has Resurrected" and "Yes, He’s really resurrected". That salutation lasts until Salvation Day. (40 days after Easter). The Easter fast also ends on Easter, and on that day people are communed (receiving the body of Jesus (bread) and His blood (wine).
There is a decorated bowl with painted eggs in the house on the table. The householder first takes one egg, followed by all the family. Then the joy comes and competition whose egg is the strongest begins. It is a great joy for children. When beating eggs, it is also pronounced - " Christ has Resurrected" and " Yes, He’s really resurrected ". On Easter, the cooked Easter egg is eaten first and then the rest of the dish. On that day, if a guest comes to the house, he is first gifted with a painted egg, and then he uses other offers.
Easter is the greatest holiday in human history. With the resurrection from the tomb, Christ crowned all the earlier feasts, from Christmas to Epiphany, until Lazarus' Sabbath, Bloom and Good Friday. And so the great holidays depend on Easter: the Ascension and the Spirits. Only the crucified love of God, manifested through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, could defeat Satan's pride and death, save man's disobedience out of sin, lift human nature out of the grave, and ascend it to the throne of God through the resurrection.
Easter is a moving holiday and is celebrated after the Jewish Passover, on the first Sunday after the full moon that falls on or just after the day of the spring equinox. The earliest it may fall on April 4, and no later than May 8, according to the new calendar.
Easter is associated with beautiful customs. Across the Christian world, this holiday is bound by the custom of gifting eggs. The egg is a symbol of the renewal of nature and life. And just as the Christmas tree burning on the hearth gives a special charm on Christmas night, so does the red egg of Easter for joy for those who give it and who receive it.
Good Friday is the saddest Christian holiday, which according to the Christian religion is marked by the suffering of Jesus Christ, His crucifixion on the Holy Cross, and His death for the salvation of the world. On that day, church bells do not ring because of great sorrow and sadness.
On that day, the Church remembers the events that immediately preceded Christ's Crucifixion; beginning with the taking of Jesus Christ to the court of Pontius Pilate, the unsuccessful attempt to accuse Him, to the loud shouting of the people of Judah, "Crucify Him!"; carrying a cross through the city on the way to Golgotha; the crucifixion and forgiveness of the executioners with the words: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing"; dying to remedy human sins, removing Him from the cross, anointing Him with peace, wrapping His body with linen, and laying Him in a tomb; setting a soldier to guard the grave so someone does not steal His body.
The Easter egg painting is one of the oldest and most interesting Christian customs. This is borne out by the story of Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus Christ, who came to Rome to preach Christianity. On this occasion she visited the Emperor Tiberius and gave him a basket of eggs as a gift. The emperor did not believe in the resurrection of Christ and said that if this were true, then the white eggs in the basket would change color. At that moment Mary said " Christ has Resurrected " and all the eggs in the basket became red.
Since ancient times, eggs have been painted in various colors. The housewives had the custom of using a variety of plants for painting, starting with onions, nettles and other plants, and today more and more industrial colors and pictures are being used.
There is a custom to paint the first egg in red, symbolizing the innocently shedding of Jesus' blood. This egg is called the "homeguardian", it is kept all year long and as the name implies, it keeps the house and the family from evil. The Homeguardian Egg itself in our people, is attributed with magic power, chases evil forces away from home and the family.
There is an old custom to leave the painted homeguardian egg the night before Easter in the water with basil, cornel, and the family wash themselves with that water on Easter morning to keep everyone healthy throughout the year, especially the children. This egg is kept until a new egg is painted next year, as it is believed it guards the family from external accidents. It is believed to bring prosperity and happiness to the home and family, so plenty of families keep it in special decorative boxes.
When the day of the Resurrection of Christ is dawned, bells are ringing at all Orthodox temples for a long time to announce coming of the great holiday. The householder, and if it is possible the rest of the family, goes to church for a holy Easter service. After the service, the people greet each other with the words "Christ has Resurrected" and "Yes, He’s really resurrected". That salutation lasts until Salvation Day. (40 days after Easter). The Easter fast also ends on Easter, and on that day people are communed (receiving the body of Jesus (bread) and His blood (wine).
There is a decorated bowl with painted eggs in the house on the table. The householder first takes one egg, followed by all the family. Then the joy comes and competition whose egg is the strongest begins. It is a great joy for children. When beating eggs, it is also pronounced - " Christ has Resurrected" and " Yes, He’s really resurrected ". On Easter, the cooked Easter egg is eaten first and then the rest of the dish. On that day, if a guest comes to the house, he is first gifted with a painted egg, and then he uses other offers.
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Author: Strahinja Simunović
In late 2019, doctors and scientists found out that the COVID-19 can spread from
person to person. It originated in the Chinese town of Wuhan, and very quickly, it
has spreaded to the rest of the world. It is a type of coronavirus that attacks the
respiratory system.
To this day, 19.03.2020 there are 10 cases confirmed in Montenegro. Schools and
other public places are closed preventively, with restrictions yet to come. Online
and TV classes started on Monday 16.03.2020.to keep students educated. The
government has taken measures to prevent the spread of this disease. We are
being advised to wash our hands with soap frequently, to avoid public places, to
cough into our sleeves and, most importanly, to keep a safe distance of 2.5 metres
from people who might show symptoms and have this disease.
We hope this will end soon and we will be back to our everyday duties.
In late 2019, doctors and scientists found out that the COVID-19 can spread from
person to person. It originated in the Chinese town of Wuhan, and very quickly, it
has spreaded to the rest of the world. It is a type of coronavirus that attacks the
respiratory system.
To this day, 19.03.2020 there are 10 cases confirmed in Montenegro. Schools and
other public places are closed preventively, with restrictions yet to come. Online
and TV classes started on Monday 16.03.2020.to keep students educated. The
government has taken measures to prevent the spread of this disease. We are
being advised to wash our hands with soap frequently, to avoid public places, to
cough into our sleeves and, most importanly, to keep a safe distance of 2.5 metres
from people who might show symptoms and have this disease.
We hope this will end soon and we will be back to our everyday duties.
We are proud to say that our representative at the World Hippo Language Olympiad, Jovana Jovovic, has achieved an outstanding success and qualified to the semi-final round with the maximal score.
CONGRATS JOVANA!!!!
CONGRATS JOVANA!!!!
Jovana Jovovic at Hippo Language Olympiad 2020
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Christmas in Montenegro
In Montenegro most of the people use the old „Julian“ Calendar, which means that Christmas Eve is on 6th January and Christmas Day is on the 7th January. Advent in the Orthodox Church starts on 28th November and last for six weeks. During Advent, some people fast and they don't eat food that comes from animals (meat, milk, eggs, etc.).
On Christmas Eve (called „Badnje veče“) families gather but don't eat food that comes from animals. It is the last day of the Christmas fast. Christmas is a very religious holiday and most people go to the Christmas Services.
There are a lot of old Montenegrin traditions that are still followed nowadays. On the morning of Christmas Eve, the father of the family goes to the forest to cut a young oak called the „Badnjak“ (Christmas Eve tree). The Badnjak is regarded as a holy tree, burnt symbolicaly to warm new born Jesus.
On Christmas Day the dawn is greeted with church bells ringing. The first person to enter a house on Christmas Day is called a „polaznik“ and he brings luck to the family. The polaznik is the same person every year and has to be male. He throws cereals across the house as a symbol of wealth and happiness.
At Christmas a special kind of bread is baked. It's called „cesnica“ and it has a coin hidden in it. Each member of the family gets a piece of it and whoever gets the coin will be particularly fortunate in the next year!
Houses also should be covered or at least decorated with some straw as a symbol of the stable where Jesus was born.
In Montenegrin, Happy/Merry Christmas is Hristos se rodi (Христос се роди) - Christ is born and Vaistinu se rodi (Ваистину се роди) - truly born (reply).
Santa is called Grandfather Frost (Дедa Мрaз / Deda Mraz) or Christmas Brother (Божић Бата / Božić Bata), who comes on New Year's Eve and not on Christmas Eve. In our country we also have Christmas Trees but they are decorated on New Year's Eve, not at Christmas!
When Christmas is Celebrated around World
Many people around the Planet celebrate Christmas on December 25th. Some churches (mainly Orthodox churches) in Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, Jerusalem, Ukraine, Ethiopia and some other countries use the old „Julian“ calendar and people in those countries celebrate Christmas on January 7th. Most people in the Greek Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas on December 25th but some still use the Julian calendar and so celebrate Christmas on 7th January! In Armenia, the Apostolic Church celebrates Christmas on January 6th.
However, in different countries and in different Christian traditions, Christmas lasts for a lot longer than that!
Before Christmas, many people use the time of Advent to prepare themselves and get ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus, who they believe is the Son of God. Advent is normally a period of four weeks before Christmas.
In Orthodox tradition in which people celebrate Christmas on 7th January, Advent start on 28th November. During that period many people fast (don't eat certain foods). The kind of food people stop eating depends on their church tradition and place they live in.
In Catholis world, Christmas celebrations start on Christmas Day and last for 12 Days - known as The 12 Days of Christmas. The celebrations finish on the evening of 5th January, which is better known as Twelfth Night or Epiphany. If you believe in legends, Epiphany is the day when the Wise Men (also sometimes called the Three Kings) visited new born Jesus. Twelfth Night is also the time when it was traditional to take your Christmas decorations down.