Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti!
A few days ago we celebrated the "Feast of Feasts" in the Orthodox Spiritual Calendar: Easter.
Well over 200 guests participated in the festivities, many from Russia and Poland, but also from France, England, Czech Republic, Serbia, Croatia, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal and of course also Germany. Reading from the look on the faces and the plenty feedback we received, not only they enjoyed their time, but were also touched by the ceremonies in our cute little chapel at Shree Peetha Nilaya in Springen, Germany.
As you might know, in Orthodoxy, after Saturday night, when the Holy light from the Altar is brought out and everyone light their candles off it at the strike of midnight, to commemorate the Resurrection of Christ one greets one another with „Christos Anesti“* (Greek) = Christ is Risen! and the response is: „Alithos Anesti“ = Truly He is Risen!*.
What you might not now, is this: In the days after Easter in Greece and other Orthodox countries people keep greeting eachother with „Christos is Risen“ instead of „hello“, and the person who is greeted responds again with „Truly He is Risen“. It is the standard greeting and response during Easter and for 40 days after, till the day of Ascension.
It's a nice reminder of Easter and extends the sweet flavor of the Great Feast of Feasts well beyond the first hours after we have returned home and are enveloped again by the routine of everyday life.
* in Russian: Hristos voskrese! Voistina voskrese!
>> Flickr Photo Album of Easter 2011 at Shree Peetha Nilaya
Youtube Video with Slideshow and Live Chapel Music of Easter 2011:
Well over 200 guests participated in the festivities, many from Russia and Poland, but also from France, England, Czech Republic, Serbia, Croatia, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal and of course also Germany. Reading from the look on the faces and the plenty feedback we received, not only they enjoyed their time, but were also touched by the ceremonies in our cute little chapel at Shree Peetha Nilaya in Springen, Germany.
As you might know, in Orthodoxy, after Saturday night, when the Holy light from the Altar is brought out and everyone light their candles off it at the strike of midnight, to commemorate the Resurrection of Christ one greets one another with „Christos Anesti“* (Greek) = Christ is Risen! and the response is: „Alithos Anesti“ = Truly He is Risen!*.
What you might not now, is this: In the days after Easter in Greece and other Orthodox countries people keep greeting eachother with „Christos is Risen“ instead of „hello“, and the person who is greeted responds again with „Truly He is Risen“. It is the standard greeting and response during Easter and for 40 days after, till the day of Ascension.
It's a nice reminder of Easter and extends the sweet flavor of the Great Feast of Feasts well beyond the first hours after we have returned home and are enveloped again by the routine of everyday life.
* in Russian: Hristos voskrese! Voistina voskrese!
>> Flickr Photo Album of Easter 2011 at Shree Peetha Nilaya
Youtube Video with Slideshow and Live Chapel Music of Easter 2011: