| Easter Saturday | |
|---|---|
| Observed by | Christendom |
| Type | Christian |
| Observances | church services |
| Date | seventh day ofEastertide |
| 2024 date |
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| 2025 date |
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| 2026 date |
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Easter Saturday, on theChristian calendar, is the seventh day ofEastertide, being the Saturday of Easter or Bright Week. In thekalendar ofWestern Christianity it is the last day ofEaster Week, sometimes referred to as theSaturday of Easter Week orSaturday in Easter Week. It is the seventh day in theOctave of Easter too.[1] In the liturgy ofEastern Christianity it is the last day ofBright Week, and calledBright Saturday,The Bright and Holy Septave Saturday of Easter Eve, orThe Bright and Holy Septave Paschal Artos and Octoechoes Saturday of Iscariot's Byzantine Easter Eve. Easter Saturday is the day preceding theSecond Sunday of Easter (also known as St. Thomas Sunday or Divine Mercy Sunday).[2]
The term "Easter Saturday" is also used colloquially to refer toHoly Saturday a.k.a. Easter Eve – a week before the religious holiday of Easter Saturday, probably because of references to the Easter weekend. Many people, especially religious authorities, regard this alternative meaning as inaccurate,[3][4] but it remains in common Australian usage. The use of the term "Bright Saturday" avoids this confusion by clearly referring to the Saturday 6 days after Easter Sunday.
In theEastern Orthodox Church and thoseEastern Catholic Churches which follow theByzantine Rite, this day is known as "Bright Saturday", and is the last day ofBright Week. All of the services forPascha (Easter) are repeated every day ofBright Week (Easter Week), except for thehymns from theOctoechos. On Bright Friday, the Resurrection hymns from the Octoechos are taken fromTone Eight. Before the dismissal ofMatins acrucession (procession headed by thecross) takes place, going three times around the outside of thetemple (church building), while chanting the PaschalCanon (inparish churches, this crucession often takes place after theDivine Liturgy).
On this day, the PaschalArtos, a large loaf of leavened bread which was blessed at the end of thePaschal Vigil onPascha (early Easter Sunday morning), is broken and distributed to the faithful. This may either be done at the end of the Divine Liturgy, and given out along with theantidoron, or it may be broken attrapeza (refectory) before the festal meal.[5]
According to theSupplementalBook of Needs, the fracturing of the Artos isdone in this way: "After the Divine Liturgy, the Artos is carried, as is customary, tothe Trapeza and"Christ is risen..." is sung three times, withreverences, and after"Our Father" has been said, and havingblessed the food as usual, theDeacon says: "Let us pray to the Lord", and the Brethren respond"Lord, have mercy", thePriest says the following prayer over the Artos: “O Lord Jesus Christ our God, the angelic Bread, the Bread of life eternal, Who came down from heaven and nourished us on these brightest days with the spiritual food of Thy divine benefactions for the sake of Thy three-day saving Resurrection, also now look down, we humbly pray Thee, upon our prayers and thanksgivings, and as Thou didst bless the five loaves in the wilderness, do now bless this bread, that all who eat of it may be granted corporal and spiritual blessings and health, through the grace and compassion of Thy love for mankind. For Thou art our sanctification, and unto Thee do we send up glory, together with Thine Unoriginate Father, and Thine All-holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. The Brethren: Amen. Having fractured the Artos as is customary, he distributes it to everyone before the meal"[6]
TheHoly Doors in theiconostasis, which have remained open all of Bright Week are closed on this day before the beginning of theNinth Hour. TheVespers (orAll-Night Vigil, depending upon local usage) on Saturday night is chanted in the normal manner, rather than the Paschal manner. However, the Paschaltroparion "Christ is risen..." is read (or chanted, if a Vigil) three times at the beginning. That Vespers is the beginning ofThomas Sunday.
Because the date of Pascha is moveable, Bright Saturday is a part of thePaschal cycle, and changes from year to year.Eastern Christianity calculates the date of Easter differently from the West (seeComputus for details).
InWestern Christianity, Easter Saturday is the seventh day of Eastertide, as well as the seventh day in theOctave of Easter.[1]
In theLutheran Churches, the Gospel for Easter Saturday concerns St. John's account of theresurrection of Jesus.[1]
In Western Christianity, the earliest day Easter Saturday can fall on is March 28 (as in 1818 and 2285). The latest date this can occur is May 1 (as in 1943 and 2038)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) Translated by Archpriest Eugene D. Tarris © May 25, 2006