How Roman Catholics celebrate Easter: (churches are still decorated until the end of Easter)
Easter is the greatest celebration in Christendom, it unites Christians of all denominations. It commemorates the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, i.e., His triumph over death.
For Roman Catholics, Easter is not just a one-day celebration, it's a season (the greatest) in the church's liturgical calendar.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops calls Easter "the most important of all liturgical times". It is God’s greatest act of love to redeem mankind.
It lasts for 50 days, this year (2024) it began on the 31st of March (Easter Sunday) and will end on the 19th of May (Pentecost Sunday- when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, Mary, and some other followers of Jesus).
The first eight days of Easter are called the Easter octave (solemnities), which ended on Divine Mercy Sunday.
In the current liturgical calendar, only Christmas and Easter have Octaves.The liturgical colour is white (or gold), which is proper for festivals, feasts and some other celebrations.
The Angelus which is traditionally prayed at 6am, 12noon and 6pm during other liturgical seasons is replaced by Regina Caeli during Easter season.
by: Cosmos Ateli, PMP -
Cosmos Ateli is a lover of Customer Experience and a writer for Catholic News World. He has a B.Sc degree in Marketing from Delta State University, Nigeria. He is an aspiring Canon Lawyer.
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