O level Notes : FRS - Christianity - Sacred Days In Christianity

SACRED DAYS IN CHRISTIANITY

Christians also celebrate sacred days in their spiritual journey. There are days set aside which are seen as holy by Christians. Christians celebrate:

(i)  Lent period

(ii) Ash Wednesday (iii)Palm Sunday (iv)Maundy Thursday (v) Good Friday (vi)Easter Sunday

Lent

In the Christian religion, Lent (also called the "Lenten Season") is a 40-day period of fasting and repentance in preparation for Easter, the Christian holiday that celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Although there are differences in practice and expression of recognizing Lent, some Christian denominations do not observe it. The first day of Lent is called Ash Wednesday, which many remember for the practice of observers getting a cross marked on their forehead with ash.Lent has been observed since apostolic times as a period of reflection and penitence for those who would undergo baptism on Easter, and a time for all sinners to repent.

Lent was originally observed for six weeks excluding Sundays (36 days), but this was eventually extended to 40 days in order to parallel Christ's temptation in the wilderness. In most Churches, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (six and a half weeks before Easter). During this time, strict fasting is observed throughout this period.  Strict  observance  of  fasting  is  continued  especially  among  Roman Catholics and Protestant churches as well as some white garment churches. However, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are still fast days for the Catholic Church, and the emphasis on Lent as a period of penitence remains. Many Christians, especially Catholics, choose to give up a single indulgence (like chocolate, fries or drinks) for the 40-day period as a sign of repentance and an exercise in self-control.Some churches like Roman Catholics and Anglicans are strict to the point that meat, fish, eggs, and butter are forbidden, as well as wine, oil, and dairy products.

Ash Wednesday

Is the first day of Lent, the 40-day period (not including Sundays) of fasting and repentance leading up to Easter, the Christian holiday that commemorates and celebrates the resurrection of  Jesus  Christ.  Sometimes observances include participants receiving an ash cross marked on their foreheads. Originally, the first day of Lent was the day on which public penitents at Rome began their penance. They were sprinkled with ashes, dressed in sackcloth, and required to remain apart from the community until Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter). From at least as early as the 8th century, this day was known as dies cinerum (day of ashes). This reflects the central ritual of this holiday, the placing of ashes on the forehead to symbolize mourning and penitence. This ritual continues in the Roman Catholic Church today. Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist and some other Protestant churches also hold a special worship service on Ash Wednesday, but do not usually include the ritual of ashes on the forehead.

The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are usually derived from burning the blessed palm branches left from the last Palm Sunday celebration. The ashes are blessed, sprinkled with holy water and fumigated with incense. Members of the clergy receive ashes from fellow clergy, usually from the most seniour member of the clergy present. Monks receive their mark of ashes on their tonsure rather than their foreheads.

Priests then place ashes on all willing members of the congregation, usually in the shape of a cross. At some churches, believers wash the ashes off before leaving the church to symbolize that they have been cleansed of their sins; in other churches, participants leave the ashes on when they leave, thereby "carrying the cross out into the world." In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the only days on which fasting is still universally required.

Palm Sunday

In Christianity, Palm Sunday is the sixth Sunday of Lent (the 40-day period before Easter) and the last Sunday before Easter, the sacred Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Palm Sunday is also known as Passion Sunday, Willow Sunday, and Flower Sunday. Palm Sunday church services are often characterized by the use of palm branches, which are paraded down sanctuary aisles and waved, as reminders of an important event in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ when he entered Jerusalem as king, riding on a donkey, less than a week before he was crucified. Nearly all Christian denominations observe Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, where he was to be crucified five days later. According to the Gospels, Jesus rode into town on a donkey as exuberant crowds hailed him as the Messiah and spread out palm branches and cloaks on his path.

The event commemorated on Palm Sunday is told in all four gospels (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John12). The Matthew narrative is the one most commonly read in services on Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, an especially solemn and important week in the Christian calendar that focuses on the last days of Jesus' life and anticipates Easter, the most important holiday in Christianity. Common Palm Sunday observances include processions with palm branches, the blessing of palms (which will be burned and used on Ash Wednesday), and the construction of small palm crosses. Bible readings for the "Liturgy of the Palms" usually include Matthew 21:1-11 and Psalm 118:19-29. Easter is the holiday that celebrates and commemorates the central event of the Christian faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death.

Maundy Thursday

This is the last Thursday before Easter and it marks the last supper of Jesus. In Latin, the word Maundy means “command”. This is interpreted to mean the command which Jesus Christ gave to his disciples on the last supper to love another (John 13:34-35). All the four gospels have a record of such a day. John chapter 13-17 recorded a clear picture of this day. On this day, Jesus washed his disciples' feet to show his humble nature and servant-hood. He also gave bread and wine and asked them to partake of it in his remembrance. The wine and bread resembles his blood and body simultaneously.

Nowadays, this act is called Holy Communion or Eucharist. This is the day when Jesus promised his followers that they were to wait in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit. This day is very important to Christians today as it marks the institution of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist especially to Roman Catholics.

Good Friday

This is the last Friday before Easter. All denominations in Zimbabwe observe this day as it is the crucifixion of Jesus on the Cross. This day is different from other days because it is a day of mourning. Christians will be in grief as this day is a reminder of what happened on the cross. It is a reminder that it is the day when Jesus Christ died for the sins of humanity and on such a day Christians show gratitude for the sacrifice Jesus Christ offered. Christians observe this day in sorrow as they want to feel the pain that Christ went through.

Easter

Easter is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church. All the Christian movable feasts and the entire liturgical year of worship are arranged around Easter. The method for determining the date of Easter is complex and has been a matter of controversy in Christian history. Easter is one of the most festive events among Christians worldwide. It commemorates Jesus Christ's resurrection from death as written in the Christian Bible. The Roman Catholic Church and Protestant churches celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. Common elements found in most Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant Easter celebrations include baptism, the eucharist, feasting, greetings of "Christ is risen!" and replies of "He is risen indeed!" Every church celebrates the Easter day singing.

In Roman Catholicism, and some churches like Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and Anglican churches, Easter is celebrated with a vigil that consists of "the blessing of the new fire, the lighting of the paschal candle; a service of lessons, called the prophecies; followed by the blessing of the font and baptisms and then the mass of Easter. In Orthodox churches, the vigil service is preceded by a procession outside the church. When the procession leaves the church, there are no lights on. The procession conducts a symbolic fruitless search for Christ's body, then joyfully announces, "Christ is risen!" When the procession returns to the church, hundreds of candles and lamps are lit to symbolize the splendour of Christ's resurrection, and the Easter Eucharist is taken.

Protestant observances also include baptism and the Eucharist (or Lord's Supper), and often a sunrise service to commemorate Mary Magdalene's arrival at the empty tomb "early, while it was still dark" and special hymns and songs. Rabbits and eggs, for example, are widely-used pagan symbols for fertility. Christians view the Easter eggs as symbols of joy and celebration as they were forbidden during the fast of Lent and of new life and resurrection. A common custom is to hide brightly coloured eggs for children to find.