Easter

=== Eastern Christianity ===
In [[Eastern Christianity]], the spiritual preparation for Easter/Pascha begins with [[Great Lent]], which starts on [[Clean Monday]] and lasts for 40 continuous days (including Sundays). Great Lent ends on a Friday, and the next day is [[Lazarus Saturday]]. The [[Vespers]] which begins Lazarus Saturday officially brings Great Lent to a close, although the fast continues through the following week.<ref name="BBC 2002">{{cite web | title=Religions - Christianity: Lent | website=BBC | date=2002-10-02 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/lent_1.shtml | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326025715/https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/lent_1.shtml | archive-date=2023-03-26 | url-status=live | access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref><ref name="McGuckin 2011 p. ">{{cite book | last=McGuckin | first=John Anthony | title=The Orthodox Church : an introduction to its history, doctrine, and spiritual culture | publication-place=Chichester, England | date=2011 | isbn=978-1-4443-9383-5 | oclc=1042251815}}</ref>

The [[Paschal Vigil]] begins with the [[Midnight Office]], which is the last service of the [[Lenten Triodion]] and is timed so that it ends a little before midnight on [[Holy Saturday]] night. At the stroke of midnight the Paschal celebration itself begins, consisting of Paschal [[Matins]], [[Paschal Hours]], and Paschal [[Divine Liturgy]].<ref name="Eastern Liturgy">{{cite web |last=Lash |first=Ephrem (Archimandrite) |title=On the Holy and Great Sunday of Pascha |publisher=Monastery of Saint Andrew the First Called, Manchester, England |date=25 January 2007 |url=http://www.anastasis.org.uk/pascha.htm |access-date=27 March 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070409193104/http://anastasis.org.uk/pascha.htm |archive-date=9 April 2007 }}</ref>

The liturgical season from Easter to the Sunday of [[All Saints' Day|All Saints]] (the Sunday after [[Pentecost]]) is known as the [[Pentecostarion]] (the "50 days"). The week which begins on Easter Sunday is called [[Bright Week]], during which there is no fasting, even on Wednesday and Friday. The [[Afterfeast]] of Easter lasts 39 days, with its [[Afterfeast|Apodosis]] (leave-taking) on the day before the [[Feast of the Ascension]]. Pentecost Sunday is the 50th day from Easter (counted inclusively).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/p/Pentecost.htm | title=Pentecost Sunday | publisher=About.com | access-date=28 March 2013 | archive-date=29 March 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329082039/http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/p/Pentecost.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> In the Pentecostarion published by Apostoliki Diakonia of the Church of Greece, the Great Feast Pentecost is noted in the synaxarion portion of Matins to be the 8th Sunday of Pascha. However, the [[Paschal greeting]] of "Christ is risen!" is no longer exchanged among the faithful after the Apodosis of Pascha.<ref name="Holy Transfiguration Monastery">{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1990 |title=The Pentecostarion |location=Massachusetts |publisher=Holy Transfiguration Monastery |pages=6–7 |isbn=0-943405-02-5}}</ref><ref name="melkite.org 2023">{{cite book |author=Liturgical Commission Of The Sisters Of The Order Of St Basil The Great| title=The Pentecostarion | date=1970 |via=melkite.org | url=https://melkite.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Church-Book-Pentecostarion-2018.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423160615/https://melkite.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Church-Book-Pentecostarion-2018.pdf | archive-date=2023-04-23 | url-status=live| access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref>