Easter

=== Eastern Christianity ===
[[File:Receiving the Holy Light at Easter.jpg|thumb|The congregation lighting their candles from the new flame, just as the priest has retrieved it from the altar. The picture is [[Flash (photography)|flash-illuminated]]; all electric lighting is off, and only the [[oil lamp]]s in front of the [[Iconostasis]] remain lit. ([[Community and Parish of Saint George Thebarton, Adelaide, South Australia|St. George Greek Orthodox Church]], Adelaide).]]

[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholics]] and [[Byzantine Rite Lutheranism|Byzantine Rite Lutherans]] have a similar emphasis on Easter in their calendars, and many of their liturgical customs are very similar.<ref name="Moroz">{{cite web|url=https://risu.org.ua/ua/index/exclusive/kaleidoscope/63352/|script-title=uk:Лютерани східного обряду: такі є лише в Україні|last=Moroz|first=Vladimir|date=10 May 2016|publisher=РІСУ – Релігійно-інформаційна служба України|language=uk|access-date=19 September 2018|quote=В українських лютеран, як і в ортодоксальних Церквах, напередодні Великодня є Великий Піст або Чотиридесятниця.|archive-date=15 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815014943/https://risu.org.ua/ua/index/exclusive/kaleidoscope/63352/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Preparation for Easter begins with the season of [[Great Lent]], which begins on [[Clean Monday]].<ref name="histchan">{{cite web |title=Easter |url=https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter |website=History.com |publisher=[[History (U.S. TV network)|History]] |access-date=20 April 2019 |archive-date=9 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209232116/https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter |url-status=live }}</ref> While the end of Lent is [[Lazarus Saturday]], fasting does not end until Easter Sunday.<ref name="easter looks different">{{cite news |last=Olp |first=Susan |title=Celebrating Easter Looks Different for Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches |url=https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/celebrating-easter-looks-different-for-eastern-orthodox-catholic-and-protestant/article_367482c7-49b8-5d22-aad4-4e49a6631fdb.html |access-date=20 April 2019 |work=The Billings Gazette |archive-date=29 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129183358/https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/celebrating-easter-looks-different-for-eastern-orthodox-catholic-and-protestant/article_367482c7-49b8-5d22-aad4-4e49a6631fdb.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Orthodox service begins late Saturday evening, observing the Jewish tradition that evening is the start of liturgical holy days.<ref name="easter looks different" />

The church is darkened, then the priest lights a candle at midnight, representing the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Altar servers light additional candles, with a procession which moves three times around the church to represent the three days in the tomb.<ref name="easter looks different" /> The service continues early into Sunday morning, with a feast to end the fasting. An additional service is held later that day on Easter Sunday.<ref name="easter looks different" />