The Easter Festival is celebrated with grand celebrations in the State of Kerala in the southern part of India. The Easter Festival is held on Easter Sunday, and the celebrations of the Easter memorialize the central tent of Christianity, the resurgence of Jesus Christ. During the Festival of Easter in Kerala, the next day is Good Friday, a day of sorrow, and the churches remain empty. All the services are held in the afternoon, and in most churches, a pungent drink is served, made out of leaves and vinegar, along with other food items.
Description of Easter Festival in Kerala
TThe Easter Festival in Kerala is divided into four distinctive periods. This begins with Lent, which comprises 40 days of fasting and preparation for the resurrection of Christ. Then comes the second phase, the Holy Week, which includes Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The third period is the Octave of Easter, during which many children are baptized. The fourth phase, or the last period, is Easter, which extends over 40 more days. During the Kerala Easter Festival, Lord Jesus Christ’s super ceremony and the traditional washing of feet are carried out to stress the love for one another on the Holy Thursday. The rite of the paschal bread is carried out in most Christian households. When the dinner is over, the ‘cross cake’ is brought out and cut into pieces, distributed among all the family members.
How it is celebrated
The next day is the Holy Saturday, a day of grief. No services are held in any of the churches for the whole day. But later, the churches get jam-packed at 10 pm. to observe the Easter Vigil. In the darkness, a new fire is lit and sanctified. Then a candle is vowed; from it, many more candles are lit, suggesting the resurrection. There is music in the air, and the church bells are rung. The churches and the surrounding areas are illuminated. The next day is the Holy Sunday, which is observed quietly and ends with a sumptuous dinner at home and with relatives.
When Easter Festival is Celebrated in Kerala
The Easter Festival in Kerala, the oldest Christian festival, is celebrated between 22nd March and 25th April every year.
