Easter
Major Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus
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Easter, also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, is a festival and holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day after his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD. It is the culmination of the Passion of Jesus, preceded by Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.
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Amid stricter lockdown, Greeks roast lamb to celebrate EasterGreeks celebrated Easter Sunday away from loved ones and their home towns because of a stricter lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus but were still able to enjoy spit-roasted lamb, a..Reuters - Published | |
A Holy Land Easter season like no other - under the shadow of coronavirusOrthodox Christians celebrated Easter in Jerusalem on Sunday, bringing to a close a holiday season uniquely devoid of the colourful ceremonies that would normally have echoed around the Old City's..Reuters - Published | |
Belarusians flock to churches for Easter, defy stay home callsThousands of Belarusians converged on churches across the country on Sunday to celebrate Easter, ignoring calls from health authorities and church leaders to stay at home to prevent the spread of the..Reuters - Published | |
Bulgarian Christians celebrate Easter amid coronavirus outbreakHundreds of Bulgarian Christians flocked to the Orthodox temples for outdoor services on a surreal Saturday night with the Balkan state one of the few countries where churches remained open over the..Reuters - Published | |
Holy Fire lit as Orthodox Easter bells echo over near-empty JerusalemThe Holy Fire ceremony symbolising Jesus' resurrection was lit in a deserted Jerusalem on Saturday, without the joyful throng of Orthodox Christian pilgrims who normally attend a spectacle that brings..Reuters - Published | |
In northern Spain, lamb farming feels chill winds of coronavirusAt this time of year, Miguel Angel Rivilla is usually swamped with work, selling his prized sheep to markets throughout Spain for "lechal" - a cherished dish of roasted, unweaned lamb popular at Easter..Reuters - Published | |
Orthodox church forsakes Via Dolorosa procession in JerusalemThe streets of Jerusalem's Old City were eerily quiet on Friday, after Greek Orthodox church authorities cancelled the traditional Easter procession along the Via Dolorosa amid a nationwide coronavirus..Reuters - Published | |
Greeks prepare for muted Easter under extra lockdown measuresGreece is preparing for a muted Orthodox Easter this year after the authorities strictly forbade the traditional spirited celebrations of mass church attendance, firecrackers and large family..Reuters - Published | |
French coronavirus toll jumps by record 1,438 deathsThe number of people who died from coronavirus infection in France jumped by 1,438 or 9.1% to 17,167 in the biggest single-day increase as a number of nursing homes reported cumulative tolls following..Reuters - Published | |
Australian PM urges schools to re-open so parents can go back to workAustralian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday urged schools to reopen after Easter holidays so students did not lose a year of education and parents could work, as health authorities reiterated..Reuters - Published | |
Coronavirus not contained in Germany, warns institute as government weighs easingA lowering in the number of new coronavirus cases in Germany is probably due to less testing over Easter and the outbreak is not yet contained, a top health institute cautioned on Tuesday a day before..Reuters - Published | |
Watch church services on TV, order Easter eggs by phone, Kazakh Christians toldKazakhstan's Orthodox Christians should watch Easter services on television and order eggs and other festive foods by phone as churches remain closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, the country's top..Reuters - Published | |
Spain, Austria allow partial return to normal from coronavirus lockdownsSpain and Austria allowed partial returns to work after the Easter holiday on Tuesday but Britain, France and India extended their lockdowns to try to rein in the coronavirus outbreak, the most serious..Reuters - Published | Coronavirus not yet contained in Germany: Robert Koch instituteA lower number of new coronavirus cases in Germany in recent days is likely due to less testing over Easter and the outbreak is not yet contained, the head of the Robert Koch health institute said on..Reuters - Published |
Portuguese priest celebrates Easter from convertible microcarFather Nuno Westwood turned the sunroof of a microcar into a pulpit on Sunday to deliver an Easter service on the move through his parish on the outskirts of Lisbon where the coronavirus has confined..Reuters - Published | Bulgarian churches open for Easter, but only most devout goClad in protective masks and gloves, a few dozen pious Orthodox Christians prayed for health on Sunday at the Bulgarian capital Sofia's expansive Saint Nedelya Cathedral, in one of the few nations..Reuters - Published |
Moscow restricts Easter week church service as coronavirus cases mountRussia on Sunday reported 2,186 new coronavirus cases, the largest daily increase since the start of the outbreak, as authorities announced more measures to contain the spread of the virus, including..Reuters - Published | 'Life will prevail' says Holy Land archbishop on Easter SundayWith Jerusalem under lockdown over coronavirus, Easter Sunday was marked at the traditional site of Jesus' death and resurrection by just a handful of Christian clerics.Reuters - Published |
Pastor calls for bravery against coronavirus from atop Swiss cathedral towerA pastor called on the residents of Zurich to be brave during the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday β as he gave an Easter blessing from high atop one of the towers at the city's landmark Grossmuenster..Reuters - Published | Australians, New Zealanders observe Easter online and in backyardsWith the coronavirus capsizing Easter traditions, Australians and New Zealanders spent Sunday attending church services virtually, setting up camps in backyards and where the law and weather allowed..Reuters - Published |
May this Easter give us added strength to successfully overcome Covid-19: PM ModiIndiaTimes - Published | Easter isn't cancelled: UK's Queen Elizabeth says coronavirus will not overcomeBritain's Queen Elizabeth said on Saturday that coronavirus "would not overcome us" as she delivered her second rallying message to the nation in a week.Reuters - Published |
Let's work together to advance common good of entire humanity: Prez KovindIn his message on the eve of Easter, he hoped that this festival instil in us the sense of unity and reinforce our commitment to the well-being and prosperity of our nation and a shared society. βIn..IndiaTimes - Published | PM Johnson up and walking in COVID-19 recovery as UK deaths near 9,000Prime Minister Boris Johnson was back on his feet in his recovery from COVID-19 on Friday, while his fellow Britons were told to resist the temptation of going out in the spring sunshine over Easter as..Reuters - Published |
Spain sees slowing coronavirus toll, holds virtual Easter paradesThe coronavirus death toll curve in Spain flattened further on Friday as the government prepared to start easing one of the world's strictest lockdowns and virtual Easter celebrations were held instead..Reuters - Published | PM Johnson out of intensive care as he continues COVID-19 recoveryPrime Minister Boris Johnson was resting in hospital on Friday, recovering from COVID-19, while his fellow Britons were told to resist the temptation of spring sunshine over Easter as the coronavirus..Reuters - Published |
Notre-Dame service a message of hope for France in coronavirus lockdownNearly a year after fire devastated Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, the city's Archbishop held a small ceremony there to mark Good Friday, praying that Easter's message of rebirth might bring comfort to..Reuters - Published | Philippine penitents perform Easter rites despite coronavirusSome Catholic penitents flagellated themselves and prayed outside closed churches in the Philippines to commemorate the death of Jesus on Good Friday, despite strict government orders for people to..Reuters - Published |
PM Johnson recovering from COVID-19 as Britons told to shun outdoorsPrime Minister Boris Johnson was resting in hospital on Friday as he recovered from COVID-19 while Britons were told to avoid the temptation of spring sunshine during the Easter break with the..Reuters - Published | Helicopters, fines in Australia's Easter travel crackdown against coronavirusAustralia will deploy helicopters, set up police checkpoints and hand out hefty fines to deter people from breaking an Easter travel ban, officials warned on Friday, in their toughest crackdown against..Reuters - Published |
Irish priest spreads coronavirus Easter cheer from vintage 'popemobile'An Irish priest refusing to let the coronavirus lockdown keep him from his parishioners came up with an innovative way to spread his Holy Thursday blessing - aboard a vintage 'popemobile.'Reuters - Published | Chilean authorities scold elite escaping city by helicopter for Easter amid coronavirus outbreakChileans have a "moral duty" to stay home for the Easter holiday to stave of the spread of the coronavirus, Interior Minister Gonzalo Blumel said on Thursday, after reports surfaced of wealthy Santiago..Reuters - Published |
UK urges citizens to stay at home over Easter, police ready to get toughBritain urged its citizens to stay at home over the coming Easter holidays, amid fears that the pull of wanting to see family and friends over the Christian holy day could undermine efforts to stop the..Reuters - Published | Italian tenor Bocelli to offer Easter 'prayer' in empty Milan cathedralItalian tenor Andrea Bocelli will sing to a Milan cathedral bare of worshippers on Easter Sunday, hoping to bring together people isolated during the coronavirus lockdown in a livestreamed broadcast he..Reuters - Published |
German coronavirus curve gives reason for cautious hope: MerkelStrict social distancing measures have helped Germany to slightly slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday, giving cautious hope some of the restrictions..Reuters - Published | 250-year-old U.S. Easter tradition's horns silenced by coronavirus pandemicEvery Easter Sunday for almost 250 years, residents of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, have been awakened by small groups of musicians playing the hymn "Sleepers, Wake," before the Home Moravian..Reuters - Published |
Bulgarian churches to remain open on Palm Sunday, EasterPrime Minister Boyko Borissov said on Thursday that Bulgaria's Orthodox churches and temples will be open for traditional Palm Sunday and Easter services despite the coronavirus outbreak, saying many..Reuters - Published | Stay home, eat chocolate: Belgian chefs celebrate Easter despite coronavirusDetermined chocolatiers and chefs in Belgium have kept producing their Easter delicacies despite the coronavirus lockdown, with specialist chocolate shops remaining open and also doing deliveries.Reuters - Published |
Poland to ease some restrictions after Easter: deputy ministerTo support its battered economy Poland, will ease some restrictions aimed at fighting the coronavirus after Easter, Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska said on Thursday.Reuters - Published | Germany: Gradual return to normality possible if infection trend continuesGerman Health Minister Jens Spahn told newspaper Handelsblatt that the coronavirus infection numbers in Germany were showing a "positive trend" and if that continued, it would be possible to talk about..Reuters - Published |
New Zealand PM cautiously optimistic about coronavirus, urges Easter 'staycation'New Zealand's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said on Wednesday she was cautiously optimistic about slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus as authorities reported the lowest number of new daily..Reuters - Published | Swiss urge public to stick to anti-virus measures over EasterSwitzerland's president called on the public to stick with emergency measures designed to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, saying on Tuesday the country remains "very far from normal" ahead of..Reuters - Published |
Austria eyes Easter 'resurrection', easing coronavirus lockdown at shopsAustria is preparing for a "resurrection" the day after Easter by reopening some shops in an initial loosening of its coronavirus lockdown, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Monday, the first European..Reuters - Published | On an empty Via Dolorosa before Easter, praying for the world's sickBrown-robed Franciscans stride through a shuttered and deserted Jerusalem to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the global focus of the most important festival in the Christian calendar - but in a city..Reuters - Published |
Guatemala bans internal travel for Easter to curb coronavirus spreadGuatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei has banned travel between the different departments of the Central American country before and during Easter to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.Reuters - Published | Spain to ease economic restrictions, won't give up on 'coronabonds': PMPrime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday Spain would ease the economic restrictions imposed under Spain's state of emergency after the Easter holidays, even as the overall lockdown would be..Reuters - Published |
Australia closes internal borders to capitalise on fall in new coronavirus casesAustralian officials closed internal borders on Friday and warned people to stay home over the upcoming Easter holiday as the country seeks to capitalise on a further fall in the rate of new..Reuters - Published | Portugal tightens Easter travel restrictions due to coronavirusPortugal's government tightened restrictions on movement to stop the spread of the coronavirus during the normally busy Easter holiday period, closing all airports to commercial flights and banning..Reuters - Published |
Merkel tells Germans to stay home until after Easter to beat virusGermany will extend social distancing measures introduced last month to slow the spread of the coronavirus to April 19 and the government will re-evaluate the situation after the Easter holiday,..Reuters - Published | Holy Land custodian urges Israel to let clerics celebrate Easter in Holy SepulchreEaster celebrations should be permitted inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, even if only by a small number of clerics abiding by anti-coronavirus guidelines, a senior clergyman said..Reuters - Published |
