Easter in Kerala

Easter is a Christian festival and holiday celebrating the renaissance of Jesus Christ on the third day after his killing at Calvary described in the New Testament. Easter is the conclusion of the Passion of Christ, headed by Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and self-punishment. This is a festival of grief where the devotees lost their Beloved Jesus Christ and Easter is the revival day which is a joyous day. The last week of Lent is called Holy Week, and it contains the days of the Easter Triduum, including Maundy Thursday, commemorating Maundy and the Last Supper, as well as Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus. The festival is referred to in English by a variety of different names including Easter Day, Easter Sunday, Resurrection Day and Resurrection Sunday. This festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Kerala as there are a good majority of Christians in Kerala.

Easter Celebration in Kerala

The Easter Festival in Kerala is shared into four typical time periods. During the Kerala Easter Festival, the ceremony of Lord Jesus Christ’s supper and the traditional washing of feet are carried out to stress the love for one another on the Holy Thursday. The ritual of the paschal bread is carried out in most of the Christian families. After the dinner is over, a cross cake’ is made and cut into pieces and then distributed among all the family members.

During the Festival of Easter in Kerala, the next day is Good Friday, which is a day of sorrow and the churches remain empty. All the services are held in the afternoon and in most of the churches a spicy drink is served, which is made out of leaves and vinegar, along with other food items. Good Friday is followed by Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The next day is the Holy Easter Saturday, a day of mourning. For the whole day no services are held in any of the churches. But later on, in the night, the churches get jam-packed to observe the Easter Vigil. In the darkness, a new fire is lit and sanctified. At that point of time a candle is vowed and from it many more candles are lit, which suggests 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 it ends with a sumptuous dinner at homes and with relatives.