Why Do We Celebrate Pascha?

Step from complete darkness into candlelight, ringing bells, joyful greetings, red eggs, and a magnificent feast!

Why do Orthodox churches become dark just before midnight? How does one small flame spread through an entire crowd, and why do families tap red eggs together afterward? Why Do We Celebrate Pascha? introduces young readers to the meaning and worldwide traditions of Orthodox Easter.

Pascha is the greatest feast of the Orthodox Christian year. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and follows weeks of preparation through Great Lent, Holy Week, prayer, fasting, and special church services.

Here is what you will discover inside:
• The Journey to Pascha: Follow Great Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Holy Friday, and the flower-covered Epitaphios (burial cloth depicting Christ).
• The Midnight Service: Stand in a completely dark church as one flame spreads from candle to candle, bells ring, and the congregation processes outside.
• Joyful Easter Greetings: Hear Christos Anesti (Christ Is Risen) in Greek and discover how Orthodox communities share the same announcement in many languages.
• Red Eggs and Festive Foods: Play tsougrisma (the egg-tapping game) and taste braided tsoureki, tall kulich, paska breads, Romanian pasca, and other holiday foods.
• Traditions Across the Orthodox World: Experience Corfu's smashing clay pots, Jerusalem's Holy Fire, Ukrainian decorated eggs, Ethiopian Fasika, and food baskets blessed at church.
• Visual Delight: Enjoy beautiful, minimalist colorful illustrations filled with candles, flowers, icons, processions, bells, red eggs, embroidered cloths, breads, and joyful family tables.

Perfect for Orthodox families, interfaith classrooms, homeschoolers, and curious young readers, this book celebrates faith, renewal, patience, community, light, and the joy that follows a long season of preparation.

Grab your copy today and carry the Pascha light home!