Orthodox Easter Monday in United Kingdom
Quick Facts
Many Orthodox churches in the United Kingdom observe Easter Monday on the day after the Orthodox Easter Sunday date.Name
Orthodox Easter MondayOrthodox Easter Monday 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013Orthodox Easter Monday 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014List of dates for other years
Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday, which celebrates Jesus’ resurrection, according to Christian belief. Many Orthodox Christian churches in the United Kingdom often observe Easter Monday at a later date than the Easter Monday date observed by many western churches. The day is also known as Bright Monday among many Orthodox Christians.
Beautifully decorated eggs, often dyed in red to symbolize Jesus Christ's blood, are seen during the Orthodox Easter period.
©iStockphoto.com/ vaskoni
What do people do?
Bright Monday is a day of reflection for many Orthodox Christians in the United Kingdom. Many people reflect on the events that occurred during Holy Week prior to Easter Sunday. Easter Monday is a day to finish leftover Easter meals that were not eaten the day before. Some Orthodox Christian churches have special Bright Monday liturgies in the United Kingdom.
Public life
Orthodox Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in the United Kingdom.
Background
Many Orthodox churches base their Easter date on the Julian calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar that is used by many western countries. Therefore the Orthodox Easter period often (but not always) occurs at a different date compared with the Easter date observed by many western churches, which falls after the time of the March equinox.
There are different types of Orthodox churches in the United Kingdom, including the Greek Orthodox Church, the Romanian Orthodox Church, and the Russian Orthodox Church. Congregation numbers have grown in these churches due to immigration. Many Orthodox Christians in the United Kingdom are immigrants or descendents of immigrants from countries such as Greece, Romania and Russia.
It is believed that Greek immigrants started arriving in London during the late 17th century. The United Kingdom experienced a surge of immigrants, especially from Greece and Russia, during the 20th century. They brought with them their customs, traditions, and religious observances.
Symbols
Easter eggs are often dyed red to symbolize the Jesus Christ’s blood. It was an important symbol connected with spring fertility rituals in many early civilizations. Another important symbol associated with Easter is the lamb. It is often depicted with a banner that bears a cross, and it is known as the Agnus Dei, meaning "Lamb of God" in Latin.
About Orthodox Easter Monday in other countries
Read more about Orthodox Easter Monday.Orthodox Easter Monday Observances
| Weekday | Date | Year | Name | Holiday type | Where it is observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Apr 7 | 1980 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 27 | 1981 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 19 | 1982 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | May 9 | 1983 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 23 | 1984 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 15 | 1985 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | May 5 | 1986 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 20 | 1987 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 11 | 1988 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | May 1 | 1989 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 16 | 1990 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 8 | 1991 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 27 | 1992 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 19 | 1993 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | May 2 | 1994 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 24 | 1995 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 15 | 1996 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 28 | 1997 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 20 | 1998 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 12 | 1999 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | May 1 | 2000 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 16 | 2001 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | May 6 | 2002 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 28 | 2003 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 12 | 2004 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | May 2 | 2005 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 24 | 2006 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 9 | 2007 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 28 | 2008 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 20 | 2009 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 5 | 2010 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 25 | 2011 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 16 | 2012 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | May 6 | 2013 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 21 | 2014 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox | |
| Mon | Apr 13 | 2015 | Orthodox Easter Monday | Orthodox |
Related holidays
- Orthodox Good Friday ―Friday, May 3, 2013
- Orthodox Holy Saturday ―Saturday, May 4, 2013
- Orthodox Easter ―Sunday, May 5, 2013
Other holidays in May 2013 in United Kingdom
- Orthodox Good Friday ―Friday, May 3, 2013
- Orthodox Holy Saturday ―Saturday, May 4, 2013
- Orthodox Easter ―Sunday, May 5, 2013
- Early May Bank Holiday ―Monday, May 6, 2013
- Ascension Day ―Thursday, May 9, 2013
- Shavuot ―Wednesday, May 15, 2013
- Pentecost ―Sunday, May 19, 2013
- Whit Monday ―Monday, May 20, 2013
- Trinity Sunday ―Sunday, May 26, 2013
- Spring Bank Holiday ―Monday, May 27, 2013
- Corpus Christi ―Thursday, May 30, 2013
Other calendars
- Perpetual yearly calendar - make yearly calendar for any year
- Perpetual monthly calendar - shows only one month at a time
- Custom calendar - make customized calendars