Orthodox Easter Monday in United States

Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday, which celebrates Jesus’ resurrection, according to Christian belief. Many Orthodox Christian churches in the United States 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, Renewal Monday, or New Monday.

Beautifully decorated Easter eggs are often seen during the Orthodox Easter period. ©iStockphoto.com/ vaskoni

What do people do?

Bright Monday liturgies are held for Orthodox Christians in many parts of the United States. These liturgies usually involve a gospel reading, which may be read in different languages. Some liturgies include priests sprinkling holy water, bell ringing, and a procession that involves children participating by holding religious icons.

Easter Monday is a relaxed day for many Orthodox Christians. For some, it is a reflection of the events that occurred during Holy Week. Easter Monday is a day to finish leftover Easter meals that were not eaten the day before.

Public life

Orthodox Easter Monday is not a federal public holiday in the United States.

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 that are well established in the United States. Some of these churches include the Greek Hellenic Orthodox Church, the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, and the Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church in North America can be traced back to the late 18th century, where a Russian church was built on Kodiak Island in Alaska during that period. Alaska was previously part of Russia until the US government purchased the land. The number of Greek Orthodox churches grew as Greek immigration increased after the late 19th century in the United States.

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

Orthodox Easter Monday Observances

Related holidays

• Orthodox Good Friday ―Friday, April 13, 2012
• Orthodox Holy Saturday ―Saturday, April 14, 2012
• Orthodox Easter ―Sunday, April 15, 2012

Other holidays in April 2012 in United States

• April Fool's Day ―Sunday, April 1, 2012
• Palm Sunday ―Sunday, April 1, 2012
• Pascua Florida Day ―Monday, April 2, 2012
• World Autism Awareness Day ―Monday, April 2, 2012
• United Nations' Mine Awareness Day ―Wednesday, April 4, 2012
• Maundy Thursday ―Thursday, April 5, 2012
• Good Friday ―Friday, April 6, 2012
• United Nations' World Health Day ―Saturday, April 7, 2012
• Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Rwanda Genocide ―Saturday, April 7, 2012
• Holy Saturday ―Saturday, April 7, 2012
• First day of Passover ―Saturday, April 7, 2012
• Easter Sunday ―Sunday, April 8, 2012
• Easter Monday ―Monday, April 9, 2012
• International Day of Human Space Flight ―Thursday, April 12, 2012
• Friday the 13th ―Friday, April 13, 2012
• Orthodox Good Friday ―Friday, April 13, 2012
• Orthodox Holy Saturday ―Saturday, April 14, 2012
• Last day of Passover ―Saturday, April 14, 2012
• Orthodox Easter ―Sunday, April 15, 2012
• Father Damien Day ―Sunday, April 15, 2012
• Patriot's Day ―Monday, April 16, 2012
• Emancipation Day ―Monday, April 16, 2012
• Tax Day ―Tuesday, April 17, 2012
• Yom HaShoah ―Wednesday, April 18, 2012
• Global Youth Service Day ―Friday, April 20, 2012
• San Jacinto Day ―Saturday, April 21, 2012
• Earth Day ―Sunday, April 22, 2012
• Oklahoma Day ―Sunday, April 22, 2012
• Confederate Memorial Day ―Monday, April 23, 2012
• World Book and Copyright Day ―Monday, April 23, 2012
• Administrative Professionals Day ―Wednesday, April 25, 2012
• World Malaria Day ―Wednesday, April 25, 2012
• Yom HaAtzmaut ―Thursday, April 26, 2012
• World Intellectual Property Day ―Thursday, April 26, 2012
• Arbor Day ―Friday, April 27, 2012
• World Day for Safety and Health at Work ―Saturday, April 28, 2012
• Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare ―Sunday, April 29, 2012
• Confederate Memorial Day ―Monday, April 30, 2012
• International Jazz Day ―Monday, April 30, 2012