Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Happy Easter Everyone!! Time to celebrate the Great 50 Days now!
The weeks following the celebration of Jesus' resurrection are called the Easter season, & also The Great 50 Days. Easter isn’t just one day but a season of fifty days leading up to Pentecost, which this year is on May 23rd.


Just as the calendar year is divided into the seasons of winter, spring, summer and fall, so does the Church divide its calendar into seasons like Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, etc. The weeks following the celebration of Jesus' resurrection are often called the Easter season. There is, however, another phrase that was historically used to designate these days: The Great Fifty days.

The Great Fifty Days begins with Easter Sunday and concludes on the Day of Pentecost. (The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word for fifty.) The seven weeks that span the time between Jesus' resurrection and the sending of the Spirit are sometimes even called a "week of weeks."

During these fifty days several customs are observed in Church that assist in highlighting the festivity of the season.

* The paschal candle is moved from its normal place near the baptismal font to a prominent place near the altar.

* The liturgical color of white is used during the entire fifty days-longer than at any other time of the church year.

* The "Alleluia," which is omitted during the penitential season of Lent, is restored to the liturgy as the premier expression of joy celebrating Jesus' resurrection.

While such customs may or may not be celebrated in every Church, they point to the fact that the fifty days following Easter are a time of profound joy for the people of God.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

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UPDATED 11:38 a.m. after the Easter Sunday Celebration..
A photo by our daughter, Kasey K Photo
of the Church altar on Easter morning... beaaauuutiful!!