J litestytes Easter rises again over Vancouver Many Christian churches in the city will celebrate Good Friday and Easter By AGUSTINA COCCARO finals may be exactly what most students need, but for many Christians in Vancouver and around the world, Easter weekend is a time to reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Good Friday worship services begin at 10:30 a.m. in churches across the Lower Mainland with many holding services throughout the day. Some of the biggest sermons are expected in downtown Vancouver at the Coastal Church on Burrard Street, and the Holy Rosary Cathedral on Dunsmuir Street. Celebratory services this weekend will include family-friendly events, mu- sic and traditional Easter sermons all celebrating this crucial cornerstone of the Christian faith. The Langara Christians Club will not hold any Easter events on campus be- cause it is the last week of school and students are preparing for finals. They recommend joining the festivities downtown or at your local church. “Typical activities for most Chris- tians to celebrate Easter include per- sonal devotion, prayer, attending Eas- ter fellowship events and attending the Easter weekend services, usually on Fridays and Sun- days,” said Justin Lai, director of com- munications for the Langara Christians Club. “Most church- es have a candle- light vigil and ser- vice at night usually on the Fri- day or Saturday to commemorate the day of Jesus’ death.” On Sunday, there will be a grand ser- vice at The Orpheum Theater, which starts at 10:30 a.m. and will include spe- cial music, dramatic presentations and sermons, which will also be happening at most churches. Many non-religious events will also be happening this weekend. Easter egg hunts and family celebrations will be happening all weekend at community centres and parks. Restaurants will also have special Easter brunches and dinners throughout the weekend. H aving a long weekend to study for JEREMY SALLY photo Jay Gutovich (right), with his parents Gail and Harold. Their family will be hosting a seder of over 30 people during Passover. A meal to celebrate freedom Jewish families in Vancouver prepare for the Passover this weekend By JEREMY SALLY ights will be out at many Vancou- ver households this weekend as those of the Jewish faith celebrate Passover. The holiday runs from April 6-14. “Tt is a day of freedom,” said Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu. He said the day does not just celebrate the emancipa- tion of the Jews in Egypt over 3,000 years ago, but also helps continue to strengthen the faith. Passover signifies the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. After the prophet Moses unleashed ten plagues upon the pharaoh, the Jews were set free. “Tt’s the time that we historically be- came a people,” said Jay Gutovich, whose family will be hosting a tradi- tional seder feast on Saturday. “Pass- over is an opportunity for the commu- nity to come together and bond.” Interspersed throughout the seder are prayers and songs, as well as the recitation of the Haggadah, which is a retelling of the exodus. “The seder is going through specific steps that are recollections of the Jew- ish experience, like eating matzo, this cardboard-like substance.” “It’s unleavened bread,” chimed in Harold, Jay’s father. “When the people were escaping in the desert, they didn’t have time to let the bread rise.” Yeshayahu says the Haggadah is the most important component of Pass- over. “You tell your child about the exo- dus. You have a dialogue, a discussion,” said the Rabbi. “We [adults] have obli- gations to tell our children about our heritage. You must relate the faith in a way that kids can relate.” The holiday’s name is derived from the final plague, when the angel of death visited homes in Egypt and killed every family’s first-born, except for those who had painted their doorway with lamb’s blood. During the seder, the youngest child asks four questions about Passover, one of which is ‘Why is this night dif- ferent?’ Jay said the engagement between generations is what keeps the Jewish faith strong, a point echoed by Ye- shayahu. “Passover is the birth of the Jewish nation. So we must engage children, the future of the nation.” Yeshayahu added that the Jewish faith is rooted in the need to question. “No question is too condescending. Freedom is a tenet of the faith and questioning demonstrates freedom of thought.” For the first and last two days, ut- most observance is required. People are not allowed to work, drive or write. Even the use of electrical devices is prohibited, which is why lights are off in the evening. For Gutovich’s family, Passover has gained a new significance. Since enroll- ing at rabbinical college in New Jersey, Gutovich is only home for holidays. PASSOVER seder plate MAROR AND CHAZERET bitter herbs CHAROSET a sweet, brown mixture KARPAS avegetable dipped into salt water ZEROA only element of meat — lamb, goat or chicken BEITZAH ahard boiled egg Source: wikipedia.org = Easter customs came from pagans Easter — or Ostara — eggs decorated with various pagan images. Eggs are used a symbol of fertility. Wiccans and other pagans in the Lower Mainland say the holiday has pagan roots from ancient times By MICHELLE GAMAGE shoots, pink blossoms and sun- shine, consider the celebration of the season with local pagans. The pagan Easter, generally known as QOstara or Eostre, is celebrated around March 19-28 in the northern hemisphere and September 19-23 in the southern hemisphere to match the onset of spring. “TIt] celebrates the coming of spring and the resurrection of the earth’s green mantle with the appearance of flowers, shoots, buds, leaves and other new growth,” said Sarah Lawless, a Pa- T: celebrate the return of green cific northwest spaewife and Wiccan blogger. A spaewife is a woman believed by pagans to possess an ability to foretell the future. The Easter celebration is thought to be named after the ancient goddess Eo- stre, the Germanic goddess of spring who was celebrated all throughout April for waking the world from its winter slumber. In 18385 author Jacob Grimm wrote that the fertility symbols of eggs and rabbits and the tradition of feasting were originally pagan, later adopted by the church because of their popularity. How Ostara is celebrated depends on an individual’s pagan denomination. “As Christianity can be broken down into sects such as Anglican, Catholic, Methodist and Baptist, pagans are fur- ther divided into groups such as Wicca, Asatru, Druidry and Thelema,” said Lawless. Wiccans usually celebrate by circle casting, which creates a sacred space for worship to call upon the gods of spring. During worship there may be singing, dancing, a play and games be- fore a potluck feast. “Within Asatru, a form of modern heathenism, Eostre is usually celebrat- ed with a blot: Sacred feast of food or drink shared with one’s gods, spirits and ancestors,” Lawless said. It is also celebrated with a symbol, “which is a rite where a horn of mead or ale is passed around to those who make toasts, oaths, boasts, tell stories or sing songs.” Ostara can also be celebrated on an individual level or within a family with activities that may include special din- ners, walks in the woods, egg hunts or even spring cleaning. Lawless celebrates by going to the rituals of local Wicca groups with her friends.