Bright Week
Bright Week, Pascha Week or Renewal Week (Greek: Διακαινήσιμος Ἑβδομάς) is the name used by the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Rite Catholic Churches for the period of seven days beginning on Pascha (Easter) and continuing up to (but not including) the following Sunday, which is known as Thomas Sunday.
The entire week following Pascha is to be set aside by Orthodox Christians for the celebration of the Resurrection. “...from the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God until New Sunday (i.e. Thomas Sunday) for a whole week the faithful in the holy churches should continually be repeating psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, rejoicing and celebrating Christ, and attending to the reading of the Divine Scriptures and delighting in the Holy Mysteries. For in this way shall we be exalted with Christ; raised up together with Him.”
The entire week is considered to be one continuous day. The name of each day of the week is called “Bright” (e.g., “Bright Monday”) and the week's services are unique, varying greatly from those during the remainder of the year.
During all of Bright Week the Holy Doors on the Iconostasis are kept open—the only time of the year when this occurs. The open doors represent the stone rolled away from the Tomb of Christ, and the Epitaphios (Slavonic: Plashchanitza), representing the burial clothes, is visible through them on the Holy Table (altar). The doors are closed before the Ninth Hour on the eve of Thomas Sunday. However, the Afterfeast of Pascha will continue until the eve of the Ascension. (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright_Week)
The entire week following Pascha is to be set aside by Orthodox Christians for the celebration of the Resurrection. “...from the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God until New Sunday (i.e. Thomas Sunday) for a whole week the faithful in the holy churches should continually be repeating psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, rejoicing and celebrating Christ, and attending to the reading of the Divine Scriptures and delighting in the Holy Mysteries. For in this way shall we be exalted with Christ; raised up together with Him.”
The entire week is considered to be one continuous day. The name of each day of the week is called “Bright” (e.g., “Bright Monday”) and the week's services are unique, varying greatly from those during the remainder of the year.
During all of Bright Week the Holy Doors on the Iconostasis are kept open—the only time of the year when this occurs. The open doors represent the stone rolled away from the Tomb of Christ, and the Epitaphios (Slavonic: Plashchanitza), representing the burial clothes, is visible through them on the Holy Table (altar). The doors are closed before the Ninth Hour on the eve of Thomas Sunday. However, the Afterfeast of Pascha will continue until the eve of the Ascension. (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright_Week)
 |
| ("Resurrected Christ" - St. Isaac's Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia - found here) |
 |
| (St. Isaac's Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia - found here) |
Comments