Palm Sunday on the West Coast
In the OCA, on Palm Sunday, flower pedals and leaves are blessed. Young flower girls then throw the pedals and leaves on the ground around the church during the Palm Sunday Procession.
In the Greek Orthodox Church, candles are decorated and carried by everyone in the Palm Sunday Procession. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the priest gives a blessed carnation and a small branch of bay laurel leaves to all who come up for antidoron.
In the Melkite Church, candles are decorated and carried by the children in procession.
Holy Friday
In the Greek Orthodox Church, blessed flowers are distributed at the end of the Holy Friday Burial Service.
Holy Saturday
In the Melkite Catholic Church and Antiochian Church, rose pedals, bay leaves, and laurel leaves are blessed and then tossed all over the church by the priest during the Divine Liturgy.
In the Greek Orthodox Church, rose pedals are blessed and then tossed all over the church by the priest during the Divine Liturgy.
Holy Saturday Resurrection Service
All Churches decorate the tomb with Easter Lilies and other white flowers.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Red Easter Eggs are given to all the faithful. In the Melkite and Antiochian churches, each egg is wrapped in pita bread and placed in a plastic bag. This helps protect the egg from cracking.
In the Byzantine Churches and the OCA, the priest enters the hall and while everyone sings "Christ is Risen," he blesses all the baskets of food. Then we share our food with our parishioners.
In the Greek Orthodox Church, there is a sit down meal complete with salad, freshly cooked leg of lamb, rice, beans, olives, feta cheese, sausage, yogurt, baklava, and the Easter Bread with a baked egg in the center.
This is not a complete list -- and customs may vary.
Last edited by Elizabeth Maria; 03/16/08 08:25 PM.
