This year Armenian Apostolic church will celebrate Holy Easter, Christ’s miraculous Resurrection, on April 8. Among the other Great Feasts (Christmas, Vardavar, Feast of Cross or Khachverats) Easter is also a moveable feast and is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the vernal equinox. The date of Easter therefore varies between 22 March and 25 April. In Armenia Easter is also called Zatik which means “to divide”, “to separate”, the expiation of sins. On Easter Eve Mass is served in churches. In the morning divine service is celebrated and then Mass is served again. The Christian must fast, confess his sins before the liturgy, and after it receive communion i. e. bread and wine that symbolize the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The traditional greeting on this day is: “Christ is risen from the dead”. And the answer is: “Blessed is the Resurrection of Christ”. The Easter dishes are fish, eggs, wine. Ichthys is a Greek word for fish, which is translated into English as “Jesus Christ, God’s son, Savior”. Egg symbolizes the resurrection and the source of life. Red-coloured eggs symbolize the blood of Jesus. 

The remembrance day of the dead (the Radonitsa) follows the Easter. Mass is served for the dead on this day.  A service for the commemoration of the dead is performed. One should visit cemetery on this day, not on Easter as the latter is a joyful celebration.