Catholic liturgy

Тhe Bulgarian Orthodox Church honors today the Ascension of the Lord, also called Spasovden. It is always celebrated on Thursday, the 40th day after the Resurrection of Christ - Easter.

According to the New Testament, 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus Christ remained on earth to preach his study and talk to the apostles.

On the second day after Easter, according to the Orthodox tradition, the Bright Week begins - a time when the holy apostles and the Holy Virgin are glorified.

As Greeks everywhere celebrate Easter with a variety of customs, many predating Christianity itself, Church leaders remind us that Easter is, a bove all, a spiritual event.

The religion's most important feast is a 4-day state holiday in Serbia, from Good Friday until Easter Monday.

Thousands of people have joined the exodus from Greek cities for the Orthodox Easter break, taking to the roads to reach their villages or boarding ferries to the islands. Traffic Police are out in force on the national road network to ensure that the exodus, which is to peak on Saturday, runs smoothly.

Bulgaria marks on April 25th Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries.

Stavros Polychronidis, 53, arranges church candles at a factory in Lavrio, near Athens. Monday marked the start of Holy Week, leading to Greek Orthodox Easter on Sunday. With Monday's public holiday coming just before Labor Day on May 1 (Wednesday), a lot of Greek workers have arranged to take time off for vacations, as schools will remain closed until May 6 too.

Orthodox Christians in Bulgaria and around the world mark on April 22 Holy Monday - the first day of the most important week in the church calendar, the Holy Week leading to Easter.

The Catholic and the Armenian Church celebrate on Sunday, April 21, the largest Christian holiday of the Resurrection of Christ.

The discrepancy with the Orthodox Christians, for which Easter is a week later, is due to the different calendar. Orthodox follow the Julian calendar, and the Catholics - the Gregorian.

On 6th of January every year, Bulgaria marks St. Jordan's Day (Epiphany). It falls on the twelfth day after Christmas and marks the day Jesus was baptised in the Jordan River by John the Baptist,reports BNT.