Easter

Garry Johnson took a picture of the fountain on Easter Sunday that seems to take the shape of Jesus Christ. The photo is being shared all over social media not only because of its resemblance, but because it happened on the day that many celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Islamic State (IS/Daesh) crucified an Indian Christian Catholic priest on Good Friday, according to the Washington Times. Reverend Thomas Uzhunnalil was working for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity and was kidnapped in a raid in Yemen earlier this month.

PM Aleksandar Vucic joined Catholic believers in Easter celebrations by attending a Holy Mass in the Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Pancevo on Sunday.

Serbia's minority Catholic and Protestant Christians celebrated the holiday on March 27, while the majority Orthodox population will do so on May 1.

Turkey's Catholic, Armenian and Protestant communities celebrated Easter Sunday in various cities across the country on March 27, amid tight security measures taken by the police against possible attacks against the religious minority groups. 

Christian churches who use the Gregorian calendar on Friday celebrate Christmas, the holiday marking the birth of Jesus Christ.

In Serbia, minority Catholics and Protestants celebrate today, while the country's majority Orthodox believers will do so on January 7.

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic on Wednesday extended Christmas greetings to all citizens who celebrate it according to the Gregorian calendar.

Serbia's majority Eastern Orthodox Christians will celebrate the holiday on January 7 - but the minority Catholic and Protestant citizens will do so on December 25.

Greeks and Cypriots celebrate name days much in the same way that birthdays are celebrated… minus the birthday cake!

The tradition stems from antiquity when newborn children were named after one of their grandparents so that names could continue down the family line. This tradition served to strengthen the value of a ‘name’.

Pope Francis called for all Christian denominations to celebrate Easter on the same date. This seems harmless and practical, even a pacifist move but a backlash followed. Well-known Russian theologian Protodeacon Andrey Kurayev expressed his thoughts on the internet: “The Pope’s proposal to designate a single all-Christian Easter day is unrealistic,” he wrote.

Pope Francis seeks to carry the torch of dialogue and brotherhood with Orthodox Christians. He made known the Roman-Catholic church’s intent to set a set date for Easter celebrations in order to celebrate it with every Christian in the world.

The German newspaper Tageszeitung on Thursday headlined an article reading: “Eight days until Greek bankruptcy, the countdown has begun, this time for real”.

“Brussels in the Greek fever once more. Bankruptcy forewarned for weeks (…) did not come over Easter or Pentecost, all eyes are now on June 5th”.