Orthodox Church Easter Service

It's true there's usually lots of movement in Orthodox services. In this one, everybody's just too tired to move since they've been through 20-40 hours of very demanding services over Holy Week.

You'll keep hearing the word "Pascha" (pronounced "PAHS-kah" in English). Pascha means "Easter". This service is not the main Paschal service, which takes place from 1130 am on the Saturday night to about 4am on Sunday morning. This service here is called "Paschal Vespers" and is a very light and fast service. It gives you the flavor of the music of Pascha, as it's sung using Slavic melodies.

Near the end, you'll hear the choir sing "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life." That's called the paschal troparion and is the main hymn of Pascha. Its origins are lost in antiquity, but it goes back to at least the 300's.

By the way, you won't see me in this video - I'm the guy behind the camera!

Enjoy!

Dr. Symeon Rodger