Difference #1: Date of celebration
As already mentioned, Catholics and Orthodox Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Christ at different times, which raises the question: why does the main Christian church holiday fall on the same day, or is it celebrated a week or even two apart?

The fact is that Easter is usually celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox (but not earlier than March 21). Only when determining this day, Orthodox and Catholics refer to different calendars: some use the Julian, while others use the Gregorian. Due to differences in calendars, one calculation method can sometimes lead to completely different Easter dates.

Difference #2: Lent
There are fundamental differences in how Catholics and Orthodox Christians fast before Easter. In the Eastern Church, Lent is one of the longest and strictest. The Western Church is much more lenient, and such a strict fast is observed for only 3 days.

Orthodox fasting involves a strict ban on food of animal origin (meat, eggs, dairy products and fish), abstinence from entertainment and sex, and lasts exactly forty days. Rome is very loyal to both the stomachs and the souls of its believers. During Lent (which, by the way, begins 2 days later), people are allowed to eat eggs, dairy products, fish, and strict abstinence from meat is recommended only on Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent), Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

Difference #3: Holiday Meal
What would an Orthodox Easter holiday be without the traditional Easter cake! This round-shaped sweet bread with candied fruits, topped with white glaze and multi-colored caramel, is the main decoration of the table in any family. But in the West, there is no single tradition associated with Easter baking for all Catholics. In some countries they eat small cinnamon rolls, in others they bake “spikelets” or serve fruit cake. Also, unlike the Orthodox, who consider it their duty to take the Easter basket to church “for blessing,” Catholics have absolutely no tradition of blessing Easter cakes and colored eggs.

Difference #4: Symbolism
If for Eastern Christians the main symbols of Easter are primarily spring flower bouquets, colored eggs and Easter cakes, then in the West the holiday is associated mainly with chocolate eggs and Easter bunnies. In general, the event is more secular; Catholic Easter in the West is a commercial phenomenon. The Easter Bunny (a symbol of fertility and rebirth to a new life) every year brings children chocolate eggs, plush bunnies and other sweet gifts in bright and beautiful Easter baskets. He also organizes fun games and activities.

Difference #5: Dyed eggs
For all Orthodox Christians, painted Easter eggs (pysanky) are a ritual dish containing a symbolic meaning, which is treated with due respect and reverence. Great attention is paid to the very ritual of decorating the Easter egg, and even the shell is not usually thrown into the trash. Unlike the colorful eggs common in the West, Orthodox Christians traditionally paint eggs red, symbolizing the blood of Jesus Christ and at the same time the great joy of the Resurrection.

In Catholic countries, eggs are mostly painted in pastel shades, and sometimes they simply buy the plastic equivalent as decoration. Instead of the usual “egg clinking”, a game called “Egg Search” is popular in the West. The point of the game is that parents hide colorful plastic eggs with candies, sweets and other surprises in the grass, and children happily look for them and collect them in their basket.


As you can see, the Resurrection of Christ is one of the brightest and most revered holidays in the whole world, the significance of which is assessed by Christians of different denominations in completely different ways. Thus, in the West, Easter is perceived as a more secular event and an opportunity to spend time with family, while Orthodox countries reverently glorify the religious aspect of the holiday. Nevertheless, there is something that unites all Christians, and this something is faith in the resurrection of the soul and hope for a bright future!