Topic: in which countries do protestants celebrate Pascha together with the orthodox?

[mabsoota]

hi, i am trying to plan my march / may time (including protestant family / friends) and i am wondering in which countries do protestants celebrate easter together with the orthodox, as opposed to with catholics, as in north america and western europe?

for example in romania, everyone, except the very small catholic minority celebrates easter on the orthodox calendar (i mean 5th may, so there is no confusion, i am not trying to start a calendar discussion!)

what about the russians and ukrainians? do protestants there celebrate in may?

the protestants i know in cyprus celebrate together with the catholics (i can't imagine how they cope, i mean, they must have to use blackout curtains to escape the very big Paschal celebrations everywhere).

i was thinking of going there towards the end of lent, but travel prices are extremely high, and also i am not sure i can handle the orthodox Paschal denial thing that is going on with the people i will visit.
(everything is shut! you can't get anything done in this country! me: 'don't emigrate there then'!)
also there is the fasting thing, staying in a non orthodox house towards the end of lent and politely declining food and drink (may have to escape to a monastery...)

do you have any information or advice?

[PeterTheAleut]

hi, i am trying to plan my march / may time (including protestant family / friends) and i am wondering in which countries do protestants celebrate easter together with the orthodox, as opposed to with catholics, as in north america and western europe?

for example in romania, everyone, except the very small catholic minority celebrates easter on the orthodox calendar (i mean 5th may, so there is no confusion, i am not trying to start a calendar discussion!)

what about the russians and ukrainians? do protestants there celebrate in may?

the protestants i know in cyprus celebrate together with the catholics (i can't imagine how they cope, i mean, they must have to use blackout curtains to escape the very big Paschal celebrations everywhere).

i was thinking of going there towards the end of lent, but travel prices are extremely high, and also i am not sure i can handle the orthodox Paschal denial thing that is going on with the people i will visit.
(everything is shut! you can't get anything done in this country! me: 'don't emigrate there then'!)
also there is the fasting thing, staying in a non orthodox house towards the end of lent and politely declining food and drink (may have to escape to a monastery...)

do you have any information or advice?

If you're at someone else's house and they serve you food, then set aside your fast and eat what they serve you, for Christian love toward your host family is more important than your ascetic disciplines.

[mabsoota]

it's true, i have to learn lots of patience and be more compassionate.
i am working on more love and less moaning (sorry).

which other countries (other than romania) have protestants celebrating Pascha with the orthodox?

[ag_vn]

Bulgaria

[David Young]

Southern ALBANIA and all GREECE celebrate Easter on the same date as Orthodox.

[David Young]

travel prices are extremely high,

do you have any information or advice?

In comparison with Britain, Greece is still delightfully cheap. So is Albania, but I suggest you should have contacts to visit if you go to Albania, unless you speak the language and know your way round, in which case it could be delightful. Try Gjirokastër (Argyrocastro).

[Cantor Krishnich]

Protestant Ukrainians
Protestant Georgians

[Elisha]

Finland (Orthodox celebrate Pascha on Gregorian date).

[JamesR]

I know this is random, but am I the only one who finds it hilarious in the United States when Church-hopping Protestants and lapsed Roman Catholics all occassionally drift toward the Orthodox Church on western Easter, expecting a big Easter service, only to find that we are celebrating Palm Sunday? 

[LBK]

If they did that this year, it'd be on the Sunday of St Gregory Palamas. How apropos. 

[mabsoota]

thanks for all the info, guys.
i have been meaning to go to albania for very many years, haven't got around to it yet.
i know 2 words in albanian, so have a long way to go!
hopefully will be there sometime...
 

[jmbejdl]

for example in romania, everyone, except the very small catholic minority celebrates easter on the orthodox calendar (i mean 5th may, so there is no confusion, i am not trying to start a calendar discussion!)

I'm sure this is true in the area you're familiar with, but it isn't over on my wife's side of the mountains. Also over that side the Roman Catholic minority is rather less tiny, though, so that may explain it. I've also certainly never heard of Romanian Lutherans celebrating Easter with the Orthodox (except when the two coincide, of course!), though and they're certainly much more common in Transylvania than in Moldova

James

[mabsoota]

interesting, all the baptists, evangelicals and pentecostals i know, mostly on the east, but a few in west romania celebrate with the orthodox.
they call it 'catholic easter' and laugh as if it was a funny idea!
if i remember rightly, the evangelical diaspora in uk celebrate with the catholics.
i still only know a few orthodox romanians (working on it...) so most of my romanian easter experiences have been protestant.

although last year, we happened to be over there for 'catholic easter' and joined the last part of the paschal vigil mass in a very packed church,
and i went to the palm sunday liturgy the next morning which felt a little strange!
i do like the fact that you can get 'fasting food' during lent in romania, and no-one gives you strange looks if you order vegan stuff in a restaurant.
 

[David Young]

all the baptists, evangelicals and pentecostals i know,... celebrate with the orthodox.
they call it 'catholic easter'

I have only heard it (in English, among the missionaries) called "Orthodox Easter" in Albania. The phrase "Catholic Easter" refers to the western date.