The red egg at Pascha is a very ancient and meaningful practice of the Church dating back to an event in the life of Mary Magdalene. Before we discuss this event, let’s look at the symbolism of the red egg itself.

In many cultures throughout history the egg was a symbol of life. As the little chick breaks through the shell to begin its new life, the egg was used to symbolize birth and the beginning of a new life. The early Christians recognized that they could use the egg and its symbolic meaning as a tool to teach people the beautiful message of a new life in Christ, by relating it to the event’s of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, His entombment, and His Resurrection. They would dye the eggs red to signify the blood of Christ and His death on the Cross; the shell became a reminder of His three-days in the tomb; and the breaking of the egg came to symbolize the glorious Resurrection of Christ who broke the bonds of death, granting us eternal life.

The Orthodox Church continues to follow this ancient tradition. During Holy week we dye eggs red and bring them to the Church. At the end of the Resurrection Liturgy, the priest gives a red egg to each person. Later, we greet each other with the words “Christ is Risen!” and tap the eggs together, cracking the shells. In that simple little act, the entire meaning of Pascha is symbolized for us. When we eat the egg, we are also reminded that the fast has ended and that it is now a time of celebration. Another tradition is to place red eggs in the Paschal bread that is baked during this time of year.

When I worked at the Archdiocese, during the week after Pascha the Archbishop would host a meal for the entire staff of the Archdiocese. At the end of the meal, the Archbishop would go to every table and greet each of us with the words “Christ is Risen” and tap our egg with his. If the Archbishop’s egg cracked, he would take the person’s unbroken egg and continue around the room. In this way, he would greet everyone with the good news of Christ’s Resurrection. There was another symbolic meaning attached to this: by the time he had finished, every person’s egg was broken which served as a reminder that all of us had been granted the gift of eternal life through Christ’s Resurrection. This tradition is followed in many Orthodox Churches when the priest goes around at the Paschal meal and, like the Archbishop, taps eggs with everyone greeting them with “Christ is Risen.”

This brings us to the story about Mary Magdalene. In the Gospel readings we hear how Mary Magdalene was the first to visit the empty tomb and see the Resurrected Lord. It was Mary who first proclaimed the good news of the Resurrection when she announced the Resurrection to the Apostles. Most of us know this story. But the story of her life doesn’t end there. She became one of the greatest apostles of the Faith, traveling to many lands preaching the Gospel. Her zeal was so great that she has been given the title “Equal to the Apostles.” It was during one of these travels that an event occurred that initiated the use of the red egg as a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ.

Not long after the Ascension of Christ, Mary decided to travel to Rome to bring the message of Christianity to the emperor, Tiberias Caesar. You can imagine what a bold and courageous thing this was

for her to do, yet, somehow, she was able to arrange an audience with the emperor. When she walked up to greet Caesar she handed him a plain, white egg and greeted him with the words “Christ is Risen,” and began to speak about the Lord’s death and Resurrection. After briefly listening to what she had to say the emperor interrupted her saying “How can someone rise from the dead? It is just as likely that Christ rose from the dead as it is that the egg you are holding will turn red.” Immediately the egg turned red. She then proceeded to teach the emperor and the imperial household about the Christian faith. Though she didn’t convert the emperor to the faith, she must have been pretty effective since, as a result of her criticisms of Pontius Pilate, the emperor decided that Pilate had unjustly condemned Jesus to the cross and had him transferred from Jerusalem to Gaul.

Nearly 2,000 years later, we continue this beautiful tradition originated by Mary Magdalene and proudly proclaim our faith with red eggs and the words “Christ is Risen!”


During the 50-day period from Pascha to Pentecost, we don’t kneel in Church. Why don’t we kneel during this period?

It is the accepted custom in the Church that the faithful kneel during the reading of the prayers of consecration in the Divine Liturgy, when the priest calls upon the Holy Spirit to come upon the eucharistic gifts – the bread and wine – and change them into the very Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, during the fifty-day period from Pascha to Pentecost, we do not kneel. During this fifty-day period, every day is a Day of Resurrection, in which we celebrate the joy of Pascha. Since kneeling is a penitential act, the act of one who has come to God in humility asking for mercy and forgiveness, we refrain from kneeling during this period so that we can be symbolically reminded that the Messiah has come and that we all share in the joy of His Resurrected Glory. At the Great Vespers of Pentecost, celebrated at the end of the Divine Liturgy on Pentecost Sunday, we once again kneel, for the first time since Pascha, as we pray that the Holy Spirit “come and abide in us” as it did with the Apostles and the entire Church at the first Pentecost.

As far as the practice of kneeling during Sunday Divine Liturgies throughout the year, it is interesting to note that the original tradition of the Church was for the faithful to not kneel during Sunday Divine Liturgy, but to only bow their heads and bodies during the consecration. This is because every Sunday throughout the year is celebrated as a day of resurrection. For that reason, kneeling during the consecration was only done during the weekday liturgies. In many Orthodox churches throughout the world, this is still the practice.

There are a couple reasons for the incorporation of kneeling during the Sunday liturgical celebration. The first reason is that since so few of the faithful attend weekday liturgies, incorporating kneeling during the Sunday Divine Liturgy has become a way for people to experience this penitential aspect of worship, which they otherwise would not experience. Also, because the Consecration is the most sacred moment of the Divine Liturgy the act of kneeling is a way for the faithful to symbolically understand the sacredness of the moment and to participate in it in a prayerful manner.