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Antipascha — the mystical day after Easter: why is this holiday called a time of trial for believers
On the first Sunday after Easter, Orthodox believers remember the Apostle Thomas and celebrate Antipascha. In 2026, the event falls on April 19th. This day completes the Easter cycle. What is the meaning of the holiday, what does the word "Antipascha" mean, the history and traditions of the Orthodox day — in the material of Izvestia.
What is Antipascha?
The name of the holiday may seem unusual for a modern person. At first glance, it seems that we are talking about the opposition to Easter, since the prefix "anti" is usually perceived as "against". However, in Greek, this preposition has a wider range of meanings.
— Among other things, it means "standing opposite", that is, as if at the opposite end of the week from Easter. There is another, more archaic meaning, which, it seems to me, just took place here, it is "equivalent, equal," says Peter Pashkov, associate professor of the Department of Ancient Languages and Ancient Christian Writing at St. Tikhon's Orthodox University for the Humanities (PSTGU), in an interview with Izvestia.
Antipascha in the Ancient Church was considered the day of the end of Easter celebrations. On this day, a divine service was held close to the Easter rite, and people who were baptized on Easter (historically, they tried to coincide the sacrament with this holiday) took off their baptismal robes and returned to their normal lives.
— In modern church practice, Antipascha is celebrated with more solemnity than any other Sunday day throughout the year. The liturgical rules here rather correspond to a great holiday, such as Christmas. Therefore, Antipascha is a day that stands opposite Easter, that is, at the opposite end of the week, and is equivalent to it as a holiday,— concluded Peter Pashkov.
Features of the Antipascha service
The Antipascha service corresponds to the order of the twelve feasts, although the day itself does not formally belong to them, Hieromonk Theodoret (Sergei Senchukov) told Izvestia. Special troparia are read during the service. In addition, the reading of the Psalter begins on this day, and memorial services can already be served in churches. There is a religious procession in some churches.
— Usually their (memorial services. They serve not from Sunday, but from the next day. But in principle, the statute allows a memorial service to be held on the same day," the priest said.
The first mention of Antipascha is found in the Apostolic Ordinances of Antioch (circa 380). The official church name of the holiday — St. Thomas Week or St. Thomas Sunday — was fixed after the 9th century.
How Thomas became convinced of the resurrection of Christ: the main plot of the Antipascha
On this day, the church also remembers the second appearance of Christ to the apostles and the assurance of Thomas, one of the disciples, who, unlike the others, did not see the first appearance of the risen Christ on Easter. Thomas said that he would believe in the resurrection only when he saw the nail wounds on Jesus' body and touched them.
On the eighth day, when all the apostles gathered together, the Savior appeared to them and invited Thomas to carry out his intention. When Thomas saw the resurrected Teacher, he was shocked and immediately confessed his faith in Him, saying: "My Lord and my God." At the Sunday liturgy, the Gospel of John is read, which describes this event.
The celebration of Antipascha in its modern form is preserved now only in the Orthodox tradition. Catholics call this day Dominica in albis — Sunday in white robes. Worship in the Catholic Church on this day is performed in white vestments and is associated with an ancient church practice: newly baptized people who received the sacrament of baptism on Easter wore white robes (albas) for eight days as a symbol of purity and new birth in Christ. On the eighth day, they came to the temple in these clothes for the last time, after which they took them off and returned to everyday life.
Antipascha is directly related to the theme of faith and doubt. As Peter Pashkov notes, it is the bodily resurrection of Christ that is fundamental for Christians — the fact that he rose and ascended in his human body. Therefore, the apostle Thomas wanted to make sure that this was not a ghost or a spirit, but a truly resurrected Teacher.
— Christ, having appeared to the apostles, allowed Thomas to touch his wounds, and Thomas confessed Him to be God, saying: "My Lord and my God." This was the first time that the disciples explicitly called Christ not just anyone, but Lord and God," concluded the interlocutor of Izvestia.
The gift of faith to the Apostle Thomas is the central theme of the Antipascha service — it is to her that the Gospel readings and church hymns are dedicated. The plot of Thomas' assurance has become popular in evangelical iconography, and the expression "Thomas the unbeliever" is now a household name and denotes an incredulous person.
According to church tradition, the Apostle Thomas was martyred in India. For the conversion to Christ of the son and wife of the ruler of the Indian city of Meliapore (Melipura), he was imprisoned, tortured and died, pierced by five spears.
Folk traditions and superstitions on April 19th
Antipascha is also called Krasnaya Gorka, although some researchers believe that they should be considered as two separate holidays — church and folk. In the folk tradition, Krasnaya Gorka is a time of festivities. In Russia, people went outside, danced, and met with friends and relatives.
There have traditionally been many weddings on this day, as it opens the period after Lent, Holy and Bright Weeks, when it is possible to get married again. However, as priest Nikita Gorbik notes in his Telegram channel, the wedding itself on this day does not guarantee a happy family life.
The priest noted that another common superstition is that on this day the deceased hear the prayers of the living and pass them on to God, as well as that it is necessary to make wishes during this period. According to him, these ideas do not correspond to church teaching.
It is forbidden to practice fortune-telling and magical rituals on Antipascha. You should also give up hard physical work. Often on this day, people visit cemeteries, bring colored eggs and sweets there, proclaiming to the dead the news of the resurrection of Christ. The church says that it is possible to do this, but it is better to wait, because a special day is provided for the commemoration of the dead — Radonitsa, which in 2026 falls on April 21.
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