Easter Day (Surp Zadik), which is accepted as the Resurrection Day of Jesus Christ by Christians, was celebrated in the Iskenderun Karasun Manuk Armenian Church with the participation of the group from Istanbul and church community after two years due to the coronavirus pandemic that affected the whole world.
The mass under the leadership of Anatolian and Hatay Armenian Churches’ Religious Official Avedis Tabaşyan and which was held with the hymns sung by the readers Yusuf Tabaş, Antuan Mıhçı, Davud Saraçoğlu, Natali Avcı, Lena Tabaş, Minas Tabaş and Samatya Church Sahakyan Choir Chief Lukas Arzuman; prayers were said and candles were lit for the pandemic to end.
Giving a short sermon at the ceremony, Tabashyan stated that despite the pandemic, we celebrate Easter together with joy.
After the sermon, Surp Zadik’ ‘Easter Feast’ continued with the lights turned off in the church, the congregation lit the candles they had in their hands, singing hymns and going out to the churchyard.
Avedis Tabashyan blessed the bread, water and salt in the churchyard and cut the cake prepared for the Easter holiday. The ceremony ended with the congregation celebrating each other’s holiday by egg tapping and cocktails.
The next day, the Easter enthusiasm continued with the feast held at the Samandağ Vakıflı Village Virgin Mary Church.
The feast’s enthusiasm then turned into happiness with the cocktails held in the churchyard and egg tapping.
