Orthodox Congregation Begins Holy Week After Palm Sunday
Celebrating Palm (Branches) Sunday, which commemorates Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem last Sunday, the Orthodox congregation has also started Holy Week. Orthodox will celebrate Easter with enthusiasm at the end of the ‘Week of Passion’.
Unlike the Western churches, the Orthodox, who will celebrate Easter this weekend, celebrated Palm Sunday last weekend. On the occasion of the Palm Feast, rituals were held in Hatay, especially in Iskenderun, in Antakya, Samandağ and Altınözü Orthodox Churches.
Church Fathers Dimitri Yıldırım and Yusuf Nicholas Papasoğlu conducted the Holy Mass held in the Iskenderun St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church together. Celebrating Palm Sunday after a long time due to the pandemic, the Orthodox Community created colorful images in the church.
In the ceremony celebrating the entrance of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem, children and all family members, especially Church Fathers Dimitri Yıldırım and Yusuf Nicholas Papasoğlu; walked through the church with candles decorated with colorful flowers and sang hymns.
After the ceremony in which prayers were said for the end of the wars and the peaceful life of our country and all the countries of the world, the church garden turned into a carnival place. The members of the congregation congratulated the feast of their families and other members of the congregation and experienced great joy.
The Orthodox community will also celebrate Easter this weekend. The members of the congregation, who will prepare colored eggs on the Easter Feast, which means the ascension of Jesus Christ to the sky, will experience the joy of the holiday by congratulating each other after the holy liturgy. (SAT-7 Turk/İlyas Edip TERBİYELİ-İskenderun)
