Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) Christians here celebrated Easter Sunday by attending a special mass in churches, followed by a traditional feast.

Easter marks the end of the period of Lent or suffering and it is believed that Jesus Christ was resurrected after his crucifixion on Good Friday.

Bishops led the services and delivered sermons in various cathedrals and churches of different Christian denominations in the city.

The main Easter service was held at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in central Delhi, where about 3,000 people attended a midnight mass.

Greeting the community on the occasion, Father J. Rebello said: “Easter is a celebration as it is believed to be a defeat of Satan and the rise of Jesus Christ after death who had brought peace and harmony to the world.”

Delhi’s Christian population stands at around 150,000.

People lit candles, sung Easter hymns, offered prayers and distributed hot cross buns and food packets at various churches.

“The celebrations began at 3 a.m. as Christ is said to have been resurrected at the break of dawn. After the special midnight mass, we had daylong celebrations with a grand feast,” city resident Cynthia Philip said.

As for Georgina Paul, Easter is even more significant than Christmas.

“Reappearing from death, Christ has established the fact that he is above death and he is eternal,” she said.

Apart from prayer services, the day of resurrection is also celebrated with a grand feast.

“The feast usually comprises of duck or turkey roast, red wine, and a wide variety of items like meat pies, apple souffle, muffins and varieties of sausages,” Sylvia Brian Black, a Nigerian national settled in Delhi, told IANS.

Black also said that her family exchanged cards and gifts and also hosted an Easter egg painting and egg hunt competition for kids.

“Easter eggs are not actual eggs but egg-shaped candies or an egg-shaped shell filled with caramel toffees and other sweets. Kids enjoy decorating Easter eggs, hiding and finding them,” Black added.