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A-level RS - Christianity (Eduqas/WJEC) > 4C Religious identity through diversity in festivals > Flashcards

4C Religious identity through diversity in festivals Flashcards

1
Q

What day does the Western Church celebrate Christmas? Why?

A
  • 25 December
  • Thought to be a replacement for the Roman winter festival, Saturnalia (17-23 Dec.) and Dies Natalios Solis Invicti (25 Dec., Winter solace festival)
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2
Q

Give an example of a pagan symbol during the Western Advent?

A

• Lighting candles to anticipate the return of sunlight

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3
Q

How long is Advent in the Western Church?

A

• Four weeks

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4
Q

What does Advent mark?

A

• The beginning of the Church year

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5
Q

What does the Latin ‘adventus’ mean? How does this meaning link to Advent?

A

• Coming
• It anticipates two events:
1) Celebration of J’s first coming
2) J’s second coming at the end of time (parousia)

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6
Q

What is the liturgical colour of Advent in the Western Church?

A
  • Violet/purple (or blue, for hope, in some Protestant churches)
  • A rose colour may be used in the third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunhday - Latin, ‘rejoice’)
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7
Q

Give some Advent customs in the Western Church.

A
  • Wreath
  • Calendar (first used by Lutherans in 19th/20th C)
  • Decorations
  • Fasting
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8
Q

When does the Eastern Church celebrate Christmas? Why?

A
  • 7 January (Armenian Orthodox = 6 Jan)

* Corresponds to the Julian calendar, which predates the Gregorian used by the West)

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9
Q

What is Advent known as in the Eastern Church?

A

• The Nativity Fast

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10
Q

How long does Advent last in the Eastern Church?

A

• 40 days, up to the Eve of Nativity (6 Jan), a strict fast day (Paramony - ‘preparation’ when they abstain from red meat, egg, dairy, wine etc - no food until the first star appears

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11
Q

What is there no emphasis on in the Eastern Church during Advent?

A

• Parousia

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12
Q

What is the liturgical colour of Advent in the Eastern Church?

A

• Red, with gold sometimes as the alternative

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13
Q

Give some events during the Eastern Advent.

A
  • During the Nativity Fast, feast days celebrate prophets who prophesied the incarnation
  • Two Sundays before Nativity, the Sunday of the Forefathers, commemorates the ancestors of the Church
  • Sunday before the Nativity, Sunday of the Holy Fathers, commemorates all the righteous men and women who pleased God
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14
Q

What does Christingle mean, and what do its symbols represent?

A
  • Scandinavian for ‘the light of Christ’
  • Orange = world
  • Four cocktails = four seasons/corners of the earth
  • Sweets/fruits = fruits of the earth
  • Candle = J as the light of the world
  • Red ribbon = J’s blood
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15
Q

In the Western Church, there are traditionally three Eucharists at Christmas; when do they take place?

A
  • 1st = Midnight C.mas Eve
  • 2nd = Dawn C.mas morning
  • 3rd = C.mas Day
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16
Q

What is threatening the religious observance of Christmas in the Western Church?

A

• The rampant consumerism

17
Q

In the Eastern Church, what do the services on the Eve of the Nativity run parallel to? Why?

A

• Those held on Good Friday, to illustrate the theological point that the purpose of the incarnation is to make the crucifixion and resurrection possible

18
Q

Give three examples of services on the Eve of Nativity.

A
  • The Hours: Special psalms, hymns, readings to proclaim the joy and power of J’s birth
  • The Liturgy of St Basil the Great: baptismal liturgy at which catechumens are baptised and integrated into J’s body
  • Matins: “Christ is born” = sung while the congregation venerates icon of Nativity
19
Q

What happens on Christmas Day of the Western Church?

A
  • Feasting

* Giving of gifts

20
Q

What happens on Christmas Day of the Eastern Church?

A
  • Feasting + enjoying the company of family/friends
  • Activity depends on culture
  • Little emphasis on sharing of gifts/consumerism
  • Candles to represent the light of Christ
  • Festive meal to represent the end of fasting
21
Q

Why is Easter the most important Christian festival?

A

• Celebrates the resurrection of J and confirms his ministry

22
Q

What is the agreed formula for working out Easter?

A

• The first Sunday after the first full moon/after the vernal equinox

23
Q

What is the relation between Jesus’ resurrection and the vernal equinox?

A

• J’s res. occurred around the time of the Jewish feast of Passover, which was celebrated on the first full moon following the vernal equinox.

24
Q

How does the Eastern Church calculate the vernal equinox/full moon?

A
  • According to the actual, astronomical full moon + actual equinox as observed along the meridian of Jerusalem
  • Applies the formula so that Easter always falls after the Jewish Passover, since the crucifixion and res. took place after he entered Jerusalem to celebrate Passover
25
Q

How does the Western Church calculate the vernal equinox/full moon?

A
  • Does not use the astronomically correct date for vernal equinox, but a fixed date (21 March)
  • Does not use astronomical full moon but the ‘ecclesiastical moon’, based on tables created by the church
  • This allows the date of Easter to be calculated in advance rather than determined by actual astronomical observances
  • Can precede Passover by weeks
26
Q

How long is Lent in both the Eastern and Western churches?

A

• 40 days - in commemoration of J’s 40 days before he began his ministry

27
Q

When does Lent begin in the Western Church?

A

• Ash Wednesday

28
Q

What do many Christians commit to during Lent?

A

• Fasting and giving up certain luxuries as a form of penitence/self denial

29
Q

What is the liturgical colour of Lent in the Western Church?

A

• Purple

30
Q

Give four significant dates during Lent in the Western Church.

A

• Fifth Sunday: Passion Sunday - beginning of Passiontide
• Sixth Sunday: Palm Sunday - beginning of Holy Week
• Thursday of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday - commemorates Last Supper; priest may wash feet of 12
• Good Friday: day of atonement to remember J’s cruc., res., burial
- RCC: fast day, no Eucharist
- Anglican Communion: no particular rite
- Lutheran: Tenebrae

31
Q

What is the season preceding Easter in the Eastern church called?

A

• Great Lent/Great Fast

32
Q

In the Eastern Church, when does the first week of Great Lent begin?

A

• Clean Monday (Clean Week refers to the spiritual cleansing of the faithful - strict fasting)

33
Q

In the Eastern Church, when does Great Lent end?

A

• Ends with the Vespers on Friday of the sixth week, followed by Lazarus Saturday

34
Q

In the Eastern Church, when do Holy Week services begin? What is special about these?

A

• Night of Palm Sunday
• Each has their own theme
- e.g. Holy and Great Saturday: J’s burial + descent into Hell; fasting; combination of sorrow and joy; in morning, lit. colour = black, but changes to white after the Gospel is read

35
Q

What happens at Easter in the Western Church?

A
  • A vigil may be held after nightfall on Holy Saturday; a paschal candle is lit to symbolise J’s res; statues/images veiled during Lent = unveiled
  • Easter Day = joyous celebration of J’s res - a stark contrast to the solemnity of Lent
  • Lit. colour = white, often w/ gold
  • C.chs = brightly decorated w/ white/yellow flowers
  • Music = joyful; jubilant use of c.ch bells
36
Q

In the Eastern Church, what is the last liturgical service in Great Lent?

A

• Midnight Office

  • Priest places epitaphios on altar, which remains there until the feast of the Ascension
  • End of office: all c.ch lights/candles extinguished + all wait in silence until midnight, when the res. is proclaimed
37
Q

What happens at Easter in the Eastern Church?

A
  • The Easter Matins begin, followed by Easter Hours, then Easter Divine Liturgy
  • Customary to crack hard-boiled eggs (dyed red to symbolise the blood of Christ) to celebrate the opening of the tomb
  • Easter Sunday afternoon: Agape Vespers sung w/ portions of John’s Gospel read in several languages to demonstrate the universality of the res.
38
Q

In the Eastern Church, what is Easter week known as? What happens during it?

A
  • Bright Week
  • No fasting
  • Customary Easter greeting = ‘Christ is risen’, to which the response is, ‘He is risen indeed.’

A-level RS - Christianity (Eduqas/WJEC) (24 decks)

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