This year, Ethiopia and all Eastern Rite Christians, including Russia, celebrate Easter on May 5, one of the most important holidays for Orthodox Christians.
The most important service is held at night, with large crowds of people dressed in traditional white robes. Prayer and singing continue until the announcement of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the early morning. Then the Christians return home to break the 55-day fast, and at midnight, a chicken is symbolically slaughtered.
It is customary in Ethiopia to give charity to fellow citizens during the holiday, both by charitable foundations and by government officials.
Shortly before the holiday, Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde ordered that food be distributed to low-income residents in the suburbs of the capital, Addis Ababa.
She also said that helping citizens in need should become a regular feature and stressed the need to spend the upcoming holidays with the underprivileged.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed congratulated all Ethiopian Christians on the eve of Fasika, noting that "just as Jesus overcame suffering and rose again, Ethiopia too possesses the power to overcome its trials," as quoted by local media.
Easter has no fixed date; it is calculated each year according to the lunar calendar and is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring.
The dates of Easter are different for different Christian denominations because Western Christians use the Gregorian calendar and Eastern Christians use the Julian calendar. The difference can be as much as five weeks.
Easter is one of the most important holidays for Orthodox Christians. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion for the sins of all mankind.