Today Christians who follow the Gregorian calendar celebrate Easter, the Resurrection of Christ. In Ukraine Roman Catholics, Armenians, and some Protestants are celebrating. Orthodox Christians, who follow the old, Julian calendar, will mark it in May.
Pope Francis celebrated his first Easter Mass as pontiff before a packed crowd at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican on Sunday and delivered his "Urbi and Orbi" speech.
The krashanky and pysanky (Easter eggs) are an old pre-Christian element and have an important role in the Easter rites. On this day they are given as gifts or exchanged.
Lent this year is complicated for Ukrainian Catholics in the U.S. and Canada. Some follow the Gregorian calendar, and so began Lent on Monday, February 11, and will celebrate Easter on Sunday, March 31, together with Roman Catholics and Protestants. Others follow the Julian calendar and will begin Lent on Monday, March 18, and celebrate Easter on Sunday, May 5, together with some other Eastern Catholics and Orthodox.