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Gulf News, UAE
April 5 2015
Easter celebrations in UAE
Christians across the country celebrate Easter with family and friends
after a church service in the morning
Dubai: Easter was celebrated by Christians across the country with
family and friends from different communities.
Preceding the midday Easter celebrations comes the mass, which takes
place in church, on Sunday morning. While children participated in
Easter egg hunts, parents celebrated the religious occasion and
indulged in a delicious meal shared with loved ones.
Hundreds from the local Armenian community observed the Easter
celebrations on Sunday by attending mass before gathering for
festivities at Wafi Pyramids.
Armenian residents gathered at St Grigor the Illuminator Church in
Sharjah which was decorated to suit the occasion.
In his Easter mass, Rev Father Mesrob Sarkissian, Catholicossal
Representative for the region of Qatar and the UAE, noted that this
Easter coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide,
when 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman forces.
"A 100 years have passed after more than a million of us were
murdered," he said, "Yet today, we are still keeping up with our
traditions, enriching our culture and practising our faith."
The Easter celebrations were then moved to the Maset Al Yakout
Restaurant at the Wafi Pyramid. A two-piece Armenian band was flown in
specially for the occasion to entertain the crowds with traditional
music.
Also celebrating Easter is the Chaplaincy of Dubai and Sharjah and the
Northern Emirates Protestant Christian Church.
According to Reverend Ruwan Palapathwala, Senior Chaplain of the
church, the service and celebrations commence at three in the morning
and carry on until midnight.
"At a given time, there would be about 25 congregations worshipping
simultaneously in different languages, all from the different churches
in the compound," he said.
He also added that Easter is a day to praise, celebrate life and hope
in God. After the church service, Father Ruwan explained that families
carry on the celebrations over a good meal with family and friends.
While many Christian denominations celebrate Easter today, Orthodox
churches will be celebrating their Easter on April 12 since they
follow a different calender.
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
With inputs from Razmig Bedirian.
Maria Botros is a trainee at Gulf News
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/easter-celebrations-in-uae-1.1486340
April 5 2015
Easter celebrations in UAE
Christians across the country celebrate Easter with family and friends
after a church service in the morning
Dubai: Easter was celebrated by Christians across the country with
family and friends from different communities.
Preceding the midday Easter celebrations comes the mass, which takes
place in church, on Sunday morning. While children participated in
Easter egg hunts, parents celebrated the religious occasion and
indulged in a delicious meal shared with loved ones.
Hundreds from the local Armenian community observed the Easter
celebrations on Sunday by attending mass before gathering for
festivities at Wafi Pyramids.
Armenian residents gathered at St Grigor the Illuminator Church in
Sharjah which was decorated to suit the occasion.
In his Easter mass, Rev Father Mesrob Sarkissian, Catholicossal
Representative for the region of Qatar and the UAE, noted that this
Easter coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide,
when 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman forces.
"A 100 years have passed after more than a million of us were
murdered," he said, "Yet today, we are still keeping up with our
traditions, enriching our culture and practising our faith."
The Easter celebrations were then moved to the Maset Al Yakout
Restaurant at the Wafi Pyramid. A two-piece Armenian band was flown in
specially for the occasion to entertain the crowds with traditional
music.
Also celebrating Easter is the Chaplaincy of Dubai and Sharjah and the
Northern Emirates Protestant Christian Church.
According to Reverend Ruwan Palapathwala, Senior Chaplain of the
church, the service and celebrations commence at three in the morning
and carry on until midnight.
"At a given time, there would be about 25 congregations worshipping
simultaneously in different languages, all from the different churches
in the compound," he said.
He also added that Easter is a day to praise, celebrate life and hope
in God. After the church service, Father Ruwan explained that families
carry on the celebrations over a good meal with family and friends.
While many Christian denominations celebrate Easter today, Orthodox
churches will be celebrating their Easter on April 12 since they
follow a different calender.
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
With inputs from Razmig Bedirian.
Maria Botros is a trainee at Gulf News
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/easter-celebrations-in-uae-1.1486340