Classical Insights

What Is Pascha? Meaning, Pronunciation, and the Difference from Easter

Pascha (pronounced PAH-skah) is the name Orthodox Christians give to the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, the Eastern Orthodox counterpart to what Catholics and Protestants call Easter. The word itself means Passover, coming to us through the Greek Πáσχα by way of the Hebrew pesach. Though both celebrations honor the same glorious event, they differ in name, in the calendar that sets their date, and in the traditions that surround them. During Holy Week, Christians humbly reflect on Jesus’ crucifixion and prepare to celebrate the day that God the Father raised Him from the dead, thereby saving us from our sins and sparing us from death. While we agree that Jesus’ resurrection was a remarkable, supernatural event that calls for nothing less than great joy and exultation, Catholics and Protestants diverge from Orthodox Christians in the ways that they commemorate the occasion and in the calendar system that they use for the date. They also typically use two different names for the celebrations: Easter among the former churches and Pascha among the latter. What Does Pascha Mean? The word Pascha means “Passover.” It comes into English through the Greek Πáσχα, which was itself borrowed from the Aramaic pascha and the Hebrew pesach. This is no accident of language, for the meaning of Pascha is bound up with the Passover of the Old Testament. When Jesus took our sins upon Himself and died on the cross, He became our paschal lamb, or our paschal sacrifice. Just as the Passover feast commemorates how the angel of death passed over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt, where the blood of lambs on the doorposts spared their firstborn sons, as summarized by Lawn Griffiths, so Pascha celebrates the deliverance that Christ has won for us. Many scripture verses illustrate this idea. In John 1:29, John the Baptist beholds Jesus and declares Him “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” 1 Peter 1:19 likewise speaks of the precious blood of Christ, “a lamb without blemish or defect.” To trace these threads is to watch the Old Testament find its fulfillment in the New, a theme explored in resources such as Myth Made Fact. It is also the kind of connection that a thoughtful Bible curriculum helps students uncover for themselves. Those who are new to the word often wonder how to say it. Pascha is pronounced PAH-skah. The “ch” preserves the Greek letter chi (χ), a soft guttural sound something like the “ch” in the Scottish word loch, though in ordinary English most people simply say PAH-skah or PAS-kah. Easter After the season of Lent, Catholics and Protestants recognize Easter. Although humans in the Northern Hemisphere have always celebrated spring in many ways around this time of the year, Catholics and Protestants have redeemed all such celebrations by connecting them to a day that honors Christ’s resurrection. University of Sydney Professor Carole Cusack points out that the English word for Easter has roots in Anglo-Saxon and German, and that in both of these names the element meaning “east” (eost, ost) reinforces the connection with the dawn. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, early Christians struggled to decide the exact date on which they should commemorate the resurrection. In 325 A.D., the Council of Nicaea decreed that Easter should be observed on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox (March 21), so that Easter can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Catholics and Protestants follow various traditions to mark the holiest occasion of the liturgical year, such as fasting, lighting candles, getting baptized, attending sunrise services, and eating lamb. The Easter season ends on the day of Pentecost, which occurs on the 50th day after Easter Sunday. Pascha in the Orthodox Church After the season of Great Lent, Orthodox Christians celebrate Pascha, the greatest feast of the Orthodox year and the Eastern Orthodox equivalent of Easter. Because its very name means Passover, Orthodox Pascha gathers the Exodus and the resurrection into a single celebration: Christ, our paschal lamb, delivers His people from death just as the Passover lamb once spared the firstborn of Israel. As the major feast of the liturgical year, Pascha carries a weight of meaning. Fr. Geoff Harvey writes that it signifies a passing over from death to life, from earth to heaven, a day of victory, the Day of the Kingdom of God. Pascha rarely falls on the same Sunday as Easter, and the two can be anywhere from one week to five weeks apart. As Sherry P. Shephard explains, the calculations rest on the same basic formula, but the churches use different calendars. The older Julian calendar followed by Eastern Orthodox churches trails the Gregorian calendar by several days, so that while Western Easter can fall anywhere from March 22 to April 25, Pascha can fall anywhere from April 4 to May 8. Like Catholics and Protestants, Orthodox Christians keep their own beloved traditions, such as attending special church services, singing meaningful hymns, preparing grand feasts, and dyeing eggs red. And as with Easter, the joyous season of Pascha culminates on the day of Pentecost. Pascha and Easter at a Glance   Easter Pascha Churches Catholic and Protestant Eastern Orthodox What it celebrates The resurrection of Jesus Christ The resurrection of Jesus Christ Origin of the name An Anglo-Saxon and Germanic word tied to “east” and the dawn The Greek Πáσχα, from the Hebrew pesach, meaning Passover Calendar used Gregorian Julian Date range March 22 to April 25 April 4 to May 8 Some traditions Sunrise services, baptisms, lamb Midnight services, red eggs, hymns, feasts Season ends Pentecost, 50 days later Pentecost, 50 days later Frequently Asked Questions What does Pascha mean? Pascha means “Passover.” It is the name Orthodox Christians give to the feast of Christ’s resurrection, and it comes from the Greek Πáσχα, which traces back to the Hebrew pesach. How do you pronounce Pascha? Pascha is pronounced PAH-skah. The “ch” carries the sound of the Greek letter chi, a soft guttural sound like the “ch” in loch, though most English speakers simply say PAH-skah or PAS-kah. Is Pascha the same as Easter? They celebrate the very same event, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but they are not identical. Pascha and Easter differ in name, follow different calendars, and are usually observed on different Sundays, each with its own cherished traditions. Why do Orthodox Christians say Pascha instead of Easter? Because the resurrection is understood as the Christian Passover. The word Pascha means Passover, binding Christ’s victory over death to the deliverance of Israel in the Exodus. Orthodox Christians preserve this ancient name rather than the Germanic word Easter. When is Orthodox Pascha? Orthodox Pascha can fall on any Sunday between April 4 and May 8, because Eastern Orthodox churches reckon the date by the older Julian calendar. Want to learn more about Easter and Pascha? Check out “Easter - Its Meaning, History & Holiday Symbols Explained,” “Some Common Misperceptions about the Date of Pascha/Easter,” and “Dating Pascha in the Orthodox Church.”