Tensae – ትንሳኤ – Easter Sunday [Fasika]
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church celebrates the full week from the day of the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Eyesus Kristos (Tensae or Fasika) to Dagima Tensae, the second Sunday after Fasika. Fasika originated from the Greek word “Pascha” meaning Passover. Each day from Fasika to Dagima Tensae has it’s own name.
Easter Monday - Maidote - ማዕዶት
Maidote / ማዕዶት is a Ge’ez word meaning “Crossing”. On this day we remember that through the Resurrection of Our Lord Eyesus Kristos we crossed from the grave to glory, from death to life. From hell to paradise, from the deepest darkness into the wonderful light!
Easter Tuesday - Apostle Thomas - ቶማስ
On this day, we remember that the Apostle Thomas believed and testified saying, “My Lord and my God” after he’d seen and touched the evidence of the nails where it pierced the hands of Our Savior Eyesus Kristos.
John 20:27-29
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. and Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Easter Wednesday - Lazarus/Alazari – አልአዛር
On this day we remember how Our Lord Eyesus Kristos, who is the Resurrection and the Life to all, raised Lazarus from the dead.
John 11:25
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
Easter Thursday - Adam Thursday [Hamus] – አዳም ሐሙስ
On this day we remember that the promise and covenant given to Adam and his children was fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 1:20
For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
Easter Friday - Holy Church [Kidist Bete-Kristyian] – ቅድስት ቤተ ክርስቲያን
On this day it was announced that the church is founded on Our Lord Eyesus Kristos' death and Resurrection.
Acts 20:28
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Easter Saturday - Holy Women [Kidusat Anist] – ቅዱሳት አንስት
On this day we remember the Holy women who went to the tomb of Our Savior Eyesus Kristos through the darkness to anoint his body.
There were thirty-six Holy women who followed Our Lord and Saviour Eyesus Kristos and were counted among the one hundred and twenty families of Christ.
Mark 16:1
And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
Second Sunday after Resurrection [Dagima Tensai] – ዳግም ትንሳኤ
On this day we remember that eight days from the day of His Resurrection Our Lord Eyesus Kristos appeared to his disciples including the Apostle Thomas.
John 20:26
“And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.”
The fifty days from Tensai to the Feast of the Paraclete (Pentecost) is a truly blessed and joyful season. During this time, people are allowed to eat non-fasting diets, on Wednesdays and Fridays too. Believers are not allowed to fast or prostrate.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has its Order of Celebration of Saturdays and Sundays.
The celebration of Saturdays is the Order of the Old Testament:
Exodus 20:8
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
In the era of the New Testament, the Church teaches that the observance of Saturdays should not be as strict as that of the Jews.
Fetha Nagast 19
"Christians should not be idle on the Sabbath like the Jews."
But they should work as Christians.
Colossians 2:16-17
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Sunday is the day on which Our Savior Eyesus Kristos rose from the dead. Hence it is "The Day of The Lord" in the New Testament.
Revelations 1: 10
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.
1 Corinthians 16:2
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
Saint Yared in his Degua Ze Fasika hymnbook said:
"He celebrated it [Sunday], adored it, made it the day of light and of all days he glorified it."
Liturgy of Athanasius:
"And our rest is not to sleep like a suffering one in his disease, but to watch day and night that we may show our love for this day."
On this basis, the Church teaches the people to celebrate or observe Sunday by going to church to pray, give alms to the poor, visit the sick and settle quarrels.
Christ Rose from the dead!
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