THANK YOU for your interest in our Holy Week Craft Kit! We are very excited to be taking this Christ-centered creative journey together with you. Please scroll down for a tutorial on how to make today’s craft and for additional teaching resources.
On the Great and Holy Feast of Pascha, Orthodox Christians celebrate the life-giving Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This feast of feasts is the most significant day in the life of the Church. “Christ is risen!” – “He is truly risen!” is the customary salutation of the day, and Orthodox Christians keep greeting each other in this way for forty days after Pascha Sunday.
This most important Feast is traditionally celebrated with a variety of customs, different ones for Orthodox Christians of different ethnic backgrounds. However, a custom common to all Orthodox Christians is to light a special celebratory candle during the Divine Liturgy of Pascha Sunday. The Pascha candle (lambada/λαμπάδα in Greek) is often elaborately decorated, especially when it is meant to be used by children. In Greece where we originate from, this candle is traditionally white – in contrast to the yellow candles one finds in church on regular days – and it is the duty of the godparents to provide their godchild with one. The Pascha candle is also lit on the service of the Vespers of Agape, usually celebrated in the United States on Pascha Sunday morning (in Greece the Agape Vespers is celebrated on Pascha Sunday evening).
Today’s craft is an elaborately decorated Pascha candle made out of paper.
PASCHA SUNDAY TRADITIONS
Paper Pascha candle
You will need:
- The printed templates provided in the kit (three pages)
- A sheet of white paper – sturdy crafting paper works best but plain printer paper works too
- One or more pieces of colorful ribbon
- A pair of scissors
- Glue or tape (double-sided tape works best)
HOW TO MAKE THE CRAFT
Cut the white sheet of paper into long, narrow strips, about 4.5″ wide. Roll one strip into a thin roll and tape closed.
Cut decorations out of the templates in any way you like, and also cut out the flame shape. Decorate the “candle” as desired.
With the scissors, snap two slits on the top part of the candle. Slide the flame shape into the two slits. Finish off with one or more colorful bows.
Ready! Any leftover decorative template pieces can be used for home-made Pascha cards or gifts.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
GOSPEL READINGS: Mark 16: 1-8, John 1: 1-17
Greek Pascha traditions
Learn about the Pascha customs common all over Greece.
Extra lesson plan
“Four icons for Pascha”. Includes animation video.
Printable packet
Planner, fact sheets, worksheets, and flashcards.
Digital activities
Animated slideshow and a variety of games.
HANDS-ON TEACHING RESOURCE
Pascha fabric learning set
A colorful fabric learning set made out of soft fleece that is used like a felt board to help explore fundamental Pascha concepts and traditions.
BACKGROUND
- Great and Holy Pascha, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
- Holy Pascha: The Resurrection of our Lord, Orthodox Church in America
- The Vespers of Agape, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
This tutorial is part of the HOLY WEEK CRAFT KIT
by Orthodox Pebbles.
Special thanks to Presbytera Destinie of Ascetic Life of Motherhood for exploring our resources with her sweet little children and sharing wonderful photos with us.
Orthodox Pebbles 