Queens Easter Events, Brunches & Ceremonies in QNS NYC

There are Two Easters Observed - 1) West European Christians & 2) East European Orthodox

March 28, 2024 / Queens Neighborhoods NYC / Queens Things To Do Events NYC / Queens Buzz NYC.

Very Brief Introduction to Christian Easter Traditions

Christians observe Good Friday, which is when the Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross. On the Sunday following Good Friday, Christians celebrate the Biblical account of Jesus rising from the dead, which is Easter.

Emperor Constantine became the Roman Emperor in 306. In 324 Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

In 1054, the Great Schism occurred, wherein Christianity split into two different sects - Roman Catholic Christians [primarily in Western Europe] and Orthodox Christians [primarily in Eastern Europe]. The traditions have much in common, but one of the differences is in how they calculate the time of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

The Western European Christians [Protestants and Catholics] use the Gregorian Calendar to calculate when to celebrate Good Friday and Easter. The Gregorian calendar was created in the 16th century and made the official calendar by Pope Gregory. Orthodox Christians use the Julian Calendar, which was made law in the Roman Empire in 45 B.C. by Julius Caesar. The primary difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is that the Gregorian calendar uses Leap Year [this year is one of them] to adjust the calendar for the 1/4 extra day per year, that to our rotation around the sun requires. Thus the calendar differences, and how the date of Easter is calculated, is why the Orthodox and Roman Catholic / Protestant Christian Easters oftentimes occur on different dates.

This year [2024] the celebrations of the two traditions are separated by five weeks, with the Western European Christians celebrating next weekend and the Orthodox Christians celebrating a week later.

Next Up - The History of the Easter Bunny & Related Traditions

• CLICK here to view our report on Easter events, Easter egg hunts and Easter brunches in Queens NYC. We start off with a brief history of the Easter Bunny and the origin of related traditions.

Queens Easter Events, Brunches & Ceremonies in QNS NYC

There are Two Easters Observed - 1) West European Christians & 2) East European Orthodox

March 28, 2024 / Queens Neighborhoods NYC / Queens Things To Do Events NYC / Queens Buzz NYC. Continued.

The Origin of Easter Bunny & Related Traditions

The origin of the Easter Bunny and the related traditions of painting and hiding eggs dates back to southern Germany in ancient times. Eggs were a sign of fertility, and according to some accounts, the Easter hare originated as a bird before becoming the rabbit. The rabbit is also known as a fertile animal giving birth to litters of little rabbits.

The tradition arrived in America in Pennsylvania in the 1700's. From there it evolved into the whole slew of grand traditions it has become today, which in NYC include an Easter parade of fashion on Easter day in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue, numerous Easter Egg hunts in parks and other places in all five boroughs, as well as numerous Easter Brunches organized by numerous restaurants around the city.

What follows are a selection of many of the Easter events occurring in NYC in the coming weeks. These include a few Orthodox Easter events which occur in early May [the 5th, 2024]. We have also included a few non-Easter events we believed are timed to take advantage of folks looking to use their liesure time in non-traditional Easter ways. Have a Happy Easter.

ONLY ASTERISKED EVENTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED. PLEASE NOTE DATES / YEARS.

Queens Easter Parade & Easter Events & Egg Hunts NYC

* Saturdays, March 23 & 30, 2024 from 11 am to 4 pm - Barnyard Egg Hunt - at the Queens County Farm Museum at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park Queens. For $15 tickets and details, copy & paste - https://www.queensfarm.org/

* Friday, Saturday, Sundays & Monday, March 29, 30 & 31 & April 1, 6, 7, 2024 from 11 am to 5 pm - Green Meadows Farm Queens Easter Egg Hunt 2024 - at Alley Pont at x Union Turnpike in the Oakland Gardens neighborhood of Queens. For details copy & paste - https://greenmeadowsfarmny.com/upcoming-events/. $14.

* Saturday, March 30, 2024 from 10 am to 12 noon - Queens Easter Festival - in Gantry Plaza State Park at Center Blvd and [4-44] 47th Rd in LIC Queens. Free. For details copy & paste - http://www.queenseasterfestival.com/lic.

* Sunday, March 31, 2024 beginning at 4.30 pm - Easter Dinner at Russo's on the Bay - at 162-45 Cross Bay Blvd in Howard Beach in Queens. To rsvp and details, copy & paste - https://www.russosonthebay.com.

Click here to view Queens street fairs & festivals NYC 2024.

ONLY ASTERISKED EVENTS HAVE BEEN UPDATED. PLEASE NOTE DATES / YEARS.

QUEENS GREEK ORTHODOX EASTER COMING MAY 5, 2024

The photo at right was taken in Astoria of the Holy Friday evening procession, where the Greek Orthodox church members reenact the carrying of Christ's body back from Mount Calvary, by carrying a florally decorated epitaphios, which is a casket.

• QUEENS ORTHODOX Easter Events.
• Friday, April 14, 2023 beginning at 7 pm a Greek Orthodox Church Lamentation Service commemorating Holy Friday and the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ with the carrying of the epitaphios through the streets of Astoria in a candlelit procession. The religious and cultural event includes a procession from the St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria around several nearby blocks before returning to the church. In past year, several of the Astoria Greek Orthodox churches held their own Holy Friday celebrations and processions, but as of this posting [4.2.23], only St. Demetrios has posted any specifics for 2023. The other two churches which I have reported on in the past include St Irene Chrysovalantou and St Markella. For more details see - https://www.saintdemetriosastoria.com/church/ https://www.stirene.org / https://www.saintmarkellagoc.org
• Friday, April 14, 2023 beginning at 7 pm a Greek Orthodox Church Lamentation Service commemorating Holy Friday and the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ with the carrying of the epitaphios through the streets of Astoria in a candlelit procession. The religious and cultural event includes a procession from the St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria around several nearby blocks before returning to the church. St. Demetrios is located at 30-11 30th Drive at 31st Street in Astoria.
• In past year, several of the Astoria Greek Orthodox churches held their own Holy Friday celebrations and processions, but as of this posting [4.2.23], only St. Demetrios has posted any specifics for 2023. The other two churches which I have reported on in the past include St Irene Chrysovalantou and St Markella. For more details, including of Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday mass see - https://www.saintdemetriosastoria.com/church/ https://www.stirene.org / https://www.saintmarkellagoc.org