ISLAMABAD, Sunday, April 20, 2025 : After 40 days of fasting and spiritual reflection, the Christian community celebrated Easter \u2014 the second most significant festival in the Christian calendar \u2014 with religious zeal and joy across Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Churches in the twin cities were adorned with vibrant lights and floral decorations. Hymns and carols echoed through the air as congregations reenacted the story of Jesus Christ\u2019s crucifixion and resurrection, central to the Easter celebration.<\/p>\n
The traditional sunrise procession, a hallmark of Easter Sunday, was this year confined to church premises. At St Paul\u2019s Church on The Mall, where the procession typically begins from the General Post Office, ongoing construction on The Mall Road led organisers to restrict the event within the church grounds.<\/p>\n
Throughout the day, a festive atmosphere prevailed around churches as Christian families gathered to mark the occasion, which is observed each year in March or April according to the lunar calendar. Cathedrals and churches held midnight services between Saturday and Sunday, followed by special morning prayers.<\/p>\n
During the main Easter congregations, Christian leaders called for greater religious tolerance, fraternity, and unity, urging followers to embody Jesus Christ\u2019s message of universal love and compassion without discrimination.<\/p>\n
\u201cEaster is a family day where Christians celebrate with their loved ones. Special meat-based feasts are prepared, marking the end of the 40-day fasting period,\u201d said Arman Gill, a visitor at St Joseph\u2019s Cathedral.
\nHe added that Easter eggs \u2014 traditionally made of chocolate \u2014 were prepared at home or purchased from bakeries and shared with family and friends as gifts. \u201cThe egg symbolises fertility and new life, celebrating Christ\u2019s resurrection after crucifixion,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the distinction between the two major Christian festivals, Tauqeer Bhatti noted, \u201cChristmas celebrates the birth of Jesus and is a major joyous event. Easter, however, is a more solemn occasion centered on prayers, reflection, and family gatherings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi administration, in coordination with police, implemented special security measures to ensure the safety of worshippers at all major churches.<\/p>\n
Leaders of various political parties also visited Christian neighborhoods to express solidarity with the community and seek support in the run-up to the general elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD, Sunday, April 20, 2025 : After 40 days of fasting and spiritual reflection, the Christian community celebrated Easter \u2014 the second most significant festival in the Christian calendar \u2014 with religious zeal and joy across Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Sunday. Churches in the twin cities were adorned with vibrant lights and floral decorations. Hymns […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4162,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[44,45,43,46],"class_list":["post-4171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-national","tag-latest","tag-national","tag-news","tag-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4171","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4171"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4171\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com.pk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}