KARACHI: Easter was celebrated with special services and prayers offered at churches throughout the city on Sunday.

The first Easter mass began at midnight with the lighting of the big Easter candle. “It symbolises overcoming the darkness of death as all who attend the midnight mass come with their own candles, which they light from the big candle,” Archbishop Joseph Coutts, of the archdiocese of Karachi, explained to Dawn. “This is how we celebrate Jesus Christ’s rising.”

The midnight mass also includes readings from the first book of the Bible where it says how God created the heavens and the universe and how and why He sent his prophets to his people. Since Easter also means freeing oneself from sin there is the blessing of the water and renewal of the baptismal promises according to the Christian faith.

But the Sunday morning Easter mass has readings from passages that focus on Jesus Christ and his rising on the third day of his crucifixion. It is less intense than the midnight mass and is more of a celebration of rebirth.

At the St Patrick’s cathedral here, everyone came dressed in new clothes or their Sunday best. The choir sang joyful hymns like ‘Hallelujah, he has risen …’ Prayers were also offered for all the sick and suffering and anyone going through pain in their lives while also not forgetting the dead.

Father Mario Rodrigues, rector of St Patrick’s Cathedral, held a beautiful service where he reminded all to renounce Satan and embrace the truth while taking the just path and spreading the word of God.

Easter eggs

Just like hot cross buns are a favourite delicacy for Good Friday, Easter eggs were in demand on Easter Sunday.

Although it hardly has anything to do with religion and has become more of a tradition, many bakeries, especially those situated around Saddar, had prepared pretty Easter eggs for the occasion. The eggs, made from marzipan and filled with sweets and chocolates or just chocolate Easter eggs are a favourite with children therefore many parents headed straight to the bakeries soon after attending Easter mass at the churches.

“Since Easter is all about rebirth, the eggs signify birth and life,” said a mother trying to select between a blue and yellow Easter egg at a bakery.

Many children also painted and decorated egg shells at home for Easter.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2016