Marco Carvalho
The traditions of Palm Sunday as well as a program of activities that includes the creation of Easter eggs will mark the beginning of Holy Week celebrations in the Diocese of Macau.
Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. On Sunday, the faithful will hear the Gospel account of the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus, but on Saturday, the Cardinal Newman Center of Cultural and Performance Arts celebrated one of the most misunderstood symbols of the Easter period, the Easter egg.
The Center organized, for the first time ever, a workshop focusing on the creation and the symbolism of the Easter eggs. “Initially, our aim was to celebrate Easter with the organization of two different workshops, one focusing on the creation and decoration of Easter eggs and the other on the Zentangle technique. The latter had to be suspended due to certain arrangements,” a representative of the Cardinal Newman Cultural Center told O Clarim.
“Combining art and culture, our aim was to allow the community to understand the meaning of Easter eggs, recalling episodes and stories that are little known nowadays. We decided to promote this initiative because the eggshell symbolizes the sealed sepulcher where Jesus was buried after His Crucifixion and Death. The breaking of the shell symbolizes His Resurrection,” the Center reveals. When Christian Easter began to be celebrated, the pagan rite of commemorating the arrival of spring was integrated into Holy Week. Seen as a symbol of birth and life, the egg came to be seen by early Christians also as a symbol of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Participation in the workshop was limited due to the Covid-19 pandemic prevention and containment strategies sanctioned by the Macau authorities.
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