Easter Water is the name given to water used in rituals during the

Easter Vigil The Easter Vigil, also known as the Paschal Vigil, the Great Vigil of Easter, or Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil on the Holy Night of Easter, is a Christian liturgy, liturgy held in Christian worship#Sacramental tradition, traditional Christian ...

in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Lutheran Church Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...

es, and

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is a Christian Full communion, communion consisting of the Church of England and other autocephalous national and regional churches in full communion. The archbishop of Canterbury in England acts as a focus of unity, ...

. A part of this water is set aside for use as a sacramental in the church and at home, the remainder being ceremonially mixed with consecrated oils and used for

baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

s in the church.

Use in Christian liturgy

Easter Water is water blessed in special ceremonies on Holy Saturday (as in the Roman Catholic Church) at sunrise, or during the last few minutes before dawn. Part of the ceremony involves lowering the

Easter Candle A Paschal candle is a large candle used in liturgies in Western Christianity (viz., the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Churches, the Anglican Communion, and the Methodist Churches, among others). A new Paschal candle is blessed and lit every ...

into the blessed water three times, representing the death and rebirth of

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

. The water symbolizes life and death, as well as repentance of sin and rebirth into a new life. The blessing of the Easter water, according to The Lutheran Missal, takes place according to the following form: In Christian Churches of the Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican traditions, the Easter Water is then used for baptisms after the

Blessing and use in Christian homes

The water is blessed by Christian clergy using the following prayer: "Whatever it sprinkles in the homes of the faithful, may it be cleansed and delivered from harm. Let such homes enjoy a spirit of goodness and an atmosphere of tranquility, freed from harmful or hidden snares. By the sprinkling of this water, may everything opposed to the safety of them that dwell there be banished, so that they may possess the well-being they seek in calling upon Thy holy Name, protected from every evil." This Easter water may be taken home to bless the house, as well as Easter food. The head of household of a Christian family (along with the entire family) may recite the aforementioned prayer as well.

Geographical Implementation

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

, and

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

, Easter Water has been thought by some to have dermatological properties against

eczema Dermatitis is a term used for different types of skin inflammation, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened ...

acne Acne ( ), also known as ''acne vulgaris'', is a long-term Cutaneous condition, skin condition that occurs when Keratinocyte, dead skin cells and Sebum, oil from the skin clog hair follicles. Typical features of the condition include comedo, ...

, and even

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

. In

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

and northern regions of France, it is believed also to have healing effects on vision and is used as a valuable

eye lotion In eye care, collyrium is an antique term for a lotion or liquid wash used as a cleanser for the eyes, particularly in diseases of the eye. The word ''collyrium'' comes from the Greek , eye-salve. The same name was also given to unguents used for t ...

. Easter Water has also been used for the treatment of diarrhea and fever. In Quebec, it was thought to protect against elements such as lightning, thunder, and even the wind. It was also believed to keep away evil spirits, misfortunes, and fatalities. Easter Water is still used in ceremonies to bless homes using the blessed branches. Washing in Easter Water was believed to afford long-lasting freshness of the skin and to give women who bathed in a stream or river on the eve of Easter, "beauty and seduction, provided it had done so in silence and in secret." It is also said that men plunged into a river on Easter morning to "gain strength and health throughout the year."''Revue des Traditions Populaires'', 1886, no 1, 1919, no 34, Paris, Maisonneuve frères et Ch. Leclerc.

Photos

St-Tite (Quebec)"> File:Saint_Tite_1998_Paques_009_3557_2371.jpg, Curé Boutet spring (

Common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...

), rue du Couvent File:Saint_Tite_1998_Paques_012.jpg, Curé Boutet spring, rue du Couvent File:Saint_Tite_1998_Paques_013.jpg, Curé Boutet spring, rue du Couvent

References

{{Reflist Easter liturgy