Easter in Estonia
13 Apr 2017
In Estonia, Easter has many names: for example Ületõusmispüha (resurrection), Lihavõtted (meat-taking holiday, marking the end of Lent), and Munadepüha (egg holiday). Easter Sunday is celebrated with a long lunch, egg painting, and an Easter egg…
Easter in Poland
13 Apr 2017
Spring cleaning (wiosenne porządki) is associated with the beginning of Lent. On Ash Wednesday believers have their heads marked with ash at a church service; on Palm Sunday they prepare special palms to take to church…
Easter in Russia
13 Apr 2017
Easter is celebrated later because the Russian Orthodox church uses the old Julian calendar. On Holy Saturday churches hold night services and organise religious processions around churches. By that time, kulich, the traditional holiday baking symbolising…
Germany: politicians’ prayer breakfast
07 Apr 2017
This year Germany will have elections at the national and local state level. There is one decisive factor that we can pray into. It is the preamble of the Federal Constitution (referred to as the Basic…
Russia: St Petersburg bomber was from Kyrgyzstan
07 Apr 2017
The safety of the Russian people depends upon President Putin’s response to the St Petersburg attack. If the President rounds up more Chechen activists or pounds what’s left of Syria’s cities, then he will only provoke…
EU and Brexit: heads of state
31 Mar 2017
Over the next two years heads of state will be informally discussing and formally negotiating Brexit now that Article 50 has been triggered. ‘The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the…