THE CELEBRATION OF EASTER IN THE PRE-NICENE PERIOD: DIVERSITY OF PRACTICES AND THE FORMATION OF A UNIFIED CHURCH TRADITION

Abstract

The article provides a detailed analysis of the diversity of Easter celebration practices in the pre-Nicene period (1st–3rd centuries), when the early Christian Church was shaping its liturgical traditions amid cultural pluralism and theological debates. Based on testimonies from early Christian authors such as Polycarp of Smyrna, Irenaeus of Lyons, Polycrates of Ephesus, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen, as well as church historians (Eusebius of Caesarea in «Ecclesiastical History», Sozomen, Theodoret), and contemporary Ukrainian scholarship (H. Lubachivskyi, V. Smih, A. Kyridon, I. Vlasovskyi, O. Lototskyi), the evolution of Paschal customs in key regions is traced: Asia Minor (Quartodeciman tradition, celebration on 14 Nisan regardless of the day of the week, emphasizing Christ’s sacrifice as the Lamb, rooted in the apostolic heritage of John the Theologian and Philip), Rome and the West (Sunday celebration after 14 Nisan, focusing on the Resurrection as the new day of creation, inherited from Peter and Paul), Alexandria (integration of astronomical calculations to determine the date, avoiding coincidence with the Jewish Passover, with a philosophical-theological approach to typology). It demonstrates how these regional differences, driven by biblical interpretations (e.g., 1 Cor. 5:7–8, where Christ is «our Passover»), cultural influences, and the desire to separate from Judaism, led to theological conflicts: the peaceful discussion between Polycarp and Anicetus (ca. 155 CE), where they preserved unity despite divergences; escalation under Victor I of Rome (ca. 190 CE), who attempted to excommunicate Asian churches but was restrained by Irenaeus, who called for tolerance and unity in diversity; local synods in Palestine, Pontus, Osrhoene, Rome, and Gaul, which declared Sunday celebration. These disputes, described by Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History, V.23–25), prepared the ground for decisions of local councils (Arles 314 CE, Antioch early 4^th century) and the First Council of Nicaea (325 CE), where a unified Paschalia was adopted: Easter on the Sunday after the first full moon (14 Nisan) following the vernal equinox (March 21 in the Julian calendar), independent of the Jewish calendar, to avoid «double Passovers» in a year and «defilement» by Jewish «errors», as noted by Emperor Constantine in his letter. This decision, fixed in canons and Apostolic Constitutions, ensured the unity of the Universal Church, overcoming regional differences and Jewish influences, and became the foundation for the further development of Christian liturgy. Contemporary Ukrainian theology actively utilizes this heritage to revive patristic traditions in education, integrate Paschal concepts into liturgical practice (e.g., in the «Clergy Handbook»), interdenominational dialogue, and address cultural challenges in a globalized world, emphasizing the relevance of Church unity as a witness to Christ’s Resurrection.