Paschal greeting

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day after his crucifixion at Calvary.

The Paschal Greeting, also known as the Easter Acclamation, is an Easter custom among Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Christians. Instead of "hello" or its equivalent, one is to greet another person with "Christ is Risen!", and the response is "Truly, He is Risen," "Indeed, He is Risen," or "He is Risen Indeed" (compare Matthew 27:64, Matthew 28:6–7, Mark 16:6, Luke 24:6, Luke 24:34).^[1][2]

In some cultures, such as in Russia and Serbia, it is also customary to exchange a triple kiss of peace on the alternating cheeks after the greeting.

Similar responses are also used in the liturgies of other Christian churches, but not so much as general greetings.

The Paschal Greeting in various languages

Indo-European languages

• Greek – Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη! (Khristós Anésti! Alithós Anésti!)
• Slavic languages
  • Church Slavonic – Христóсъ воскрéсе! Воистину воскресе! (Christos Voskrese! Voistinu voskrese!)
  • Belarusian – Хрыстос уваскрос! Сапраўды ўваскрос! (Hrystos uvaskros! Sapraŭdy ŭvaskros!)
  • Bulgarian – Христос възкресе! Наистина възкресе! (Hristos vyzkrese! Naistina vyzkrese!) or in Church Slavonic: Христос воскресе! Воистинну воскресе! (Hristos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese!)
  • Croatian – Krist uskrsnu! Uistinu uskrsnu!
  • Czech – Kristus vstal z mrtvých! Vpravdě vstal z mrtvých!
  • Macedonian
    • Traditional (as per Church Slavonic) – Христос воскресе! Навистина воскресе! (Hristos voskrese! Navistina voskrese!)
    • Vernacular – Христос воскресна! Навистина воскресна! (Hristos voskresna! Navistina voskresna!)
  • Polish – Chrystus zmartwychwstał! Prawdziwie zmartwychwstał!
  • Russian – Христос воскрес! Воистину воскрес! (Christos voskres! Voistinu voskres!)
  • Rusyn – Хрістос воскрес! Воістину воскрес! (Hristos voskres! Voistynu voskres!)
  • Serbian – Христос васкрсе! Ваистину васкрсе! (Christos vaskrse! Vaistinu vaskrse!) / Hristos vaskrse! Vaistinu vaskrse! or Христос воскресе! Ваистину воскресе! (Christos voskrese! Vaistinu voskrese!) / Hristos voskrese! Vaistinu voskrese!
  • Slovak – Kristus vstal z mŕtvych! Skutočne vstal (z mŕtvych)! (although the Church Slavonic version is more often used: Christos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese!)
  • Ukrainian – Христос воскрес! Воістину воскрес! (Khrystos voskres! Voistynu voskres!)

Ukrainian Easter card

• Albanian (Tosk) – Krishti u ngjall! Vërtet u ngjall!
• Armenian – Քրիստոս յարեա՜ւ ի մեռելոց: Օրհնեա՜լ է Յարութիւնն Քրիստոսի: (western dialect: Krisdos haryav i merelotz! Orhnyal e Haroutyunen Krisdosi!) Քրիստոս հարյա՜վ ի մեռելոց: Օրհնյա՜լ է Հարությունը Քրիստոսի: (eastern dialect: Khristos haryav i merelotz! Orhnyal e Harouthyoune Khristosi!) – (Lit: Christ is risen! Blessed is the resurrection of Christ!)
• Germanic languages
  • Anglic languages
    • English – "Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!" or "Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen!" or "He [or 'The LORD'] is risen! He [or 'The LORD'] is risen indeed!" or "Christ has risen! Indeed He has!" or "Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!"
      • Church of England – Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!^[3]
      • The Episcopal Church – Alleluia. Christ is Risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.^[4]
      • Old English – Crist aras! Crist soþlice aras! (Lit: Christ arose! Christ surely arose!)
      • Middle English – Crist is arisen! Arisen he sothe!
    • Rastafarian – Krestos a uprisin! Seen, him a uprisin fe tru!
  • Danish – Kristus er opstanden! Sandelig Han er Opstanden!
  • Frisian – Kristus is opstien! Wis is er opstien!
  • German – Christus ist auferstanden! Er ist wahrhaftig auferstanden!
  • Icelandic – Kristur er upprisinn! Hann er sannarlega upprisinn!
  • Low Franconian languages
    • Dutch – Christus is opgestaan! Hij is waarlijk opgestaan! (Netherlands) or Christus is verrezen! Hij is waarlijk verrezen! (Belgium)
    • Afrikaans – Christus het opgestaan! Hy het waarlik opgestaan!
  • Norwegian
    • Norwegian Bokmål – Kristus er oppstanden! Han er sannelig oppstanden!
    • Norwegian Nynorsk – Kristus er oppstaden! Han er sanneleg oppstaden!
  • Swedish – Kristus är uppstånden! Han är sannerligen uppstånden!
• Italic languages
  • Latin – Christus resurrexit! Resurrexit vere!
  • Romance languages
    • Aromanian – Hristolu unghia! Daleehira unghia!
    • Catalan – Crist ha ressuscitat! Veritablement ha ressuscitat!
    • French – Le Christ est ressuscité! En verité il est ressuscité! or Le Christ est ressuscité! Vraiment il est ressuscité!
    • Galician -Cristo resucitou! De verdade resucitou!
    • Italian – Cristo è risorto! È veramente risorto!
    • Portuguese – Cristo ressuscitou! Em verdade ressuscitou! or Cristo ressuscitou! Ressuscitou verdadeiramente!
    • Provençal – Lo Crist es ressuscitat! En veritat es ressuscitat!
    • Romanian – Hristos a înviat! Adevărat a înviat!
    • Romansh – Cristo es rinaschieu! In varded, el es rinaschieu!
    • Sardinian – Cristu est resuscitadu! Aberu est resuscitadu!
    • Sicilian – Cristu arrivisciutu esti! Pibbiru arrivisciutu esti!
    • Spanish – ¡Cristo ha resucitado! ¡En verdad ha resucitado!
    • Walloon – Li Crist a raviké! Il a raviké podbon!
• Baltic languages
  • Latvian – Kristus (ir) augšāmcēlies! Patiesi viņš ir augšāmcēlies!
  • Lithuanian – Kristus prisikėlė! Tikrai prisikėlė!
• Celtic languages
  • Goidelic languages
    • Old Irish – Asréracht Críst! Asréracht Hé-som co dearb!
    • Irish – Tá Críost éirithe! Go deimhin, tá sé éirithe!
    • Manx – Taw Creest Ereen! Taw Shay Ereen Guhdyne!
    • Scottish – Tha Crìosd air èiridh! Gu dearbh, tha e air èiridh!
  • Brythonic languages
    • Breton – Dassoret eo Krist! E wirionez dassoret eo!
    • Cornish – Thew Creest dassorez! En weer thewa dassorez!
    • Welsh – Atgyfododd Crist! Yn wir atgyfododd!
• Indo-Iranian languages
  • Persian – مسیح برخاسته است! به راستی برخاسته است!‎ (Masih barkhaste ast! Be rasti barkhaste ast!)
  • Hindustani – येसु मसीह ज़िन्दा हो गया है! हाँ यक़ीनन, वोह ज़िन्दा हो गया है! - یسوع مسیح زندہ ہو گیا ہے! ہاں یقیناً، وہ زندہ ہو گیا ہے!‎ (Yesu Masih zinda ho gaya hai! Haan yaqeenan, woh zinda ho gaya hai!)
  • Marathi – Yeshu Khrist uthla ahe! Kharokhar uthla ahe!

Afro-Asiatic languages

• Semitic languages
  • Arabic (standard) – المسيح قام! حقا قام!‎ (al-Masīḥ qām! Ḥaqqan qām!) or المسيح قام! بالحقيقة قام!‎ (al-Masīḥ qām! Bi-l-ḥaqīqati qām!)
  • Aramaic languages
    • Syriac – ܡܫܝܚܐ ܩܡ! ܫܪܝܪܐܝܬ ܩܡ!‎ (Mshiḥa qām! sharīrāīth qām! or Mshiḥo Qom! Shariroith Qom!)
    • Neo-Syriac – ܡܫܝܚܐ ܩܡܠܗ! ܒܗܩܘܬܐ ܩܡܠܗ!‎ (Mshikha qimlih! bhāqota qimlih!)
    • Turoyo-Syriac – ܡܫܝܚܐ ܩܝܡ! ܫܪܥܪܐܝܬ ܩܝܡ!‎ (Mshiḥo qāyem! Shariroith qāyem!)
  • East African Languages
    • Tigrigna – (Christos tensiou! Bahake tensiou!)
    • Amharic – (Kristos Tenestwal! Bergit Tenestwal!)
  • Hebrew (modern) – המשיח קם! באמת קם!‎ (Hameshiach qam! Be'emet qam!)
  • Maltese – Kristu qam! Huwa qam tassew! or Kristu qam mill-mewt! Huwa qam tassew!
• Egyptian
  • Coptic – ΠιχρίςΤος αϥτωΝϥ! ϦΕΝ οΥΜεθΜΗι αϥτωΝϥ! (Pikhristos Aftonf! Khen oumethmi aftonf!)

Kartvelian languages

• Georgian – ქრისტე აღდგა! ჭეშმარიტად აღდგა! (Kriste aghdga! Cheshmaritad aghdga!)

Northwest Caucasian languages

• Abkhazian – Kyrsa Dybzaheit! Itzzabyrgny Dybzaheit!

Dravidian languages

• Malayalam – ക്രിസ്തു ഉയിര്ത്തെഴുന്നേറ്റു! തീര്ച്ചയായും ഉയിര്ത്തെഴുന്നേറ്റു! (Christu uyirthezhunnettu! Theerchayayum uyirthezhunnettu!)

Eskimo–Aleut languages

• Aleut – Kristus aq ungwektaq! Pichinuq ungwektaq!
• Yupik languages – Xris-tusaq Ung-uixtuq! Iluumun Ung-uixtuq!

Mayan languages

• Tzotzil - Icha'kuxi Kajvaltik Kristo! Ta melel icha'kuxi!
• Tzeltal - Cha'kuxaj Kajwaltik Kristo! Ta melel cha'kuxaj!

Austronesian languages: Malayo-Polynesian

• Carolinian – Lios a melau sefal! Meipung, a mahan sefal!
• Cebuano – Si Kristo nabanhaw! Matuod nga Siya nabanhaw!
• Chamorro – La'la'i i Kristo! Magahet na luma'la' i Kristo!
• Fijian – Na Karisito tucake tale! Io sa tucake tale!
• Filipino – Si Kristo ay nabuhay! Totoo! Siya nga ay nabuhay!
• Hawaiian – Ua ala aʻe nei ʻo Kristo! Ua ala ʻiʻo nō ʻo Ia!
• Indonesian – Kristus telah bangkit! Dia benar-benar telah bangkit!
• Kapampangan – Y Cristo sinubli yang mebie! Sinubli ya pin mebie!
• Malagasy – Nitsangana tamin'ny maty i Kristy! Nitsangana marina tokoa izy!

Austroasiatic languages: Mon-Khmer

• Khmer - Preah Christ mean preah choan rous leong vinh! trung mean preah choan rous leong vinh men!
• Vietnamese - Chúa ki-tô đã phục sinh! qu̓a thật ngài đã phục sinh!

Basque

Basque – Cristo Berbiztua! Benetan Berbiztua!

Japanese

Japanese – ハリストス復活！実に復活！ (Harisutosu fukkatsu! Jitsu ni fukkatsu!)

Korean

Korean – 그리스도 부활하셨네! 참으로 부활하셨네! (Geuriseudo Buhwalhasheotne! Chameuro Buhwalhasheotne!)

Na-Dené languages

• Athabaskan languages
  • Navajo – Christ daaztsą́ą́dę́ę́ʼ náádiidzáá! Tʼáá aaníí daaztsą́ą́dę́ę́ʼ náádiidzáá!
• Tlingit – Xristos Kuxwoo-digoot! Xegaa-kux Kuxwoo-digoot!

Niger–Congo languages

• Ganda – Kristo Ajukkide! Kweli Ajukkide!
• Swahili – Kristo Amefufukka! Kweli Amefufukka!
• Gikuyu – Kristo ni muriuku! Ni muriuku nema!

Quechuan languages

• Quechua – Cristo causarimpunña! Ciertopuni causarimpunña!

Turkic languages

• Turkish – Mesih dirildi! Hakikaten dirildi!
• Uyghur – ئەيسا تىرىلدى! ھەقىقەتىنلا تىرىلدى!‎ (Əysa tirildi! Ⱨəⱪiⱪətinla tirildi!)
• Azeri – Məsih dirildi! Həqiqətən dirildi!
• Chuvash – Христос чĕрĕлнĕ! Чăн чĕрĕлнĕ! (Khristós chərəlnə! Chæn chərəlnə!)

Sino-Tibetan languages

• Mandarin – 基督復活了! 他確實復活了! (Jidu fuhuo-le! Ta queshi fuhuo-le!)

Uralic languages

• Estonian – Kristus on üles tõusnud! Tõesti, Ta on üles tõusnud!
• Finnish – Kristus nousi kuolleista! Totisesti nousi!
• Hungarian – Krisztus feltámadt! Valóban feltámadt!

Constructed languages

• International auxiliary languages
  • Esperanto – Kristo leviĝis! Vere Li leviĝis!
  • Ido – Kristo riviveskabas! Ya Il rivivesakabas!
  • Interlingua – Christo ha resurgite! Vermente ille ha resurgite! or Christo ha resurrecte! Vermente ille ha resurrecte!
• Quenya – (Hristo Ortane! Anwave Ortanes!)
• Klingon – Hu'ta' QISt! Hu'bejta'!
• Toki Pona – jan sewi Kolisu li tawa tan moli! ni li lon: ona li tawa tan moli!
• Dothraki – Khal Asvezhvenanaz yathoay! Me Yathoay Me nem nesa!
• Dovahzul - Saviik los alok! Rok los vahzah alok!

References

• Paschal Greetings from Around the World, Orthodox Church in America website.
• Paschal Greeting article on Orthodox Wiki

1. Kovacs, Judith L. (2005). 1 Corinthians: Interpreted by Early Christian Commentators. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 10. ISBN 9780802825773. The traditional greeting on Easter morning is "Christ is risen" To which the response is "He is risen indeed. Alleluia!" This ancient phrase echoes the greeting of the angel to Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph as they arrived at the sepulchre to anoint the body of Jesus: "He is not here; for he has risen, as he said" (Matt 28:6).
2. W.H. Withrow, M.A., D.D., F.R.S.C. (1904). Methodist Magazine and Review 59: 550. Missing or empty |title= (help);
3. http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/downloads/rtf/order_1.rtf – The Liturgy of the Sacrament (Holy Communion Order One)
4. http://www.bcponline.org/HE/he2.htm – The Book of Common Prayer, 1979 (Holy Eucharist Rite II)

External links

• The Origin and Meaning of the Paschal Greeting, Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Washington, DC.
• The Paschal Greeting said in 250 languages on Pascha Polyglotta