This year's Easter celebrations were subdued in the wake of the passing away of Pope Shenouda III, reports Reem Leila Christian festivities celebrating Easter were limited to chanting hymns, praying, lighting candles and burning incense. Blue lace instead of the usual joyful red wrapped the corridors and chairs of Egypt's churches. This year's Easter celebration was the first in decades not headed by Pope Shenouda who passed away on 17 March. Easter celebrations on 15 April were led by Coptic Church caretaker pope, Bishop Bakhomious, at Abbasiya Cathedral where he delivered an address to the Coptic people. Bakhomious declared that due to Pope Shenouda's death, feast celebrations were to be limited to prayers and hymns. "Children of Sunday schools will chant songs and hymns on Easter," said Bakhomious. A huge, 40-metre-long banner with the image of Pope Shenouda and words attributed to Jesus Christ -- "I came here for you. And I left here also for you" -- hung from the dome of the Cathedral's abbey, a reminder that this year's Easter would not be a happy one for Copts due to the pope's absence. Potential presidential candidates Amr Moussa and Ahmed Shafik attended Easter Mass to pay their respects. Transport Minister Galal El-Said and Minister of International Cooperation Fayza Abul-Naga attended the celebrations. On 14 April parliamentary speaker Saad El-Katatni and Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayeb visited Bishop Bakhomious to pay tribute. A huge photo of Pope Shenouda was placed on the chair on which he used to sit while receiving eminent figures greeting him in Easter. Pope Shenouda was buried at the Abbey of Bishop Bishoi at Wadi Al-Natroun. Following the Christian celebration of Coptic Easter, Egyptians celebrated Sham Al-Nessim, originally a Pharaonic festivity. Egyptians marked the occasion by going to public parks, the zoo in Giza and the International Park in Nasr City. They also took boat rides on the River Nile in what was mild weather.
