Easter celebrations | Chocolate trail

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New Delhi: Pope Benedict XVI presided over his first Easter vigil mass at St Peter's Basilica, in Vatican City, calling the Resurrection of Christ the “most crucial leap into a totally new dimension.”

He urged Catholics to let the risen Christ help them transform a world of violence and corruption.

The Pope said the resurrection of Christ could not be considered a thing of the past because it was still sending a message of hope to people.

Sunday is also the 79th birthday of Pope Benedict M.

At the start of the service, the Pope carved the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet - alpha and omega - and the numbers of the year 2006 on a large candle.

For a few minutes, the first part of the service took place without lights to symbolise the darkness of Christ's tomb before he rose from the dead. Then candles were lit and later the great lights of St Peter's Basilica were turned on for the start of the mass.

This is the first Easter season for the 1.1 billion member Church since the death of Pope John Paul, who was in his final days a year ago.

Meanwhile, in Delhi at the Sacred Heart Cathedral hundreds gathered for the midnight mass.

India, with its vibrant Christian community, as well the colonial legacy, has seen Easter being celebrated in an elaborate manner. Easter Sunday marks the resurrection of Jesus and the end of the 40-day Lent period.

Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, while Lent is a time of preparation for Holy Week (or the Passion Week for Catholics). Holy Week recalls the events preceding and during the crucifixion of Christ.

The Easter egg symbolises the resurrection - just as a little chick pecks its way out from the egg shell to a new life, so Christ emerged from the tomb to new and everlasting life.

The chocolate trail

Easter is the perfect time for people to flock to the chocolate capital of the world, Brussels.

Chocolate shops in Brussels have transformed their window displays into the ultimate chocolate showcase to lure the sweet tooth onlookers.

Shops like Godiva’s are known all across the world for their praline coated Easter products.

“It is definitely the second most busy time of the year, after the end of the year - Christmas and New Year's Eve,” Director of the Wittamer chocolate shop, Myriam Wittamer said.

That says it all. If you have not had chocolates from Belgium during Easter, its time you thought about it.

(With inputs from Sushmit Sarkar)

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