April 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, April 5 typically falls within the period of Great Lent, the forty days of fasting preceding Holy Week and Pascha (Easter). Depending on the year's Paschal date, April 5 may be a weekday during Great Lent or, less commonly, the beginning of Holy Week.

If April 5 falls during Great Lent, the liturgical services will reflect the somber and penitential character of the season. This includes more frequent prostrations, the Prayer of St. Ephrem, and a focus on repentance and spiritual introspection. The hymns chanted during services will be primarily Lenten in tone. Specific Scriptural readings and hymnography will correspond to the particular day of the week and the week of Great Lent.

If April 5 falls at the very end of Great Lent, or the beginning of Holy Week, the services would transition to reflect the events of the final days of Christ's earthly life. The services will begin to commemorate Christ's entry into Jerusalem, marking the beginning of Holy Week. In this instance, the hymns and readings would shift towards reflecting the themes of Christ's Passion. The services become more focused on the narrative of the Gospels, recounting the Last Supper, the betrayal, the crucifixion, and the burial.