'Everyone has good values': Manitobans observe Easter, Passover, Ramadan during rare holiday alignment

Easter, Passover and Ramadan are all happening at the same time for the second year in a row, an instance that usually only happens every 33 years.

Hundreds of Winnipeggers dressed in their Sunday best to celebrate Easter Sunday, including those who attended a holiday mass.

"I enjoyed coming to this St. Mary's Cathedral. I haven't been here in a long time," said Viola Menow. Who went to Easter mass at St. Mary's Cathedral.

"It was really nice. It's been a while since we've had Easter mass, so it was really nice to get together," said another parishioner who also caught the Sunday service. 

The Christian holiday weekend is also being shared with two other major religious holidays -- Ramadan and Passover.

At Chevra Mishnayes Synagogue, a team of dedicated workers prepared a Passover brunch Sunday morning.

"Usually, for the first two days of Pesach, Passover, people gather with their families and eat a lot of matzah, so we are trying to stay away from matzah," explained Skye Kneller, the synagogue's executive director.

Passover is the major Jewish holiday celebrating the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt.

"Every generation has their own Egypt. Every person has their own Egypt," added Kneller. "Everyone can have their own freedom they are looking forward to, whether you're free from anxiety, stress or anything. Everyone has their own personal redemption story."

Meantime, for Muslims, it's Ramadan, a time for fasting, prayer and reflection.

Delvinder Zamir, the Manitoba Islamic Association's second vice president, said the long weekend gave her a chance to spend more time focusing on Ramadan.

"Because I would have been a work, but instead, I got to be at home, spend time with my family and friends, break our fast together and just worship together," she said.

A holy holiday made better by sharing it with other religions.

"Across the board, everyone has good values, and we are all reflecting on values and being good individuals during this time, and it's just nice for all of us to come together and share, 'yeah, I'm also doing that, and you're also doing that,'" said Zamir.

Passover ends on Thursday and Ramadan continues until April 20.