Easter
History of Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year.According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday (also Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday). The chronology of his death and resurrection is variously interpreted to have occurred between AD 26 and 36.
Easter marks the end of Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance. The last week of the Lent is called Holy Week, and it contains Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Easter is followed by a fifty-day period called Eastertide or the Easter Season, ending with Pentecost Sunday. Easter is a moveable feast, meaning it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar. The First Council of Nicaea (325) established the date of Easter as the first Sunday after the full moon (the Paschal Full Moon) following the northern hemisphere's vernal equinox.Ecclesiastically, the equinox is reckoned to be on March 21 (even though the equinox occurs, astronomically speaking, on March 20 in most years), and the "Full Moon" is not necessarily the astronomically correct date. The date of Easter therefore varies between March 22 and April 25. | Eastern Christianity bases its calculations on the Julian Calendar whose March 21 corresponds, during the 21st century, to April 3 in the Gregorian Calendar, in which calendar their celebration of Easter therefore varies between April 4 and May 8.
Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover by much of its symbolism, as well as by its position in the calendar. In many languages, the words for "Easter" and "Passover" are etymologically related or homonymous. Easter customs vary across the Christian world, but decorating Easter eggs is a common motif. In the Western world, customs such as egg hunting and the Easter Bunny extend from the domain of church, and often have a secular character. |
Easter symbols
easter bunny
Since Easter coincides with the advent of spring season, the celebrations are very colorful. Easter Bunny and the beautifully eggs brought by the legendary character add to the color and vibrancy of the festival. On the night before Easter, children eagerly wait for the furry bunny to bring colored eggs and gift baskets filled with toys and chocolates, for them. Easter Bunny of Easter is similar to Santa Claus of Christmas, because both bring gifts to children, on the Eve of the respective festivals. easter candles
Easter candles are lit in churches, to celebrate the Resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ, three days after crucifixion. Christians associate Jesus with the light from candles, hailing him as "the eternal light", showing Christians the way from death to life. The candlelight ushers in a world of hope and prosperity, by driving away the gloom of darkness. easter cross
The Cross, the all-pervading icon of Christianity, is an integral element of all Christian festivals, including Easter. It is the symbol of life over death. The crucifix is a cross with an image of Jesus' body hanging from it. It symbolizes the sacrifice, which Jesus did for humanity. An empty cross, without the figure of Christ crucified on it, reminds Christians of Jesus' victory over death and the new life and hope the victory brings to humanity. easter eggs Easter eggs have been acknowledged as a symbol of continuing life and fertility, since pre-Christian spring celebrations. Given as springtime gifts by the ancient Greeks, Persians and Chinese at their spring festivals, the Easter egg appears in Pagan mythology as well, where the Heaven and Earth were thought to have been formed from two halves of an egg. easter lamb
The festival of Easter is celebrated with great fanfare by Christian people across the world. The day, which commemorates the Resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ three days after crucifixion, is observed with religious fervor. On the occasion, special services are conducted in churches, where the altar is decorated beautifully with the traditional Easter flowers, such as white lily. easter donkey
The Castilian donkey received the cross-shaped patch of hair which grows on its back and shoulders when he carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. hot cross buns
Hot cross buns stand out from other Easter delicacies, for their typical flavor. A prominent Easter icon, hot cross bun is called so, because of the icing cross on the top of the bun, which reminds people of the Crucifixion of Jesus. Hot cross buns were first baked in England, to be served as the traditional Good Friday breakfast. Nowadays, they are served throughout the Easter season. |
The Meaning of Easter
The meaning of Easter is Jesus Christ's victory over death. His resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him. The meaning of Easter also symbolizes the complete verification of all that Jesus preached and taught during His three-year ministry. If He had not risen from the dead, if He had merely died and not been resurrected, He would have been considered just another teacher or Rabbi. However, His resurrection changed all that and gave final and irrefutable proof that He was really the Son of God and that He had conquered death once and for all.
However, Easter did not always symbolize Christ's resurrection from the dead and the meaning of Easter was quite different than what Christians celebrate today. The feast day of Easter was originally a pagan celebration of renewal and rebirth. Celebrated in the early spring, it honored the pagan Saxon goddess Eastre. When the early missionaries converted the Saxons to Christianity, the holiday, since it fell around the same time as the traditional memorial of Christ's resurrection from the dead, was merged with the pagan celebration, and became know as Easter. The meaning of Easter was also changed to reflect its new Christian orientation.
Today, the meaning of Easter, for million of Christians, is that of honoring and recognizing Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, and His glorious promises of eternal life for all who believe in Him.
The Easter Tradition
- The festival of Easter is marked by traditions that are a treat in color and taste. Brightly colored and edible Easter eggs and Easter bunnies are exchanged within families and between relatives and friends while delicious Hot-cross buns form a staple delicacy in most Christian homes during the Easter weekend particularly on Good Friday.
The White House Easter Egg RollEaster Eggs, though rooted in Pagan history, have traditionally been associated with the festival of Easter for their symbolism in depicting rebirth and renewal as represented by the emergence of Easter Chickens from within the egg-shells.
Opening the gates of the White House South Lawns to the public on Easter Monday each year for the White House Easter Egg Roll is a popular White House tradition. Children, accompanied by adult guardians, spark a riot of color and joy as they spread across the lawns in colorful attire, wielding Easter bunnies, egg-baskets, etc. In 2010, apart from the exciting egg-rolling competitions, children were also treated to a reading by President Obama from Dr.Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Hams” and a rendition of the theme song from Looney Tunes by the U.S. Marine Band.
Hot-cross Buns on Good FridayHot-cross buns are special breads traditionally eaten on Good Friday. Round in shape and risen, they are made from flour, spices, sugar, dried fruit and dairy produce. A distinguishing feature of a hot-cross bun is the tiny cross in the center of the top. The cross represents the crucifixion of Christ. Queen Elizabeth I is believed to have banned the production of these buns except on Good Friday, owing to its close proximity to religion
A unique tradition surrounding the Hot-cross bun revolves around the Widow’s Son Public House in East London. Legend has it that an old-widow occupied the private home that once stood on the site of the pub. Her only son is believed to have asked her to bake him a Hot-cross bun prior to his return home from the navy. Unfortunately, he never did make it back home and the widow, in remembrance of him, religiously baked a Hot-cross bun every Good Friday. The Widow’s Son Public House continues this Good Friday tradition by hanging a freshly baked bun over the bar.
The Sprightly Easter BunnyThe popular Easter Rabbit, representing fertility, is believed to have originally been a hare. The rabbit, being more common and identifiable in most countries around the world, replaced the hare. Its symbolic attachment to the festival of Easter was first established in 6th century German writings and German legend has it that a poor woman hid colored eggs in a nest for her children to find. As they approached the nest to retrieve the eggs, they spotted a hare hopping away and concluded that it was the hare that placed the eggs there. This story might also have a lot to do with the popular Easter tradition of Easter Egg treasure-hunting.
It is true that Easter traditions have created avenues for markets to commercially exploit the festival. While this is unfortunate, it is up to the faithful to highlight the spiritual message that makes Easter the pillar of Christian belief.