2. Easter, which celebrates Jesus Christ’s
resurrection from the dead, is Christianity’s
most important holiday. It has been called a
moveable feast because it doesn’t fall on a
set date every year, as most holidays do.
Instead, Christian churches in the West
celebrate Easter on the first Sunday
following the full moon after the vernal
equinox on March 21. Therefore, Easter is
observed anywhere between March 22 and
April 25 every year. Orthodox Christians use
the Julian calendar to calculate when Easter
will occur and typically celebrate the holiday
a week or two after the Western churches.
3. The exact origins of this religious feast day’s name
are unknown. Some sources claim the word Easter is
derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring
and fertility. Other accounts trace Easter to the Latin
term hebdomada alba, or white week, an ancient
reference to Easter week and the white clothing
donned by people who were baptized during that
time.
Easter is really an entire season of the Christian
church year, as opposed to a single-day it is a time of
reflection and penance and represents the 40 days that
Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his
ministry, a time in which Christians believe he
survived various temptations by the devil.
4. • The Easter date
• The method for determining the date of
Easter is complex and has been a matter of
controversy. Put as simply as possible, the
Western churches celebrate Easter on the
first Sunday following the first full moon
after the spring equinox
5. In addition to Easter’s religious
significance, it also has a commercial
side, as evidenced by the mounds of
jelly beans and marshmallow chicks
that appear in stores each spring.
What do eggs have to do with Easter?
Over the centuries, Easter Sunday has
been supplemented by popular
customs, many of were incorporated
from springtime fertility celebrations of
European and Middle Eastern pagan
religion. Rabbits and eggs, for example,
are widely-used pagan symbols for
fertility.
6. Some Christians disassociate
themselves entirely from
Easter eggs because of their
pagan connotations. Other
Christians view Easter eggs, or
other candies and treats, as
symbols of joy and celebration
(as they were forbidden during
the fast of Lent) and as a
"taste" of new life and
resurrection that they have in
Jesus Christ. A common
custom is to hide brightly
colored eggs for children to
find.
7. Easter eggs are specially decorated eggs
given out to celebrate the Easter festival.
The custom of the Easter egg originated
in the early Christian community of
Mesopotamia, who stained eggs red in
memory of the blood of Christ, shed at
his crucifixion. As such, for Christians,
the Easter egg is a symbol of the empty
tomb. The oldest tradition is to use dyed
chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to
substitute eggs made from chocolate, or
plastic eggs filled with candy such as
jellybeans.
The Easter Bunny is a popular legendary
anthropomorphic Easter gift-giving
character analogous to Santa Claus in
American culture. Many Americans
follow the tradition of coloring hard-
boiled eggs and giving baskets of candy.
8. Among followers of Eastern Christianity the legend says that
Mary Magdalene was bringing cooked eggs to share with the
other women at the tomb of Jesus, and the eggs in her basket
miraculously turned bright red when she saw the risen Christ.
A different, but not necessarily conflicting legend concerns
Mary Magdalene's efforts to spread the Gospel. According to
this tradition, after the Ascension of Jesus, Mary went to the
Emperor of Rome and greeted him with "Christ has risen,"
whereupon he pointed to an egg on his table and stated,
"Christ has no more risen than that egg is red."
After making this statement it is said the egg immediately
turned blood red.
9. Easter eggs, also called Paschal
eggs, are decorated eggs that are
often given to
celebrate Easter or springtime. As
such, Easter eggs are common
during the season of Eastertide.
The oldest tradition is to use dyed
and painted chicken eggs, but a
modern custom is to substitute
chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs
filled with confectionery such
as jelly beans.
EASTER EGGS
10. Butter lamb
The butter lamb, also known as
a buttered lamb, is a traditional butter
sculpture accompanying the Easter meal
for many Russian,
Slovenian, Polish Catholics. Butter is
shaped into a lamb either by hand or in
a lamb-shaped mold. It is also sold
at delis, Polish specialty markets, and
some general grocery stores at Easter
time. The butter lamb is a particular
tradition in Buffalo, New York's
Broadway Market, in which the annual
introduction of the butter lamb is a
symbol of spring
11. Cadbury Creme Egg
A Cadbury CremeEgg is
a chocolate product
produced in the shape of
an egg. The product consists
of a thick milk
chocolate shell, housing a
white and
yellow fondant filling which
mimics the albumen and
yolk of a chicken egg.
12. Pinca is a
traditional Dalmatian, Istrian and
Bay of Kotor Easter sweet roll. It
is also popular in the
Goriška region of Slovenia,
the Slovenian Littoral,
western Croatia and in parts of
the Trieste and Gorizia provinces
of Italy. It takes the form of a
sweet bread loaf with the sign of
a cross, which is carved in with a
knife before baking, on the upper
side. Pinca is eaten to celebrate
the end of Lent because it
contains many eggs.
PINCA
13. Easter bread
In many European countries, there are
various traditions surrounding the use
of bread during the Easter holiday.
Traditionally the practice of eating
Easter bread or sweetened
"communion" bread traces its origin
back to Byzantium and the Orthodox
Christian church.
The recipe for sweetened or "honey-
leavened" bread may date back as far as
the Homeric Greek period based on
anecdotal evidence from classical texts
that mention this type of special food.
14. In our countries where the catholic
Religion is higher. The Easter, is
associated with the resurrection of
Jesus Christ. However, the Easter
around the world is diverse.
For example in España and others
countries of Latin-America, the
Easter is celebrate with religious
processions, where the people carry
monuments or images such as: Jesus
in the cross, the virgin crying and
others representations of the Christ’s
passion.
15. Frequently, this procession go
together with groups of
penitents, dresses with long
tunics and hoods that hide the
face, and they are praying.
Also in Mexico is typic to do a
performance of the Christ’s
passion.
The people not eat meat, give
money and do others sacrifices.
Also in Australia the Religious
celebration is curious because at
Easter, the bells of the church
don’t ring, They believe that the
bells fly to Roma.
16. The people do a bonfires or
burning wheels and push this by
downhill.
The adults hide Easter eggs and
candies, and the children have to
find them.
Also, the people do a parade of
Easter hats. This hats are big and
decorated with flowers.
In some countries and towns, the
people do a carnival to celebrate
the end of Easter.
And do some funny games for the
children with Easter eggs, sticks,
water and many more.
17. EASTER EGGS
Easter is a religious holiday, but some of its customs, such as Easter eggs, are likely
linked to pagan traditions. The egg is an ancient symbol of new life. From a Christian
perspective, Easter eggs represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and resurrection. One
explanation for this custom is that eggs were a forbidden food during the Lenten season,
so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and
fasting, then eat them on Easter as a celebration.
EASTER BUNNY
The Bible makes no mention of a long-eared creature who delivers
decorated eggs to well-behaved children on Easter Sunday; however, the
Easter bunny has become a prominent symbol of this Christian holiday.
The exact origins of this mythical creature are unclear, but rabbits are
known to be prolific procreators so they are an ancient symbol of fertility
and new life.
18. CANDLES –
Symbolize Jesus as the light of the world.
EASTER LILIES-
The white blossoms symbolize the purity of Jesus. Lilies,
emerging from the earth in the spring, also symbolize new
life and the resurrection of Christ.
THE LAMB
It’s another symbol associated with Jesus. It is often named in
the Bible as the "Lamb of God“. John the Baptist describes
Jesus as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world“.
19. EASTER CANDY
Easter is the second best-selling candy holiday in
America, after Halloween. Among the most popular
sweet treats associated with this day are chocolate
eggs.
THE BUTTERFLY
Is one of the most significant symbols of Easter. Its whole life cycle
is meant to symbolize the life of Jesus Christ. The first stage, is the
caterpillar, which stands for His life on Earth. Second phase begins
from the cocoon stage, representing the crucifixion and burial of
Jesus. The third and final stage is the butterfly, representing His
rising from the dead.
