Easter

Easter is a very important holiday all over the world. It is celebrated in many countries in both religious and non-religious ways. In both cases, it is a holiday that many people enjoy. Religious Celebrations of Easter Easter is one of the oldest and most celebrated holidays in the Christian Church. It honours the resurrection of Jesus. It is also called Resurrection Day or the Sunday of Resurrection. The date of Easter has been debated and changed. However, the holiday now falls on the first Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after March 21. This means the holiday can be any Sunday from March 22nd to April 25th. The religious tradition is to have an easter vigil on Saturday night at the church. This is one of the most important Church services of the year. It includes the blessing of the Easter fire and the lighting of a large Paschal candle. As well, there is normally church service on Sunday, which may be followed by a feast. Good Friday The Friday before Easter Sunday is named Good Friday, and it is a commemoration of the death of Christ. In Christian tradition, the liturgy consists of reading the passion, the ceremony of the veneration of the cross, and communion from the sacrament consecrated the day before. Lent Lent is a period of 40 days in which Christians observe specific sacrifices. Often people give up certain things in their life they feel are not good for them. Examples could be smoking or eating candy. This period begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter. Easter marks the end of Lent, which is another reason why it is so important in the Church. Non-Religious Celebrations of Easter Like several Christian holidays, Easter is also celebrated in a non-religious way. Many people in the United States, Canada, and Europe celebrate Easter as a time of gathering, feasting and welcoming the arrival of spring. Easter has become a very commercial holiday, and it is a popular time for giving greeting cards, chocolate, and other gifts. The Easter Bunny The biggest symbol of Easter is the Easter Bunny. The tradition says the Easter Bunny comes to the homes of children when they are sleeping and hides eggs for them to find when they wake up in the morning. It is common for children to decorate and paint the shells of eggs. Often, the eggs are decorated in bright colours to represent springtime. The Easter Bunny hides the eggs when the children are sleeping. More recently, the Easter Bunny hides chocolate eggs, which the children find and eat. Now, many people give chocolate or candy rabbits as gifts. The first candy Easter Bunnies were made in Germany, and they are now popular all over the world. In fact, the symbol of the Easter Bunny was brought to North America by German immigrants. The Holiday of Spring For many people, Easter is a holiday to celebrate the arrival of spring. Therefore, springtime themes are represented in Easter. This includes flowers such as tulips. As well, the traditional colours of spring are seen at Easter, such as bright yellow, light blue, and pink. It is also common for children to receive gifts. These gifts are often new clothes that can be worn in the arriving warm weather, like spring dresses for girls. Easter People around the world celebrate Easter in many ways. However, most consider Easter a time for family. In English, you can greet someone with "Happy Easter!