Easter
by: Kyle T Connor W and Lucas A
The Next Easter
The week before easter is called Holy Week. Easter this year is on Sunday, April Fifth. Easter always occurs on the first sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.
The Importance of Easter
Easter is the Most important holy day in the Christian calendar. Christians core beliefs are centered around the sacrificing of Jesus to save humanity from temptation and eternal life after their life on earth. Both of these beliefs are evident during the easter celebration. Easter is a time for Christians across the world to remember Christ’s sacrificial death. Easter is a time to remember Jesus’s pain and suffering on the cross. After his time on the cross Jesus was resurrected by God on the third day. After he was resurrected Christians believe he went to heaven and is seated next to God. Christians believe that they will be like Jesus and live with God in heaven if they live their lives according to the Ten Commandments.
The Traditons of Easter
Easter is mostly known for the big feast and there being bunnies and colorful eggs but there is always a deeper meaning behind these traditions and why they are celebrated on Easter. There are many churches that celebrate the night before easter by lighting 12 candles. They make sure when lighting candles to remember that Jesus is the light. They then walk around the church lighting other candles and once finished the priest says “Christ has risen” exactly at midnight. If a church has a tomb they will arrange it the way that it looked when Jesus was resurrected. Many families will eat lamb in honor of what Jesus said, “behold the lamb of god which takes away the sins of the world”; John (1:29). We decorate eggs because, during the holy week bunnies laid eggs that were different colors. The rabbit is said to lay the eggs and then hide them from us. Other Easter animals include the fox and the cuckoo in Europe. The days before Easter are known as the holy week. A week that includes the last supper between Jesus and his disciples and other Holy Days.
Jesus on the Cross
This is a painting of Jesus on the cross. The whole Easter celebration is based off of this event. Christians believe that Jesus sacrificed himself to save mankind from Satan.
The Easter Candle
This is a common Easter ritual. At the Easter vigil each year the Easter candle is lit. The Easter candle is a much brighter candle than normal candle to show how Jesus is the light of the world.
Eostre the Goddess of Spring and Fertility
Easter is named after this Goddess. Symbols of Eostre are the bunny and the egg.
Did You Know?
The reason bunnies and eggs are symbols of Easter is because the egg and bunny are symbols of Eostre. The egg represents fertility and bunnies represent the spring.
Bibliography
"Easter." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 24 Nov. 2014. <http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter>.
"Learn about Jesus & Easter and the Meaning of Easter." Learn about Jesus & Easter and the Meaning of Easter. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.
"Women of the Cross." Women of the Cross. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. <http://www.historyswomen.com/womenoffaith/WomenandtheCross.htm>