Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is seen as the most important of all Christian holidays and it is quite difficult to argue with that. It is a moveable feast that does not fall on the same date every year. The celebration of the holiday happens on the very first Sunday after the first full moon after the March 21 equinox. It might be complicated but this just means that the holiday is always held on a Sunday somewhere between March 22 and April 25. The Julian calendar is used by the orthodox Christians while the Gregorian calendar is used by the Western churches.
Origins
Easter holiday origins are not well known when referring to the name. It is said that the word derives from Eostre, the fertility and spring Teutonic goddess. Others claims that Eastern has Latin term roots. Based on the country where the holiday is celebrated, different origins are traced, thus leading to the conclusion that different spring holiday celebrations lead to the formation of just one in the Christian calendar.
Easter And Christianity
Easter stands out as one season in the Christian year. It is not just one day. Lent is the name of the 40 day period that leads towards Easter Sunday, considered as a penance and reflection time representing those 40 days in which Jesus was alone in the wild, before the ministry was started. This is when it is believed that Christ survived temptations that were offered by the devil.
Before Lent we have a day that is known under the name of Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. This is where we look at huge celebrations filled with fun and food, before fasting starts. Before Easter we have a week that is known under the name Holy Week. It includes Maundy Thursday, the last of the suppers with Jesus and the disciples. We also have Good Friday, the day that celebrates Christ’s crucifixion and the Holy Saturday focusing on the link between resurrection and crucifixion. After that we see a 50 days period that is known as Eastertide. This period celebrates Christ’s ascension towards heaven.
Easter And Commercial Significance
Besides the religious significance of Easter, we have a commercial side that is highly visible. A lot of people consider the fact that Easter only appeared because of the fact that people wanted to make more money. While we are not the ones to judge, the similarities between Christmas and Easter can be seen in terms of sales.
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