Also known as Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. According to the New Testament, this event occurred on the third day after Jesus’s crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary around 30 AD. Easter is considered the most important and oldest festival in the Christian Church
Here are some key points about Easter
Holy Week and Lent: Easter-observing Christians refer to the week before Easter as Holy Week, which includes events like Palm Sunday (marking Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem), Spy Wednesday (mourning Jesus’s betrayal), Maundy Thursday (commemorating the Last Supper), and Good Friday (remembering the crucifixion and death of Jesus) .
- Easter Sunday: The week beginning with Easter Sunday is called Easter Week or the Octave of Easter. Each day is prefaced with “Easter,” such as Easter Monday. In Western Christianity, Eastertide or the Easter Season lasts seven weeks, ending with Pentecost Sunday. In Eastern Christianity, the Paschal season also ends with Pentecost, but the leave-taking of the Great Feast of Pascha occurs on the 39th day, the day before the Feast of the Ascension 1.
- Easter Traditions Around the World:
- France: Cooking up a giant omelet.
- Finland: Children dress up as witches.
- Italy: Fireworks explosion.
- Australia: Chocolate bilbies.
- Guatemala: Colorful carpets.
- Czech Republic: Whipping tradition.
- Bermuda: Kite flying.
- Sicily: Edible Easter arches.
- Poland: Giant water fights.
- Jamaica: Cracking eggs on Good Friday to predict the future
Easter is a time of celebration, reflection, and joy for Christians worldwide. Whether it’s attending church services, sharing festive family meals, decorating Easter eggs, or participating in unique customs, this holiday holds deep significance for believers and is also celebrated culturally by many.
