Easter , also called Pascha (Aramaic, Greek, Latin) or Resurrection Sunday, is a festival and holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day after his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD.
” 1 Peter 1:3: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Corinthians 15:21: “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.”
The egg itself became a symbol of the Resurrection. Just as Jesus rose from the tomb, the egg symbolized new life emerging from the eggshell. In the Orthodox tradition, eggs are painted red to symbolize the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. The egg -coloring tradition has continued even in modern secular nations.
In fact, the rabbit was the symbol of Eostra—the pagan Germanic goddess of spring and fertility. In other words, the Christian holiday of Easter , which celebrated the resurrection of Jesus , became superimposed on pagan traditions that celebrated rebirth and fertility. So why does the Easter bunny bring eggs?
Recent astronomical research uses the contrast between the synoptic date of Jesus’ last Passover on the one hand with John’s date of the subsequent “Jewish Passover ” on the other hand, to propose Jesus’ Last Supper to have been on Wednesday, 1 April AD 33 and the crucifixion on Friday 3 April AD 33 and the Resurrection
Christians around the world observe Good Friday as the day when Jesus Christ died on the cross for humanity so that he could save them from their sins.
May you and your family be blessed as you celebrate the true meaning of Easter , from the reflection of Good Friday to the joy of Easter Sunday and the promise of eternal life. May your life be blessed with joy and prosperity. Happy Easter ! Easter is a wonderful day to celebrate all Christ has done for us.
It marks the anniversary of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to heaven — and observing this holiday can teach Christians a lot more about faith than bunnies. Easter arrives at the end of Holy Week and right after Good Friday, which commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion and death.
Easter is Not Mentioned in the Bible Another problem concerning the celebration of Easter is the fact that it is not in the Bible . The word “ Easter ” (or its equivalents) appear in the Bible only once in Acts 12:4. When taken into context, however, the use of the word “ Easter ” in this verse refers only to the Passover.
Although traditions like the Easter bunny and Easter egg hunts seem as harmless as believing in Santa Claus, they actually have a significant association with pagan worship and rituals from the past.
The Easter Bunny is female : How our Easter traditions began.
Why do we hide eggs at Easter ? In many pre-Christian societies eggs held associations with spring and new life. Early Christians adapted these beliefs, making the egg a symbol of the resurrection and the empty shell a metaphor for Jesus’ tomb. The men would hide the eggs for the women and children to find.
The story of the Easter Bunny is thought to have become common in the 19th Century. Rabbits usually give birth to a big litter of babies (called kittens), so they became a symbol of new life. Legend has it that the Easter Bunny lays, decorates and hides eggs as they are also a symbol of new life.
The tradition of eating chocolate at Easter is tied to Lent. During the six weeks before Easter , known as Lent, Christians abstained from consuming animal products. This included all dairy and eggs.
For Christians, the Easter egg is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Painting Easter eggs is an especially beloved tradition in the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches where the eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross.