What is Easter and why is it celebrated? Origin, meaning of holy day

Easter is just a hop around the corner – with millions of people around the world are preparing to celebrate this Sunday.

The Christian holiday commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. While traditions and religious rituals for Easter vary among denominations and across the globe, many Christians observe the holiday through church services and prayer.

Meanwhile, others may also be anticipating a visit from a magical Easter Bunny – or preparing for a weekend full of colorful eggs, baskets of chocolate and more.

Here are some key facts about the history of Easter and how people commemorate the day.

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What is the history of Easter?

Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after he was crucified by Romans around 30 A.D.

“Easter’s roots (date back to) a day in the week in which Christ rose from the dead. It would have been the first day of the week after the Jewish Sabbath, which was Saturday,” Timothy P. O’Malley, a faculty member at the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life, told USA TODAY.

“Early Christians celebrated, therefore, every Sunday like it was Easter. There was no annual commemoration of Easter early on, but by the second and third centuries, there comes to be an annual celebration of Easter,” O’Malley continued, adding that the celebration later grew.

Easter marks the last day of the Holy Week, which consists of several days that each carry their own significance. These include:

Palm Sunday: commemorating when Jesus entered Jerusalem
Holy Thursday: commemorating the Last Supper and washing of feet
Good Friday: commemorating Jesus’ crucifixion and death
Easter Sunday: commemorating the resurrection of Jesus

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Easter mass is one of the longest sessions of the Catholic mass. For some, the Easter Vigil begins after sunset on Saturday night or early Sunday morning into the sunrise of Easter. With more readings, songs and rituals, mass can be anywhere from two to three hours.

Some Christian churches, such as Catholic and Orthodox churches, also celebrate the Octave of Easter – an eight-day period that begins on Easter Sunday as “the formal celebration of the feast of Easter,” O’Malley says.

Why does the date of Easter change each year?

The date of Easter hops around each year – typically between March 22 and April 25. In short, the holiday falls on the first Sunday after the full Moon on or following the spring equinox.

Western Christianity uses the Gregorian calendar. In 2023, Easter falls on April 9.

In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, however, the date of Easter differs. This year, it falls on April 16.

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How did the Easter Bunny and eggs become symbols of the holiday?

Beyond religious rituals, commercial celebrations of Easter have popularized the holiday’s symbols of the eggs, chicks and, of course, the Easter Bunny.

These symbols have religious roots, experts say. In the northern hemisphere, where Easter occurs in spring, images of new life associated with the season are linked to the holiday, O’Malley says.

The bunnies, chicks and eggs are signs “new life and fertility around the spring time,” O’Malley says.

According to History.com, Easter eggs are also “said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and resurrection.”

The practice of dyeing eggs dates back to the ancient Middle East when people used onion skins to color them, Nadieszda Kizenko, director of religious studies at the University at Albany, told USA TODAY last year.

Eggs were also decorated because of their importance, Kizenko said. In the early days of Lent – the time period of fasting between Ash Wednesday and Easter – meat was given up, as well as dairy products.

“Being able to eat eggs once again was a really big deal. That’s when people started the custom of decorating eggs,” Kizenko said.

Easter celebrations vary around the world

Of course, Easter celebrations differ around the world – depending on both regional traditions as well as denominational practices across different Christian churches.

USA TODAY

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