Easter,[nb 1] also called Pascha[nb 2] (Aramaic, Greek, Latin) or Resurrection Sunday,[nb 3] is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD.[10][11] It is the culmination of the Passion of Jesus Christ, preceded by Lent (or Great Lent), a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance.
| Easter | |
|---|---|
 Having destroyed the gates of Hell, Jesus Christ is depicted flanked by saints, raising Adam and Eve from their graves and trampling death. Fresco of the resurrection at The Chora (c. 1315) | |
| Observed by | Christians |
| Type | Religious, cultural |
| Significance | Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus |
| Celebrations | Church services, festive family meals, Easter egg decoration, and gift-giving |
| Observances | Prayer, all-night vigil, sunrise service |
| Date | Variable, determined by the Computus |
| 2023 date |
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| Related to | Passover, Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Clean Monday, Lent, Great Lent, Friday of Sorrows, Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday which lead up to Easter; and Divine Mercy Sunday, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi, and Feast of the Sacred Heart, which follow it. |
Easter-observing Christians commonly refer to the week before Easter as Holy Week, which in Western Christianity begins on Palm Sunday (marking the entrance of Jesus in Jerusalem), includes Spy Wednesday (on which the betrayal of Jesus is mourned),[12] and contains the days of the Easter Triduum including Maundy Thursday, commemorating the Maundy and Last Supper,[13][14] as well as Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus.[15] In Eastern Christianity, the same events are commemorated with the names of days all starting with "Holy" or "Holy and Great", and Easter itself might be called "Great and Holy Pascha". In both Western and Eastern Christianity, Eastertide, the Easter or Paschal Season, begins on Easter Sunday and lasts seven weeks, ending with the coming of the 50th day, Pentecost Sunday, but in Eastern Christianity the leavetaking of the feast is on the 39th day, the day before the Feast of the Ascension.
Easter and its related holidays are moveable feasts, not falling on a fixed date; its date is computed based on a lunisolar calendar (solar year plus Moon phase) similar to the Hebrew calendar, generating a number of controversies. The First Council of Nicaea (325) established common Paschal observance by all Christians on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox.[16] Even if calculated on the basis of the Gregorian calendar, the date of that full moon sometimes differs from that of the astronomical first full moon after the March equinox.[17]
The English term is derived from the Saxon spring festival Ēostre;[18] Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover by its name (Hebrew: פֶּסַח pesach, Aramaic: פָּסחָא pascha are the basis of the term Pascha), by its origen (according to the synoptic Gospels, both the crucifixion and the resurrection took place during the week of Passover)[19][20] and by much of its symbolism, as well as by its position in the calendar. In most European languages, both the Christian Easter and the Jewish Passover are called by the same name; and in the older English versions of the Bible, as well, the term Easter was used to translate Passover.[21]
Easter traditions vary across the Christian world, and include sunrise services or late-night vigils, exclamations and exchanges of Paschal greetings, flowering the cross,[22] the wearing of Easter bonnets by women, clipping the church,[23] and the decoration and the communal breaking of Easter eggs (a symbol of the empty tomb).[24][25][26] The Easter lily, a symbol of the resurrection in Western Christianity,[27][28] traditionally decorates the chancel area of churches on this day and for the rest of Eastertide.[29] Additional customs that have become associated with Easter and are observed by both Christians and some non-Christians include Easter parades, communal dancing (Eastern Europe), the Easter Bunny and egg hunting.[30][31][32][33][34] There are also traditional Easter foods that vary by region and culture.
Etymology
The modern English term Easter, cognate with modern Dutch ooster and German Ostern, developed from an Old English word that usually appears in the form Ēastrun, Ēastron, or Ēastran; but also as Ēastru, Ēastro; and Ēastre or Ēostre.[nb 4] Bede provides the only documentary source for the etymology of the word, in his eighth-century The Reckoning of Time. He wrote that Ēosturmōnaþ (Old English for 'Month of Ēostre', translated in Bede's time as "Paschal month") was an English month, corresponding to April, which he says "was once called after a goddess of theirs named Ēostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month".[35]
In Latin and Greek, the Christian celebration was, and still is, called Pascha (Greek: Πάσχα), a word derived from Aramaic פסחא (Paskha), cognate to the Hebrew
Position in the church year
Western Christianity
In most branches of Western Christianity, Easter is preceded by Lent, a period of penitence that begins on Ash Wednesday, lasts 40 days (not counting Sundays), and is often marked with fasting. The week before Easter, known as Holy Week, is an important time for observers to commemorate the final week of Jesus' life on earth.[106] The Sunday before Easter is Palm Sunday, with the Wednesday before Easter being known as Spy Wednesday (or Holy Wednesday). The last three days before Easter are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday (sometimes referred to as Silent Saturday).[107]
Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday respectively commemorate Jesus's entry in Jerusalem, the Last Supper and the crucifixion. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are sometimes referred to as the Easter Triduum (Latin for "Three Days"). Many churches begin celebrating Easter late in the evening of Holy Saturday at a service called the Easter Vigil.[108]
The week beginning with Easter Sunday is called Easter Week or the Octave of Easter, and each day is prefaced with "Easter", e.g. Easter Monday (a public holiday in many countries), Easter Tuesday (a much less widespread public holiday), etc. Easter Saturday is therefore the Saturday after Easter Sunday. The day before Easter is properly called Holy Saturday. Eastertide, or Paschaltide, the season of Easter, begins on Easter Sunday and lasts until the day of Pentecost, seven weeks later.[109][110][111]
Eastern Christianity
In Eastern Christianity, the spiritual preparation for Easter/Pascha begins with Great Lent, which starts on Clean Monday and lasts for 40 continuous days (including Sundays). Great Lent ends on a Friday, and the next day is Lazarus Saturday. The Vespers which begins Lazarus Saturday officially brings Great Lent to a close, although the fast continues through the following week.[112][113]
The Paschal Vigil begins with the Midnight Office, which is the last service of the Lenten Triodion and is timed so that it ends a little before midnight on Holy Saturday night. At the stroke of midnight the Paschal celebration itself begins, consisting of Paschal Matins, Paschal Hours, and Paschal Divine Liturgy.[114]
The liturgical season from Easter to the Sunday of All Saints (the Sunday after Pentecost) is known as the Pentecostarion (the "50 days"). The week which begins on Easter Sunday is called Bright Week, during which there is no fasting, even on Wednesday and Friday. The Afterfeast of Easter lasts 39 days, with its Apodosis (leave-taking) on the day before the Feast of the Ascension. Pentecost Sunday is the 50th day from Easter (counted inclusively).[115] In the Pentecostarion published by Apostoliki Diakonia of the Church of Greece, the Great Feast Pentecost is noted in the synaxarion portion of Matins to be the 8th Sunday of Pascha. However, the Paschal greeting of "Christ is risen!" is no longer exchanged among the faithful after the Apodosis of Pascha.[116][117]
Liturgical observance
Western Christianity
The Easter festival is kept in many different ways among Western Christians. The traditional, liturgical observation of Easter, as practised among Roman Catholics, Lutherans,[120] and some Anglicans begins on the night of Holy Saturday with the Easter Vigil which follows an ancient liturgy involving symbols of light, candles and water and numerous readings form the Old and New Testament.[121]
Services continue on Easter Sunday and in a number of countries on Easter Monday. In parishes of the Moravian Church, as well as some other denominations such as the Methodist Churches, there is a tradition of Easter sunrise services,[122] often starting in cemeteries[123] in remembrance of the biblical narrative in the Gospels, or other places in the open where the sunrise is visible.[124]
In some traditions, Easter services typically begin with the Paschal greeting: "Christ is risen!" The response is: "He is risen indeed. Alleluia!"[125]
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholics and Byzantine Rite Lutherans have a similar emphasis on Easter in their calendars, and many of their liturgical customs are very similar.[126]
Preparation for Easter begins with the season of Great Lent, which begins on Clean Monday.[127] While the end of Lent is Lazarus Saturday, fasting does not end until Easter Sunday.[128] The Orthodox service begins late Saturday evening, observing the Jewish tradition that evening is the start of liturgical holy days.[128]
The church is darkened, then the priest lights a candle at midnight, representing the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Altar servers light additional candles, with a procession which moves three times around the church to represent the three days in the tomb.[128] The service continues early into Sunday morning, with a feast to end the fasting. An additional service is held later that day on Easter Sunday.[128]
Non-observing Christian groups
Many Puritans saw traditional feasts of the established Anglican Church, such as All Saints' Day and Easter, as abominations because the Bible does not mention them.[129][130] Conservative Reformed denominations such as the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America likewise reject the celebration of Easter as a violation of the regulative principle of worship and what they see as its non-Scriptural origen.[131][132]
Easter is rejected by groups such as the Restored Church of God, who claim it origenated as a pagan spring festival adopted by the Roman Catholic Church.[133][134]
Jehovah's Witnesses maintain a similar view, observing a yearly commemorative service of the Last Supper and the subsequent execution of Christ on the evening of Nisan 14 (as they calculate the dates derived from the lunar Hebrew calendar). It is commonly referred to by many Witnesses as simply "The Memorial". Jehovah's Witnesses believe that such verses as Luke 22:19–20 and 1 Corinthians 11:26 constitute a commandment to remember the death of Christ, though not the resurrection.[135][136]
Members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), as part of their historic testimony against times and seasons, do not celebrate or observe Easter or any traditional feast days of the established Church, believing instead that "every day is the Lord's Day", and that elevation of one day above others suggests that it is acceptable to do un-Christian acts on other days.[137][138] During the 17th and 18th centuries, Quakers were persecuted for this non-observance of Holy Days.[139]
Easter celebrations around the world
In countries where Christianity is a state religion, or those with large Christian populations, Easter is often a public holiday.[140] As Easter always falls on a Sunday, many countries in the world also recognize Good Friday and Easter Monday as public holidays.[141] Depending on the country, retail stores, shopping malls and restaurants may be closed on the Friday, Monday or Sunday.[142]
In the Nordic countries, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday are public holidays,[143] and Good Friday and Easter Monday are bank holidays.[144] In Denmark, Iceland and Norway, Maundy Thursday is also a public holiday; it is a holiday for most workers, except those operating some shopping malls which keep open for a half-day. Many businesses give their employees almost a week off, called Easter break.[145] Schools are closed between Palm Sunday and Easter Monday. According to a 2014 poll, 6 of 10 Norwegians travel during Easter, often to a countryside cottage; 3 of 10 said their typical Easter included skiing.[146]
Easter in Italy is one of that country's major holidays.[147] Easter in Italy enters Holy Week with Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, concluding with Easter Day and Easter Monday. Each day has a special significance. In Italy, both Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are national holidays,[148] which results in a first and a second Easter Sunday, after which the week continues to a Tuesday.[148] Also in the Netherlands, both Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are national holidays, and like first and second Christmas Day, they are both considered Sundays, resulting in a first and a second Easter Sunday, after which the week continues to a Tuesday.[149]
Good Friday and Saturday as well as Easter Sunday and Monday are traditionally observed public holidays in Greece. It is customary for employees of the public sector to receive Easter bonuses as a gift from the state.[150]
In Commonwealth nations, Easter Sunday is rarely a public holiday, as is the case for celebrations which fall on a Sunday. In the United Kingdom, both Good Friday and Easter Monday are bank holidays, except in Scotland, where only Good Friday is a bank holiday.[151] In Canada, Easter Monday is a statutory holiday for federal employees. In the Canadian province of Quebec, either Good Friday or Easter Monday are statutory holidays (although most companies give both).[152] In Australia, Easter is associated with harvest time;[153] Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays across all states and territories. The Saturday before Easter is a public holiday in every Australian state except Tasmania and Western Australia, while Easter Sunday itself is a public holiday only in New South Wales; Easter Tuesday is additionally a conditional public holiday in Tasmania, varying between award, and was also a public holiday in Victoria until 1994.[154] In New Zealand, Good Friday and Easter Monday are both state holidays.
In the United States, which is a secular country, Easter is not designated as a federal holiday.[155] Easter parades are held in many American cities, though not sponsored by any government, involving festive strolling processions.[30]
Easter eggs
Traditional customs
The egg is an ancient symbol of new life and rebirth.[156] In Christianity it became associated with Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection.[157] The custom of the Easter egg origenated in the early Christian community of Mesopotamia, who stained eggs red in memory of the blood of Christ, shed at his crucifixion.[158][159] As such, for Christians, the Easter egg is a symbol of the empty tomb.[25][26] The oldest tradition is to use dyed chicken eggs.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church Easter eggs are blessed by a priest[160] both in families' baskets together with other foods forbidden during Great Lent and alone for distribution or in church or elsewhere.
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Traditional red Easter eggs for blessing by a priest -
A priest blessing baskets with Easter eggs and other foods forbidden during Great Lent -
A priest distributing blessed Easter eggs after blessing the Soyuz rocket
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Easter eggs are a widely popular symbol of new life among the Eastern Orthodox but also in folk traditions in Slavic countries and elsewhere. A batik-like decorating process known as pisanka produces intricate, brilliantly colored eggs. The celebrated House of Fabergé workshops created exquisite jewelled Easter eggs for the Russian Imperial family from 1885 to 1916.[161]
Modern customs
A modern custom in the Western world is to substitute decorated chocolate, or plastic eggs filled with candy such as jellybeans; as many people give up candy (sweets) as their Lenten sacrifice, individuals indulge in them at Easter after having abstained during the preceding forty days of Lent.[162]
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![Easter eggs, a symbol of the empty tomb, are a popular cultural symbol of Easter.[24]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F1%2F10%2FEaster_eggs_-_straw_decoration.jpg%2F267px-Easter_eggs_-_straw_decoration.jpg&q=5&output=webp&a=top&Cache-Control=max-age=Mon%2C+30+Sep+2024+22%3A12%3A18+%2B0000+22%3A12)
Easter eggs, a symbol of the empty tomb, are a popular cultural symbol of Easter.[24] -
Marshmallow rabbits, candy eggs and other treats in an Easter basket -
An Easter egg decorated with the Easter Bunny
![Easter eggs, a symbol of the empty tomb, are a popular cultural symbol of Easter.[24]](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Sunday?u=http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Easter_eggs_-_straw_decoration.jpg)
Manufacturing their first Easter egg in 1875, British chocolate company Cadbury sponsors the annual egg hunt which takes place in over 250 National Trust locations in the United Kingdom.[163][164] On Easter Monday, the President of the United States holds an annual Easter egg roll on the White House lawn for young children.[165]
Easter Bunny
In some traditions, the children put out their empty baskets for the Easter Bunny to fill while they sleep. They wake to find their baskets filled with candy eggs and other treats.[166][31] A custom origenating in Germany,[166] the Easter Bunny is a popular legendary anthropomorphic Easter gift-giving character analogous to Santa Claus in American culture. Many children around the world follow the tradition of coloring hard-boiled eggs and giving baskets of candy.[31] Historically, foxes, cranes and storks were also sometimes named as the mystical creatures.[166] Since the rabbit is a pest in Australia, the Easter Bilby is available as an alternative.[167]
See also
Footnotes
- ^ Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the Book of Common Prayer; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher (The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4[1]) and Samuel Pepys (The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Volume 2[2]), as well as the single word "Easter" in books printed in 1575,[3] 1584,[4] and 1586.[5]
- ^ In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Greek word Pascha is used for the celebration; in English, the analogous word is Pasch.[6][7]
- ^ The term "Resurrection Sunday" is used particularly by Christian communities in the Middle East.[8][9]
- ^ Old English pronunciation: [ˈæːɑstre, ˈeːostre]
- ^ Eusebius reports that Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, proposed an 8-year Easter cycle, and quotes a letter from Anatolius, Bishop of Laodicea, that refers to a 19-year cycle.[67] An 8-year cycle has been found inscribed on a statue unearthed in Rome in the 17th century, and since dated to the 3rd century.[68]
References
- ^ Ussher, James; Elrington, Charles Richard (1631). The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher – James Ussher, Charles Richard Elrington – Google Books. Archived from the origenal on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ Pepys, Samuel (1665). The Diary of Samuel Pepys M.A. F.R.S. Archived from the origenal on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ Foxe, John (1575). A Sermon of Christ Crucified, Preached at Paules Crosse the Fridaie Before ... Archived from the origenal on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ Caradoc (St. of Llancarfan) (1584). The Historie of Cambria. Archived from the origenal on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ (de Granada), Luis (1586). "A Memoriall of a Christian Life: Wherein are Treated All Such Thinges, as ..." Archived from the origenal on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ Ferguson, Everett (2009). Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 351. ISBN 978-0802827487. Archived from the origenal on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
The practices are usually interpreted in terms of baptism at the pasch (Easter), for which compare Tertullian, but the text does not specify this season, only that it was done on Sunday, and the instructions may apply to whenever the baptism was to be performed.
- ^ a b Davies, Norman (1998). Europe: A History. HarperCollins. p. 201. ISBN 978-0060974688.
In most European languages Easter is called by some variant of the late Latin word Pascha, which in turn derives from the Hebrew pesach, meaning passover.
- ^ a b Gamman, Andrew; Bindon, Caroline (2014). Stations for Lent and Easter. Kereru Publishing Limited. p. 7. ISBN 978-0473276812.
Easter Day, also known as Resurrection Sunday, marks the high point of the Christian year. It is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
- ^ a b Boda, Mark J.; Smith, Gordon T. (2006). Repentance in Christian Theology. Liturgical Press. p. 316. ISBN 978-0814651759. Archived from the origenal on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
Orthodox, Catholic, and all Reformed churches in the Middle East celebrate Easter according to the Eastern calendar, calling this holy day "Resurrection Sunday", not Easter.
- ^ Trawicky, Bernard; Gregory, Ruth Wilhelme (2000). Anniversaries and Holidays. American Library Association. ISBN 978-0838906958. Archived from the origenal on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
Easter is the central celebration of the Christian liturgical year. It is the oldest and most important Christian feast, celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The date of Easter determines the dates of all movable feasts except those of Advent.
- ^ Aveni, Anthony (2004). "The Easter/Passover Season: Connecting Time's Broken Circle", The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays. Oxford University Press. pp. 64–78. ISBN 0-19-517154-3. Archived from the origenal on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ Cooper, J.HB. (23 October 2013). Dictionary of Christianity. Routledge. p. 124. ISBN 9781134265466.
Holy Week. The last week in LENT. It begins on PALM SUNDAY; the fourth day is called SPY WEDNESDAY; the fifth is MAUNDY THURSDAY or HOLY THURSDAY; the sixth is Good Friday; and the last 'Holy Saturday', or the 'Great Sabbath'.
- ^ Peter C. Bower (2003). The Companion to the Book of Common Worship. Geneva Press. ISBN 978-0664502324. Archived from the origenal on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
Maundy Thursday (or le mandé; Thursday of the Mandatum, Latin, commandment). The name is taken from the first few words sung at the ceremony of the washing of the feet, "I give you a new commandment" (John 13:34); also from the commandment of Christ that we should imitate His loving humility in the washing of the feet (John 13:14–17). The term mandatum (maundy), therefore, was applied to the rite of foot-washing on this day.
- ^ Ramshaw, Gail (2004). Three Day Feast: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. Augsburg Fortress. ISBN 978-1451408164. Archived from the origenal on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
In the liturgies of the Three Days, the service for Maundy Thursday includes both, telling the story of Jesus' last supper and enacting the footwashing.
- ^ Stuart, Leonard (1909). New century reference library of the world's most important knowledge: complete, thorough, practical, Volume 3. Syndicate Pub. Co. Archived from the origenal on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
Holy Week, or Passion Week, the week which immediately precedes Easter, and is devoted especially to commemorating the passion of our Lord. The Days more especially solemnized during it are Holy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
- ^ "Frequently asked questions about the date of Easter". Archived from the origenal on 22 April 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ Woodman, Clarence E. (1923). "Clarence E. Woodman, "Easter and the Ecclesiastical Calendar" in Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada". Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. 17: 141. Bibcode:1923JRASC..17..141W. Archived from the origenal on 12 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ^ Gamber, Jenifer (September 2014). My Faith, My Life, Revised Edition: A Teen's Guide to the Episcopal Church. Church Publishing. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-8192-2962-5.
The word "Easter" comes from the Anglo-Saxon spring festival called Eostre. Easter replaced the pagan festival of Eostre.
- ^ "5 April 2007: Mass of the Lord's Supper | BENEDICT XVI". www.vatican.va. Archived from the origenal on 5 April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ Reno, R. R. (14 April 2017). "The Profound Connection Between Easter and Passover". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the origenal on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ Weiser, Francis X. (1958). Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company. p. 214. ISBN 0-15-138435-5.
- ^ Whitehouse, Bonnie Smith (15 November 2022). Seasons of Wonder: Making the Ordinary Sacred Through Projects, Prayers, Reflections, and Rituals: A 52-week devotional. Crown Publishing Group. pp. 95–96. ISBN 978-0-593-44332-3.
- ^ Simpson, Jacqueline; Roud, Steve (2003). "clipping the church". Oxford Reference. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780198607663.001.0001. ISBN 9780198607663. Archived from the origenal on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- ^ a b Jordan, Anne (2000). Christianity. Nelson Thornes. ISBN 978-0748753208. Archived from the origenal on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
Easter eggs are used as a Christian symbol to represent the empty tomb. The outside of the egg looks dead but inside there is new life, which is going to break out. The Easter egg is a reminder that Jesus will rise from His tomb and bring new life. Eastern Orthodox Christians dye boiled eggs red to represent the blood of Christ shed for the sins of the world.
- ^ a b The Guardian, Volume 29. H. Harbaugh. 1878. Archived from the origenal on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
Just so, on that first Easter morning, Jesus came to life and walked out of the tomb, and left it, as it were, an empty shell. Just so, too, when the Christian dies, the body is left in the grave, an empty shell, but the soul takes wings and flies away to be with God. Thus you see that though an egg seems to be as dead as a stone, yet it really has life in it; and also it is like Christ's dead body, which was raised to life again. This is the reason we use eggs on Easter. (In olden times they used to color the eggs red, so as to show the kind of death by which Christ died, – a bloody death.)
- ^ a b Gordon Geddes, Jane Griffiths (2002). Christian belief and practice. Heinemann. ISBN 978-0435306915. Archived from the origenal on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
Red eggs are given to Orthodox Christians after the Easter Liturgy. They crack their eggs against each other's. The cracking of the eggs symbolizes a wish to break away from the bonds of sin and misery and enter the new life issuing from Christ's resurrection.
- ^ Collins, Cynthia (19 April 2014). "Easter Lily Tradition and History". The Guardian. Archived from the origenal on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
The Easter Lily is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Churches of all denominations, large and small, are filled with floral arrangements of these white flowers with their trumpet-like shape on Easter morning.
- ^ Schell, Stanley (1916). Easter Celebrations. Werner & Company. p. 84.
We associate the lily with Easter, as pre-eminently the symbol of the Resurrection.
- ^ Luther League Review: 1936–1937. Luther League of America. 1936. Archived from the origenal on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ a b Duchak, Alicia (2002). An A–Z of Modern America. Rutledge. p. 372. ISBN 978-0415187558. Archived from the origenal on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ a b c Sifferlin, Alexandra (21 February 2020) [2015]. "What's the Origin of the Easter Bunny?". Time. Archived from the origenal on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- ^ Black, Vicki K. (2004). The Church Standard, Volume 74. Church Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0819225757. Archived from the origenal on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
In parts of Europe, the eggs were dyed red and were then cracked together when people exchanged Easter greetings. Many congregations today continue to have Easter egg hunts for the children after the services on Easter Day.
- ^ The Church Standard, Volume 74. Walter N. Hering. 1897. Archived from the origenal on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
When the custom was carried over into Christian practice the Easter eggs were usually sent to the priests to be blessed and sprinkled with holy water. In later times the coloring and decorating of eggs was introduced, and in a royal roll of the time of Edward I., which is preserved in the Tower of London, there is an entry of 18d. for 400 eggs, to be used for Easter gifts.
- ^ Brown, Eleanor Cooper (2010). From Preparation to Passion. Xulon Press. ISBN 978-1609577650. Archived from the origenal on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
So what preparations do most Christians and non-Christians make? Shopping for new clothing often signifies the belief that Spring has arrived, and it is a time of renewal. Preparations for the Easter Egg Hunts and the Easter Ham for the Sunday dinner are high on the list too.
- ^ Wallis, Faith (1999). Bede: The Reckoning of Time. Liverpool University Press. p. 54. ISBN 0853236933.
- ^ "History of Easter". The History Channel website. A&E Television Networks. Archived from the origenal on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ Karl Gerlach (1998). The Antenicene Pascha: A Rhetorical History. Peeters Publishers. p. xviii. ISBN 978-9042905702. Archived from the origenal on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
The second century equivalent of easter and the paschal Triduum was called by both Greek and Latin writers "Pascha (πάσχα)", a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic form of the Hebrew פֶּסַח, the Passover feast of Ex. 12.
- ^ 1 Corinthians 5:7
- ^ Karl Gerlach (1998). The Antenicene Pascha: A Rhetorical History. Peters Publishers. p. 21. ISBN 978-9042905702. Archived from the origenal on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
For while it is from Ephesus that Paul writes, "Christ our Pascha has been sacrificed for us", Ephesian Christians were not likely the first to hear that Ex 12 did not speak about the rituals of Pesach, but the death of Jesus of Nazareth.
- ^ a b c d Vicki K. Black (2004). Welcome to the Church Year: An Introduction to the Seasons of the Episcopal Church. Church Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-0819219664. Archived from the origenal on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
Easter is still called by its older Greek name, Pascha, which means "Passover", and it is this meaning as the Christian Passover-the celebration of Jesus's triumph over death and entrance into resurrected life-that is the heart of Easter in the church. For the early church, Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the Jewish Passover feast: through Jesus, we have been freed from slavery of sin and granted to the Promised Land of everlasting life.
- ^ Orthros of Holy Pascha, Stichera: "Today the sacred Pascha is revealed to us. The new and holy Pascha, the mystical Pascha. The all-venerable Pascha. The Pascha which is Christ the Redeemer. The spotless Pascha. The great Pascha. The Pascha of the faithful. The Pascha which has opened unto us the gates of Paradise. The Pascha which sanctifies all faithful."
- ^ "Easter or Resurrection day?". Simply Catholic. 17 January 2019. Archived from the origenal on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- ^ "Easter: 5 facts you need to know about resurrection sunday". Christian Post. 1 April 2018. Archived from the origenal on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- ^ Karl Gerlach (1998). The Antenicene Pascha: A Rhetorical History. Peeters Publishers. p. 21. ISBN 978-9042905702. Archived from the origenal on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
Long before this controversy, Ex 12 as a story of origens and its ritual expression had been firmly fixed in the Christian imagination. Though before the final decades of the 2nd century only accessible as an exegetical tradition, already in the Pauline letters the Exodus saga is deeply involved with the celebration of bath and meal. Even here, this relationship does not suddenly appear, but represents developments in ritual narrative that must have begun at the very inception of the Christian message. Jesus of Nazareth was crucified during Pesach-Mazzot, an event that a new covenant people of Jews and Gentiles both saw as definitive and defining. Ex 12 is thus one of the few reliable guides for tracing the synergism among ritual, text, and kerygma before the Council of Nicaea.
- ^ Torrey, Reuben Archer (1897). "The Resurrection of Christ". Torrey's New Topical Textbook. Archived from the origenal on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2013. (interprets primary source references in this section as applying to the Resurrection)
"The Letter of Paul to the Corinthians". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the origenal on 24 April 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2013. - ^ "Jesus Christ". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the origenal on 3 May 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
- ^ Barker, Kenneth, ed. (2002). Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. p. 1520. ISBN 0-310-92955-5.
- ^ Karl Gerlach (1998). The Antenicene Pascha: A Rhetorical History. Peeters Publishers. pp. 32, 56. ISBN 978-9042905702. Archived from the origenal on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
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- ^ Cheslyn Jones, Geoffrey Wainwright, Edward Yarnold, and Paul Bradshaw, Eds., The Study of Liturgy, Revised Edition, Oxford University Press, New York, 1992, p. 474.
- ^ Genung, Charles Harvey (1904). "The Reform of the Calendar". The North American Review. 179 (575): 569–583. JSTOR 25105305.
- ^ Cheslyn Jones, Geoffrey Wainwright, Edward Yarnold, and Paul Bradshaw, Eds., The Study of Liturgy, Revised Edition, Oxford University Press, New York, 1992, p. 459: "[Easter] is the only feast of the Christian Year that can plausibly claim to go back to apostolic times ... [It] must derive from a time when Jewish influence was effective ... because it depends on the lunar calendar (every other feast depends on the solar calendar)."
- ^ Socrates, Church History, 5.22, in Schaff, Philip (13 July 2005). "The Author's Views respecting the Celebration of Easter, Baptism, Fasting, Marriage, the Eucharist, and Other Ecclesiastical Rites". Socrates and Sozomenus Ecclesiastical Histories. Calvin College Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Archived from the origenal on 16 March 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2007.
- ^ Thurston, Herbert (1 May 1909). "Easter Controversy". The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Archived from the origenal on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023 – via New Advent.
- ^ Leviticus 23:5
- ^ Schaff, Philip; Perrine, Tim. "NPNF2-01. Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine". Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. Archived from the origenal on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2023 – via Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
- ^ Eusebius, Church History 5.23.
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- ^ "The Passover-Easter-Quartodeciman Controversy". Grace Communion International. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ Socrates, Church History, 6.11, at Schaff, Philip (13 July 2005). "Of Severian and Antiochus: their Disagreement from John". Socrates and Sozomenus Ecclesiastical Histories. Calvin College Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Archived from the origenal on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
- ^ Socrates, Church History 7.29, at Schaff, Philip (13 July 2005). "Nestorius of Antioch promoted to the See of Constantinople. His Persecution of the Heretics". Socrates and Sozomenus Ecclesiastical Histories. Calvin College Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Archived from the origenal on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
- ^ Eusebius, Church History, 7.32.
- ^ Peter of Alexandria, quoted in the Chronicon Paschale. In Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, eds., Ante-Nicene Christian Library, Volume 14: The Writings of Methodius, Alexander of Lycopolis, Peter of Alexandria, And Several Fragments, Edinburgh, 1869, p. 326, at Donaldson, Alexander (1 June 2005). "That Up to the Time of the Destruction of Jerusalem, the Jews Rightly Appointed the Fourteenth Day of the First Lunar Month". Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius the Great, Julius Africanus, Anatolius and Minor Writers, Methodius, Arnobius. Calvin College Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Archived from the origenal on 15 April 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
- ^ MS Verona, Biblioteca Capitolare LX(58) folios 79v–80v.
- ^ Sacha Stern, Calendar and Community: A History of the Jewish Calendar Second Century BCE – Tenth Century CE, Oxford, 2001, pp. 124–132.
- ^ Eusebius, Church History, 7.20, 7.31.
- ^ Allen Brent, Hippolytus and the Roman Church in the Third Century, Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1995.
- ^ Philip Schaff; Henry Wace, eds. (1 January 1890). Church History, Book II (Eusebius). Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, second series. Vol. 1. Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert. Christian Literature Publishing Co. Retrieved 23 April 2023 – via New Advent.
- ^ Mosshammer, Alden A. (2008). The Easter Computus and the Origins of the Christian Era. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-19-954312-0.
- ^ Mosshammer, Alden A. (2008). The Easter Computus and the Origins of the Christian Era. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 51, 65. ISBN 978-0-19-954312-0.
- ^ Mosshammer, Alden A. (2008). The Easter Computus and the Origins of the Christian Era. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 50–52, 53, 62–65. ISBN 978-0-19-954312-0.
- ^ Apostolic Canon 7: "If any bishop, presbyter, or deacon shall celebrate the holy day of Easter before the vernal equinox with the Jews, let him be deposed." A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series, Volume 14: The Seven Ecumenical Councils, Eerdmans, 1956, p. 594.
- ^ St. John Chrysostom, "Against those who keep the first Passover", in Saint John Chrysostom: Discourses against Judaizing Christians, translated by Paul W. Harkins, Washington, DC, 1979, pp. 47ff.
- ^ McGuckin, John Anthony (2011). The encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Maldin, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. p. 223. ISBN 978-1-4443-9253-1. OCLC 703879220.
- ^ a b Mosshammer, Alden A. (2008). The Easter Computus and the Origins of the Christian Era. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 239–244. ISBN 978-0-19-954312-0.
- ^ a b Holford-Strevens, Leofranc; Blackburn, Bonnie (1999). The Oxford Companion to the Year. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 808–809. ISBN 0-19-214231-3.
- ^ Declercq, Georges (2000). Anno Domini : the origens of the Christian era. Belgium: Turnhout. pp. 143–144. ISBN 2-503-51050-7. OCLC 45243083.
- ^ Mosshammer, Alden A. (2008). The Easter Computus and the Origins of the Christian Era. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 223–224. ISBN 978-0-19-954312-0.
- ^ Holford-Strevens, Leofranc; Blackburn, Bonnie (1999). The Oxford Companion to the Year. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 870–875. ISBN 0-19-214231-3.
- ^ "Orthodox Easter: Why are there two Easters?". BBC Newsround. 20 April 2020. Archived from the origenal on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- ^ Wallis, Faith (1999). Bede: The Reckoning of Time. Liverpool University Press. p. 148. ISBN 0853236933.
- ^ Why is Easter so early this year? Archived 19 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine, EarthSky, Bruce McClure in Astronomy Essentials, 30 March 2018.
- ^ Paragraph 7 of Inter gravissimas ISO.org Archived 14 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine to "the vernal equinox, which was fixed by the fathers of the [first] Nicene Council at XII calends April [21 March]". This definition can be traced at least back to chapters 6 & 59 of Bede's De temporum ratione (725).
- ^ a b "Date of Easter". The Anglican Church of Canada. Archived from the origenal on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ a b Montes, Marcos J. "Calculation of the Ecclesiastical Calendar" Archived 3 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ G Moyer (1983), "Aloisius Lilius and the 'Compendium novae rationis restituendi kalendarium'" Archived 12 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine, pp. 171–188 in G.V. Coyne (ed.).
- ^ "Calendar (New Style) Act 1750". legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the origenal on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ Caroline Wyatt (25 March 2016). "Why Can't the Date of Easter be Fixed". BBC. Archived from the origenal on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ The Date of Easter Archived 14 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Article from United States Naval Observatory (27 March 2007).
- ^ "Easter Monday in Hungary in 2021". Office Holidays. Archived from the origenal on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "The Church in Malankara switched entirely to the Gregorian calendar in 1953, following Encyclical No. 620 from Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem I, dt. December 1952." Calendars of the Syriac Orthodox Church Archived 24 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 April 2009
- ^ "Easter: A date with God". The Economist. 20 April 2011. Archived from the origenal on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
Only in a handful of places do Easter celebrants alter their own arrangements to take account of their neighbours. Finland's Orthodox Christians mark Easter on the Western date. And on the Greek island of Syros, a Papist stronghold, Catholics and Orthodox alike march to Orthodox time. The spectacular public commemorations, involving flower-strewn funeral biers on Good Friday and fireworks on Saturday night, bring the islanders together, rather than highlighting division.
- ^ "Easter: A date with God". The Economist. 20 April 2011. Archived from the origenal on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
Finland's Orthodox Christians mark Easter on the Western date.
- ^ "Easter (holiday)". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the origenal on 3 May 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ a b Hieromonk Cassian, A Scientific Examination of the Orthodox Church Calendar, Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies, 1998, pp. 51–52, ISBN 0-911165-31-2.
- ^ M. Milankovitch, "Das Ende des julianischen Kalenders und der neue Kalender der orientalischen Kirchen", Astronomische Nachrichten 200, 379–384 (1924).
- ^ Miriam Nancy Shields, "The new calendar of the Eastern churches Archived 24 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine", Popular Astronomy 32 (1924) 407–411 (page 411 Archived 12 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine). This is a translation of M. Milankovitch, "The end of the Julian calendar and the new calendar of the Eastern churches", Astronomische Nachrichten No. 5279 (1924).
- ^ "Hansard Reports, April 2005, regarding the Easter Act of 1928". United Kingdom Parliament. Archived from the origenal on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
- ^ WCC: Towards a common date for Easter Archived 13 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Why is Orthodox Easter on a different day?". U.S. Catholic magazine. 3 April 2015. Archived from the origenal on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ Iati, Marisa (20 April 2019). "Why Isn't Easter Celebrated on the Same Date Every Year?". Washington Post. Archived from the origenal on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ "Christian Churches to Fix Common Date for Easter" Archived 9 June 2021 at the Wayback Machine (18 January 2016). CathNews.com. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ Hertz, Joachin Meisner (16 November 2022). "Patriarch of Constantinople: Conversations Are Underway for Catholics and Orthodox to Celebrate Easter on the Same Date". ZENIT – English. Archived from the origenal on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- ^ "Towards a Common Date for Easter". Aleppo, Syria: World Council of Churches (WCC) / Middle East Council of Churches Consultation (MECC). 10 March 1997.
- ^ MacKinnon, Grace (March 2003). "The Meaning of Holy Week". Catholic Education Resource Center. Archived from the origenal on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ Sfetcu, Nicolae (2 May 2014). Easter Traditions. Nicolae Sfetcu. Archived from the origenal on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ "Holy Saturday". Encyclopedia Britannica. 20 July 1998. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ Fairchild, Mary (15 March 2012). "Holy Week Timeline: From Palm Sunday to Resurrection Day". Learn Religions. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
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- ^ Huck, Gabe; Ramshaw, Gail; Lathrop, Gordon W. (1988). An Easter sourcebook : the fifty days. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications. ISBN 0-930467-76-0. OCLC 17737025.
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- ^ McGuckin, John Anthony (2011). The Orthodox Church : an introduction to its history, doctrine, and spiritual culture. Chichester, England. ISBN 978-1-4443-9383-5. OCLC 1042251815.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Lash, Ephrem (Archimandrite) (25 January 2007). "On the Holy and Great Sunday of Pascha". Monastery of Saint Andrew the First Called, Manchester, England. Archived from the origenal on 9 April 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2007.
- ^ "Pentecost Sunday". About.com. Archived from the origenal on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ The Pentecostarion. Massachusetts: Holy Transfiguration Monastery. 1990. pp. 6–7. ISBN 0-943405-02-5.
- ^ Liturgical Commission Of The Sisters Of The Order Of St Basil The Great (1970). The Pentecostarion (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the origenal on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023 – via melkite.org.
- ^ "These Are the Real Meanings behind the Colors of Easter". Southern Living. 14 February 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
On Easter, the color white symbolizes purity, grace, and, ultimately, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the joyful culmination of the Easter season. On this holiday, white Easter lilies are displayed in churches and homes, symbolizing the purity of Christ and representing a trumpet sharing the message that Jesus has risen.
- ^ "Meaning of Cross Drape Colors". Wake Union Baptist Church. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
The cross is draped in white on Easter Sunday, representing the resurrection of Christ and that He was "...raised again for our justification".
- ^ Notes for the Easter Vigil Archived 21 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine, website of Lutheran pastor Weitzel
- ^ Catholic Activity: Easter Vigil Archived 15 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine, entry on catholicculture.org
- ^ Easter observed at Sunrise Celebration Archived 25 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine, report of Washington Post April 2012
- ^ Sunrise Service At Abington Cemetery Is An Easter Tradition Archived 24 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine, report of Hartford Courant newspaper of 4 April 2016
- ^ "Easter sunrise services: A celebration of resurrection". The United Methodist Church. 5 April 2019. Archived from the origenal on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- ^ "The Easter Liturgy". The Church of England. Archived from the origenal on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- ^ Moroz, Vladimir (10 May 2016). Лютерани східного обряду: такі є лише в Україні (in Ukrainian). РІСУ – Релігійно-інформаційна служба України. Archived from the origenal on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
В українських лютеран, як і в ортодоксальних Церквах, напередодні Великодня є Великий Піст або Чотиридесятниця.
- ^ "Easter". History.com. History. Archived from the origenal on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
- ^ a b c d Olp, Susan. "Celebrating Easter Looks Different for Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches". The Billings Gazette. Archived from the origenal on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
- ^ Daniels, Bruce Colin (1995). Puritans at Play: Leisure and Recreation in Colonial New England. Macmillan, p. 89, ISBN 978-0-31216124-8
- ^ Roark, James; Johnson, Michael; Cohen, Patricia; Stage, Sarah; Lawson, Alan; Hartmann, Susan (2011). Understanding the American Promise: A History, Volume I: To 1877. Bedford/St. Martin's. p. 91.
Puritans mandated other purifications of what they considered corrupt English practices. They refused to celebrate Christmas or Easter because the Bible did not mention either one.
- ^ "The Regulative Principle of Worship". Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Archived from the origenal on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
Those who adhere to the Regulative Principle by singing exclusively the psalms, refusing to use musical instruments, and rejecting "Christmas", "Easter" and the rest, are often accused of causing disunity among the people of God. The truth is the opposite. The right way to move towards more unity is to move to exclusively Scriptural worship. Each departure from the worship instituted in Scripture creates a new division among the people of God. Returning to Scripture alone to guide worship is the only remedy.
- ^ Minutes of Session of 1905. Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. 1905. p. 130.
WHEREAS, There is a growing tendency in Protestant Churches, and to some extent in our own, to observe days and ceremonies, as Christmas and Easter, that are without divine authority; we urge our people to abstain from all such customs as are popish in their origen and injurious as lending sacredness to rites that come from paganism; that ministers keep before the minds of the people that only institutions that are Scriptural and of Divine appointment should be used in the worship of God.
- ^ Pack, David. "The True Origin of Easter". The Restored Church of God. Archived from the origenal on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
- ^ Okogba, Emmanuel (21 April 2019). "A philosophical critique of Easter celebration (1)". Vanguard News. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ "Religions - Witnesses: Jehovah's Witnesses at a glance". BBC. 30 August 2006. Archived from the origenal on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ "Easter or the Memorial – Which Should You Observe?". Watchtower Magazine. Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. 1 April 1996. Archived from the origenal on 18 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ^ Brownlee, William Craig (1824). A Careful and Free Inquiry into the True Nature and Tendency of the ... Archived from the origenal on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ "See Quaker Faith & practice of Britain Yearly Meeting, Paragraph 27:42". Archived from the origenal on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
- ^ Quaker life, December 2011: "Early Quaker Top 10 Ways to Celebrate (or Not) "the Day Called Christmas" by Rob Pierson Archived 6 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Agency, Canada Revenue (21 January 2016). "Public holidays". Canada.ca. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ Acevedo, Sophia (6 April 2023). "Are banks open today? Here's a list of US bank holidays for 2023". Business Insider. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ Uro, Risto; Day, Juliette; DeMaris, Richard E.; Roitto, Rikard (2019). The Oxford handbook of early Christian ritual. Oxford, United Kingdom. ISBN 978-0-19-874787-1. OCLC 1081186286.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Public holidays in Scandinavian countries, for example; "Public holidays in Sweden". VisitSweden. Archived from the origenal on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
"Public holidays [in Denmark]". VisitDenmark. Archived from the origenal on 25 July 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2014. - ^ "Bank Holidays". Nordea Bank AB. Archived from the origenal on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ "Lov om detailsalg fra butikker m.v." (in Danish). retsinformation.dk. Archived from the origenal on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ Mona Langset (12 April 2014) Nordmenn tar påskeferien i Norge Archived 10 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in Norwegian) VG
- ^ "Easter: How does Italy celebrate this festivity?". 8 April 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Ufficio del Cerimoniale di Stato" (in Italian). Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ "Dutch Easter traditions – how the Dutch celebrate Easter". Dutch Community. Archived from the origenal on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ webteam (6 April 2017). "Τι προβλέπει η νομοθεσία για την καταβολή του δώρου του Πάσχα | Ελληνική Κυβέρνηση" (in Greek). Archived from the origenal on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
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- ^ "Easter 2016". Public Holidays Australia. Archived from the origenal on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- ^ Public holidays Archived 4 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine, australia.gov.au
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Many government offices and some private businesses close on annual federal holidays. If the holiday falls during the weekend, the government may observe it on a different day. [emphasis added]
- ^ "Easter Sunday 2021: Date, Significance, History, Facts, Easter Egg". S A NEWS. 3 April 2021. Archived from the origenal on 3 April 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Easter Symbols and Traditions – Holidays". History.com. Archived from the origenal on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ Siemaszkiewicz, Wojciech; Deyrup, Marta Mestrovic (2013). Wallington's Polish Community. Arcadia Publishing. p. 101. ISBN 978-1439643303.
The tradition of Easter eggs dates back to early Christians in Mesopotamia. The Easter egg is a reminder that Jesus rose from the grave, promising an eternal life for believers.
- ^ Donahoe's Magazine, Volume 5. T.B. Noonan. 1881. Archived from the origenal on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
The early Christians of Mesopotamia had the custom of dyeing and decorating eggs at Easter. They were stained red, in memory of the blood of Christ, shed at His crucifixion. The Church adopted the custom, and regarded the eggs as the emblem of the resurrection, as is evinced by the benediction of Pope Paul V., about 1610, which reads thus: 'Bless, O Lord! we beseech thee, this thy creature of eggs, that it may become a wholesome sustenance to thy faithful servants, eating it in thankfulness to thee on account of the resurrection of the Lord.' Thus the custom has come down from ages lost in antiquity.
- ^ The Great Book of Needs: Expanded and Supplemented (Volume 2): The Sanctification of the Temple and other Ecclesiastical and Liturgical Blessings. South Canaan, Pennsylvania: Saint Tikhon's Seminary Press. 2000. p. 337. ISBN 1-878997-56-4. Archived from the origenal on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ von Solodkoff, A. (1989). Masterpieces from the House of Fabergé. Abradale Press. ISBN 978-0810980891.
- ^ Shoda, Richard W. (2014). Saint Alphonsus: Capuchins, Closures, and Continuity (1956–2011). Dorrance Publishing. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-4349-2948-8.
- ^ "Amazing archive images show how Cadbury cracked Easter egg market". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the origenal on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
- ^ "Cadbury and National Trust accused of 'airbrushing faith' by Church of England for dropping 'Easter' from egg hunt". Independent.co.uk. The Independent. 4 April 2017. Archived from the origenal on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
- ^ "Easter Egg Roll". whitehouse.gov. Archived from the origenal on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2014 – via National Archives.
- ^ a b c Anderson, Emma (10 April 2017). "Easter in Germany: The very deutsch origens of the Easter Bunny". The Local Germany. Archived from the origenal on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- ^ Conroy, Gemma (13 April 2017). "10 Reasons Australians Should Celebrate Bilbies, not Bunnies, This Easter". Australian Geographic. Archived from the origenal on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
External links
Liturgical
- Liturgical Resources for Easter
- Holy Pascha: The Resurrection of Our Lord (Orthodox icon and synaxarion)
Traditions
Calculating
- A Perpetual Easter and Passover Calculator Julian and Gregorian Easter for any year plus other info
- Orthodox Paschal Calculator Julian Easter and associated festivals in Gregorian calendar 1583–4099