Easter Celebrating the
Passion &
Resurrection of Our Lord
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Easter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
16th century Russian Orthodox icon of the Descent into Hades of Jesus Christ, which is the usual Orthodox icon for
Pascha. Observed by Most Christians Type Christian Significance Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus
2009 date April 12 (Western) April 19 (Eastern) 2010 date April 4 (both Western and Eastern)
Celebrations Religious (church) services, festive family meals, Easter egg hunts, and gift-giving (latter two, especially in USA and Canada)
Observances Prayer, all-night vigil (almost exclusively Eastern traditions), sunrise service (especially American Protestant traditions)
Related to Passover, of which it is regarded the Christian equivalent; Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday which lead up to Easter; and Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi which follow it. Christianity portal
Easter (Greek: Πάσχα, Pascha) is the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical
year.
 |
According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day from his crucifixion. Christians celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day or Easter
Sunday |
|
(also Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday), two days after Good Friday and three days after Maundy Thursday. The chronology of his death and resurrection is variously interpreted to be between A.D. 26 and 36. Easter also refers to the season of the church year called Eastertide or the Easter Season. Traditionally the Easter Season lasted for the forty days from Easter Day until Ascension Day but now officially lasts for the fifty days until Pentecost. The first week of the Easter Season is known as Easter Week or the Octave of Easter. Easter also marks the end of Lent, a season of fasting, prayer, and penance. |
Easter is a moveable feast, meaning it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar. The First Council of Nicaea (325) established the date of Easter as the first Sunday after the full moon (the Paschal Full Moon) following the vernal equinox.[3] Ecclesiastically, the equinox is reckoned to be on 21 March. The date of Easter therefore varies between 22 March and 25 April. Eastern Christianity bases its calculations on the Julian Calendar whose 21 March corresponds, during the twenty-first century, to 3 April in the Gregorian Calendar, in which calendar their celebration of Easter therefore varies between 4 April and 8 May.
Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover not only for much of its symbolism but also for its position in the calendar.
Relatively newer elements such as the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts have become part of the holiday's modern celebrations, and those aspects are often celebrated by many Christians and non-Christians alike. There are also some Christian denominations who do not celebrate Easter. |
|
