Easter Sunday: What Is It?

Easter Sunday is one of the most important days in the Christian religion. It’s celebrated by Christians around the world as the day of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection – his return from death. The day usually occurs between mid-March to mid-April every year. Easter Sunday is also known as Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, and is the final day of Easter, which is a period of 40 days of fasting and prayer during the season of Lent.

History and Meaning of the Holiday

The exact date and origin of Easter Sunday are a bit of a mystery. Some believe Easter to have originated in Babylon in the 2nd century BC, with a pagan festival to celebrate the vernal equinox. Others have suggested it may have come from the Jewish holiday Passover. Regardless of its possible origin, Christians celebrate this day as the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

The Bible does not specifically state a date for the Resurrection of Jesus, but tradition holds that it occurred around the Sunday following the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon of the northern spring. Easter Sunday is the start of the Easter season, which ends on Pentecost Sunday, 50 days later.

Traditions of the Holiday

One of the most popular traditions practiced on Easter Sunday is to attend church services, then enjoy a meal made of various special dishes or holiday cakes. Many people also traditionally distribute Easter eggs, either in Easter baskets or by using Easter eggs hunts. In Poland, slavic countries and Hungary, people celebrate by creating Easter Palms. These are decorations made of blessed birch twigs, which are brought to the church to be blessed and then taken home as a reminder of the gathering of palms to greet Jesus as He triumphantly entered Jerusalem.

In churches, special services are celebrated with Holy Communion and the Gospel readings. Easter eggs hung on the branches of local trees often decorate the front of churches during the Easter period. The decoration of Easter eggs is also an important tradition. Often, these eggs are boiled, dyed, or painted but can also be decorated with wax, gold, or silver.

Conclusion

Easter Sunday is an important holiday for Christians around the world, and is celebrated by attending church services and Easter egg hunts, and participating in activities such as decorating Easter eggs. While the exact origin of this holiday may be unknown, its religious meaning is widely known – Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, and the promise of eternal life.