Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Christ, according to the New Testament of the Bible, which is believed to have occurred three days after his crucifixion by the Romans.
In different ways, all four Gospels in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) state that those who believe in Christ's death and resurrection are granted the gift of eternal life, meaning that their faith will be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven upon their earthly death.
What is Christian Easter? What is its relationship to the Jewish Passover?
The name Easter was given to the Feast of Resurrection, because its date is linked to the Passover of the Jews. The Feast of Resurrection comes after the Jewish Passover associated with the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, as stated in the Old Testament.
These connections are also clearly seen in the Last Supper, which took place the night before Christ's arrest and the suffering He suffered after His arrest. The Last Supper was essentially the Jewish Passover.
It was also said that the arrest and execution of Jesus took place during the Jewish celebration of Passover, and therefore the Christian Passover comes after the Jewish Passover.
Manifestations of the celebration of the feast of the Resurrection
Although Easter is of high religious significance in the Christian faith, many of the traditions and symbols that play a central role in Easter celebrations have roots in pagan celebrations, particularly the pagan goddess Eustre, the ancient Germanic goddess of spring, and also the Jewish Passover.
Religious Ceremonies
Many churches begin the celebration on the night of Holy Saturday with a Christmas mass, and candles are lit; An expression of the resurrection of Christ, with chanting hymns and verses from the Bible.
In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the ritual celebration of Easter begins with Lent, which begins 40 days before the feast on Ash Wednesday, and ends on Good Friday. There will also be Passion Week, which is the last week before the feast that coincides with the crucifixion and torture of Christ, and for this reason churches hold funeral prayers before the start of Passion Week.
On the Sunday preceding the feast day, Christians buy palm branches and shape them in distinctive ways. A reminder that the people of Jerusalem received Christ with palm branches when entering the Temple on this day.
Easter eggs
Regardless of denomination, there are many Easter traditions with roots that can be traced back to non-Christian and even pagan or non-religious celebrations. Many non-Christians choose to observe these traditions while essentially ignoring the religious aspects of the ceremony.
Examples of non-religious Easter traditions include Easter eggs, and related games such as egg rolling and egg decorating.
There is no certainty as to why they are associated with Easter, but eggs are believed to represent childbirth, fertility and childbirth in certain pagan traditions that predate Christianity. Decorating eggs may have been part of an Easter celebration, in reference to the religious significance of Easter, i.e. Jesus' resurrection or rebirth.
The Hindus, Egyptians, Persians, and Phoenicians believed that the world began with an enormous egg. The Persians, Greeks, and Chinese presented gifts of eggs during spring festivals; celebrating the new life around them. Other sources also say that people ate dyed eggs in the spring festivals of Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome.
Many people, mostly children, are involved in decorating and decorating Easter eggs.
Easter Bunny
In legend, the Easter Bunny, called the Easter Bunny or Spring Rabbit, brings baskets filled with colored eggs and candy, and sometimes toys, to children's homes the night before Easter, much in the same way Santa Claus is said to deliver presents on Christmas Eve.
The rabbit puts the baskets in a specific place or hides them somewhere in the house or garden, so that the children find them when they wake up in the morning, which leads to the tradition of searching for the Easter egg.
There are several reasons why the Easter Bunny is associated with Easter, and they all come from pagan celebrations or beliefs. The most obvious explanation is the fertility of the rabbit. Easter comes during the spring and celebrates new life, and this gradually merged with the religious meaning of Easter, which is the resurrection of Christ. It was easy to include any animal such as rabbits, which produce many offspring.
The rabbit is also an ancient symbol of the moon, and the date of Easter depends on the moon. This may have helped the presence of bunnies in the Easter celebrations.
Anglo-Saxon legend
Some also saw that the rabbit's exit from its underground hole symbolized the exit of Jesus from his tomb, so the rabbit thus became part of the examination feast celebrations.
Other scholars, however, believe that the Easter Bunny originated from an Anglo-Saxon legend about the goddess Ostre. According to legend, the goddess was once entertaining a group of children. To make them laugh, she turns her pet bird into a rabbit, gives it the ability to lay colorful eggs, and then Ostry gives the eggs to the children.
But others suggest that this custom began with the immigration of a group of German Christians to Pennsylvania, America, in the late seventeenth century. The Germans taught their children that whoever behaves well at Easter will be brought to him the German folklore rabbit (Osterhase) with colored eggs.
Anglo-Saxon legend
Some also saw that the rabbit's exit from its underground hole symbolized the exit of Jesus from his tomb, so the rabbit thus became part of the examination feast celebrations.
Other scholars, however, believe that the Easter Bunny originated from an Anglo-Saxon legend about the goddess Ostre. According to legend, the goddess was once entertaining a group of children. To make them laugh, she turns her pet bird into a rabbit, gives it the ability to lay colorful eggs, and then Ostry gives the eggs to the children.
But others suggest that this custom began with the immigration of a group of German Christians to Pennsylvania, America, in the late seventeenth century. The Germans taught their children that whoever behaves well at Easter will be brought to him the German folklore rabbit (Osterhase) with colored eggs.To prepare for the rabbit's arrival, the German children and their American friends built a small nest or basket for the rabbit's eggs. Over time, Osterhase gained popularity and became the Easter Bunny.
Easter lamb
Of all the symbols of Easter, the lamb is perhaps the most powerful in Christianity. Other than the fact that lambs are young animals born in the spring, they don't have strong ties to pagan traditions.
The pregnancy was mentioned in the Gospel of John and the first letter of Peter.
New clothes for Easter
New clothes have always been associated with the idea of a fresh start. The familiar custom of wearing new clothes for Easter probably began when early Christians wore new white robes for baptism during Easter. Later, the custom was extended to everyone wearing new clothes; Celebrating his new life in Christianity.