Why Do We Celebrate Easter?
The shelves in the supermarkets are already stacked with large, delicious chocolate Easter eggs. The cute Easter bunnies and flower displays all over town remind us that it is once again that wonderful time of year where we exchange chocolate! But have you ever wondered why we celebrate Easter and what Easter really represents? Don’t worry, so have we!
Every year, we look forward to celebrating one of the most important occasions in the Christian calendar, Easter. Children participate in activities at school, such as eager Easter egg hunts, and are usually given holiday for two weeks to celebrate with their families, by sharing chocolate eggs and traditional food. Children often bring home art projects displaying icons that represent Easter, such as flowers (marking the season of Spring), Easter bunnies that represent fertility and eggs that are a symbol of new life. However, according to many theologians, Easter originally began before the arrival of Christianity. It is believed that Easter is named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn and spring, known as Eostre.
Christians celebrate Easter because they believe that Jesus Christ was resurrected three days after his execution, his crucifixion on the Friday (which is now known as Good Friday). According to Christianity, his body was taken down from the cross to a tomb where he was buried. Later, people claimed that they had seen Christ and it was also confirmed that his body was missing from the tomb.
Easter normally falls anytime between March 22nd and April 25th on a Sunday, and this is dependent on which is the first Sunday after the first full moon following the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Not only is Easter a time of fun that marks the end of Winter but it is also a wonderful occasion for us to look forward to after the excitement of Christmas is over.