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5 things you need to know about Easter celebrations

Easter is the day Jesus is believed to have resurrected from the dead. He was crucified on the cross at Mount Calvary on Friday and the day is known as Good Friday

5 things you need to know about Easter celebrations
Author
Bengaluru, First Published Apr 21, 2019, 3:04 PM IST

Easter is the day Jesus is believed to have resurrected from the dead. Jesus was crucified on the cross at Mount Calvary on Friday and the day is known as Good Friday. But he rose to life - three days later- on Sunday. Thus Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus and new life.

The festival, according to the Western Church rules, is celebrated between March 21 and April 25 and the day of Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon. It is said that remembering the resurrection of Jesus is a way to renew daily hope that we have victory over sin.

In one of Jesus’ 12 apostles, Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus and informs the priestly class about the place Jesus was visiting, the soldiers arrest him and later Jesus is ordered to be crucified as he was alleged of blasphemy.

Here are five things which are connected with Easter.

1) The empty tomb

Jesus was crucified on Mount Calvary, and his body was put in a tomb covered by a large stone. But on Sunday, the tomb was found empty with the stone moved to the side. It is said that Jesus was resurrected along with his body. Thus the empty tomb is a symbol of the end of the sins and beginning of a new life.

2) Easter Eggs

There are many theories around how coloured eggs became part of Easter. One of the theories states that some do not eat non-vegetarian food (including egg) during the 40 days before Easter festival. Thus, celebrating the festival with eggs was used as a symbol to end the mourning period and start the celebration. Another theory states that eggs also represent new life. Thus eggs are used as a symbol of the beginning of the new life.

3) Easter Bunny

It is said that rabbits are the most fertile animals, again hinting at the new life. There is one more theory that rabbits come out of the holes under the ground as Jesus came out of the tomb, giving new hope. Some even term both Easter eggs and bunny as part of the pagan rituals.

4) 40-day lent

Lent is a religious observance according to the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, before Easter Sunday. This is to remember the 40 days of life of Jesus spent fasting in the desert, after which the establishment arrested him.

5) The Holy Week-Last Supper-Good Friday

The lent period is heightened in the commemoration of Holy Week (the last week of 40 days), marking the death, burial and ultimately culminating in the joyful celebration on Easter Sunday of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy week begins with Palm Sunday, remembering the day Jesus walked into the village where people welcomed him with palm leaves. Then comes the Maundy Thursday, the last Thursday of the lent period, which is also known as the last supper of Jesus with his apostles, after which one of his apostles helped the establishment find and arrest Jesus. The next day is Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified. Then comes Sunday, the day he is believed to have risen from the dead, which is celebrated as Easter.

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