The Significance of Easter
Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb on the third day after his crucifixion. It is a significant date within Christianity and is the foundation of the Christian faith. Jesus, the Son of God, fulfilled prophecy and through his death, has given the gift of eternal life in heaven.
Easter is the fulfilled prophecy of the ‘Messiah’ who would be persecuted, die for our sins, and rise on the third day.
ORIGIN OF THE NAME:
The origin of the word Easter isn’t certain. The Venerable Bede, an eighth-century monk, and scholar, suggested that the word may have come from the Anglo-Saxon ‘Eeostre’ or ‘Eastre’ – a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility.
According to the New Testament (the second part of the Christian biblical canon), Easter is three days after the death of Jesus on the cross.
Easter follows a period of fasting called Lent, in which most of the churches take out time for self-condemnation and commemoration. The week leading up to Easter is called The Holy Week, or "Passion Week" which includes;
- Palm Sunday (the day Jesus entered Jerusalem and was celebrated)
- Maundy Thursday (the "Last Supper" where Jesus met with his disciples to observe Passover)
- Good Friday (when Jesus would be crucified on the cross)
Why the Rabbit? How did a rabbit distributing eggs become a part of Easter?
The hare is also an ancient symbol for the moon. The date of Easter depends on the moon. The hare or rabbit’s burrow helped the animal’s adoption as part of Easter celebrations. Believers saw the rabbit coming out of its underground home as a symbol for Jesus coming out of the tomb.
HISTORY:
The earliest Christians celebrated the resurrection on the fourteenth of Nisan (our March-April), the date of the Jewish Passover. Jewish days were reckoned from evening to evening, so Jesus had celebrated His Last Supper the evening of the Passover and was crucified the day of the Passover. Early Christians celebrating the Passover worshiped Jesus as the Paschal Lamb and Redeemer.
Some of the Gentile Christians began celebrating Easter in the nearest Sunday to the Passover since Jesus actually arose on a Sunday. This especially became the case in the western part of the Roman Empire. In Rome itself, different congregations celebrated Easter on different days!
SIGNIFICANCE:
The meaning of Easter is Jesus Christ's victory over death. His resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him. The meaning of Easter also symbolizes the complete verification of all that Jesus preached and taught during His three-year ministry.
The feast day of Easter was originally a pagan celebration of renewal and rebirth. Celebrated in the early spring, it honoured the pagan Saxon goddess Eastre. When the early missionaries converted the Saxons to Christianity, the holiday, since it fell around the same time as the traditional memorial of Christ's resurrection from the dead, was merged with the pagan celebration, and became to be known as Easter. The meaning of Easter was also changed to reflect its new Christian orientation.
Today, the meaning of Easter, for millions of Christians, is that of honouring and recognizing Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead.
CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN TRADITIONS:
Generally observed traditions across the globe include the Easter bunny, coloured eggs, gift baskets, and flowers. But, there are other variety of traditions celebrated slightly from all over the world:
- In Australia, bunnies are considered pests that ruin crops and land. Aussies celebrate with their native marsupial, the Bible, which has large ears and a more pointy nose.
- In Poland on Easter, boys try to soak people with buckets of water. This tradition has is rooted in the baptism of Polich Prince Mieszko.
- In Greece, there’s the annual "pot throwing" event where residents throw pots out of windows. It is a tradition used to mark the beginning of spring and new crops being gathered in new pots.
- In Europe, there are large bonfires called Easter Fires that are lit. The Saxon origin is that the fires will chase away winter and Easter will bring spring.
For millions of Christians and everyone else who believes in the resurrection of ‘The Good’ which is shown as a metaphor for honouring and recognizing Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, Easter is here! And let’s celebrate it to the fullest!
Happy Easter Everyone!
