Easter: He Has Risen!

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” - Matthew 28:6

Easter 2024 is on March 31 Sunday

9 months and 19 days to go for the event

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Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Easter is observed as one of the holiest celebrations in Christianity worldwide. Marking the end of the Holy Lent season, devotees observe the holiday by attending special services in church, visiting friends and family, feasting together with loved ones, exchanging gifts and Easter wishes, and participating in fun activities drawn by custom over the years, like the Easter Egg Hunting.

Easter is a movable feast, i.e., the Paschal Triduum, or the Three Days that include Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter do not fall on the same day every year. According to the liturgical calendar, or the Julian Calendar, Easter falls on the Sunday after the first Full Moon that follows the Spring Equinox. This year, Easter falls on Sunday, April 9th, 2023.

Significance of Easter

The Bible narrates how Jesus was put through an illiberal series of trials and arrests before he was crucified on the hills of Golgotha. After Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion, the period of his passion and suffering were yet to find its purpose. Jesus died on the cross, on the day that is now widely observed as the Good Friday, for the salvation of his people. He died on the cross in the hope of rising from the dead.

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Holy Saturday, also known as Easter Vigil is the day after Good Friday which commemorates the period of mourning and prayer for Christ who was buried in a tomb sealed with a rolling stone in Golgotha Garden. This tomb belonged to a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimathea. To move the rolling stone of such a tomb would require the assistance of many people at once. Mary Magdalene and certain other women who stayed true to Jesus even to the end of crucifixion, were present when Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus prepared the body of Christ for burial in the tomb. The two men tried their might to their spine to close the tomb with the rolling stone. They decided to visit the body of Jesus on the day of Sabbath, but how to move the stone was a matter of concern.

On the day of Sabbath, when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb along with other women, the stone was already moved. As they entered the tomb, all they found was the linen that was wrapped around the body. While they stood wondering about the body, two men dressed in clothes that gleamed like lightning appeared in front of them. They said,

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” - Luke 24:5-7

As asserted in the Gospels, Mary Magdalene was the first person to whom Jesus presented himself after resurrection, and the first to preach the “Good News.” While the news spread among his disciples, they got to talking about the miracle, Jesus presented himself in front of them and said, “Peace be with you.”

Observances of Easter

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While some churches observe Easter special masses on Easter Saturday in the evening, other churches observe masses in the morning on Easter Sunday. Devotees do readings of biblical episodes that speak of the resurrection of Christ and the message of the angels. Easter services are administering the purpose and sacraments of baptism. Candles are lit and the dark drapes of churches are changed to white or red in the spirit of celebrating the resurrection of Christ.

Celebrations During Easter

Easter is celebrated differently across the world:

• People participate in colorful Easter egg hunts honoring the Western adopted custom that believes that the Easter bunny (although there is no mention of such a hare anywhere in the Bible), an egg-laying hare must have laid them in places.
• People visit friends and family, and enjoy grand feasts together.
• Devotees gather to sing Easter special hymns.
• Easter candies, chocolates, and marshmallows are some of the favorite delicacies shared and savored during Easter.
• People wear new clothes and have grand celebrations with songs, dances and open air plays.

FAQs

1) What is Lent and how is it’s biblical observation related to Easter?

Lent is the period of reflection and penance which extends from Ash Wednesday till Holy Saturday. The Holy Lent extends for up to forty days besides the fast during Passion week, representing the time when Jesus observed a fast in preparation for his earthly ministry as a prophet, priest and king in Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem, as mentioned in the New Testament. Although Satan led him into temptation, Christ’s perseverance stood unwavering. Devotees observe lent in prayer, fasting and almsgiving to commemorate this fasting that Jesus Christ had observed.

2) What is the significance of Easter Eggs?

Eggs represent rebirth and new life, and this symbolism is widely adopted in the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ at Easter. Eggs are a common symbol during Easter, with different significances identified by different customs and regions.

• In the northern England, it is a custom to present eggs or reciprocal presents of eggs on Easter to children of the family. This custom of giving eggs can be traced to the Egyptian and Roman philosophies where egg was an emblem of the universe or the work of the Divinity.
• Eggs were held as a sacred emblem by the Egyptians.
• The Jews adopted this tradition from them to suit their history. The Christians used eggs as an emblem of Resurrection of life.
• Children among the Christians in Mesopotamia buy as many eggs as they can and dye them in red as a symbol of the blood of Christ. They also tinge the eggs with some yellow and green. These colored eggs are sold in the market.
• In the North of England, especially in Cumberland and Westmoreland, boys play with hardened eggs which are tinged with herb juice or dyed with different colors. Boys roll them on the grounds and even throw them up like balls in the air.
• In most places, priests bless baskets of eggs after completing the Easter ceremony. These eggs sanctify those who consume them, are reckoned to be the first fat or fleshy substances consumed by a body that went through the abstinence of the Holy Lent.

3) What is the Easter bunny and how is it related to Easter?

Easter Bunny is a fabled creature that has no reference anywhere in the Bible. Real rabbits do not lay eggs in the first place, let alone colorful eggs. The tradition of Easter bunnies is known to have been adopted first by the Protestant areas in Europe back in the 17th century.

Did you know that the Easter bunny is called Peter Cottontail? Didn’t you? Well, now you know.

Rabbits are a symbol of fertility and new life, and hence is easily associated with the celebration of Easter. It is believed that Easter bunnies lay colorful eggs and they burry them. This makes a fun activity especially for children who set on an Easter Egg Hunt, where they hunt for colorful Easter eggs that the bunnies may have left for them. Sometimes, children also place carrots by the doorstep for the bunnies, in case they get hungry.

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