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Easter is the Christian holiday celebrating the
resurrection of the Christian Messiah, Jesus Christ. The
most important festival in the Christian calendar,
Easter is celebrated on a Sunday between March 22 and
April 25, depending how Lunar calendar corresponds to
the Gregorian calendar in that particular year. Since
the date of Easter changes each year, so too do the
other Lenten festivals that fix their dates according to
Easter, such as Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday and Good
Friday.
The story of Easter is one of persecution and rebirth,
making it the central experience of the Christian belief
system. On the Friday before Easter, Christians believe
that Jesus was executed by crucifixion. His body is
believed to have been removed from the cross and buried
in a guarded cave, with a large boulder blocking the
entrance.
Tradition continues that the following Sunday, Jesus'
gravesite was visited by faithful women-Jesus' mother
the Virgin Mary may have been among them-who discovered
that the cave was empty. Later that day and for several
days after, Jesus' followers sighted him and came to
believe that Jesus had been risen from the dead by God.
Jesus' resurrection holds central importance in
Christian liturgy, as the pinnacle expression of sin and
redemption. Romans 4:25 explains that, "Jesus was put to
death for our trespasses and raised for our
justification."
Jesus' resurrection - his being "raised" - is understood
as evidence that he, through his righteousness, can
redeem not only himself in death, but also the entire
Christian community in life. As Romans 5:18 says: "Just
as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all
men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was
justification that brings life for all men."
Furthermore, this watershed event has formed the
Christian idea that humans must no longer live under the
dominion of death or the power of sin. Again, Romans
6:9-11 teaches, "For we know that since Christ was
raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no
longer has mastery over him? In the same way, count
yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Jesus
Christ."
Today, Easter is clearly a Christian holiday, with deep
liturgical and traditional significance. However,
scholars actually believe that the festival has its
roots in a number of pre-Christian faiths, including
Pagan and Jewish. For example, historians believe that
the word Easter is derived from the Saxon name of the
Pagan goddess of spring and fertility, Eastre. The lunar
calendar month of April was dedicated to a celebration
of Easter, featuring rituals to mark the vernal equinox
and welcome the fertility associated with springtime.
Many of these Pagan traditions have been incorporated
into Christianity's celebration of Easter today. The
Easter bunny and Easter eggs, for instance, are both
Pagan symbols of fertility. Even the story of Jesus'
resurrection is echoed in Pagan mythology. The Greek
legend of Persephone, for example, tells of her return
from the underworld. This myth was understood by ancient
Greeks as a metaphor for the return of spring after the
darkness of winter. The Phrygians similarly believed
that their omnipotent deity hibernated during the winter
solstice and was awoken in the spring by their musical
festivals.
The traditions of Easter also have roots in the Jewish
springtime holiday of Passover. The name Easter is
reflected in the Hebrew word for Passover, or Pesach. In
Europe, the word Pasch is synonymous with the name
Easter.
Furthermore, Jesus' disciples were the first Christians,
many of whom are thought to have been historically
Jewish. Scholars believe, in fact, that the first Easter
celebrations were likely understood as a new form of
commemorating the coming of the Messiah, a key component
of Passover liturgy.
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