Meaning of Easter (or Easter Day) (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Easter (or Easter Day):

Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after being crucified, as related in the New Testament of the Bible. It is the most important celebration of the Christian Church.

Easter is also known as Easter Day, Easter Sunday, Easter Sunday, Glory Sunday or Holy Sunday.

With Easter, Easter ends, days in which the crucifixion and death of Jesus are commemorated on Good Friday and his resurrection and appearance before his disciples on Easter Sunday are celebrated.

With Easter begins a period known as Easter Season, which lasts fifty days, and ends on Pentecost Sunday.

According to the Holy Scriptures, with Easter God gives Christians hope for the resurrection and for a new way of life, represented in the return of Christ from the dead.

Easter is a mobile holiday, the day of which varies each year. This is because the date is not set according to the civil calendar, but by the liturgical year, which is governed by the lunar cycles.

Thus, Easter is always located after the first full moon after the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere, and autumn in the south.

In this sense, Easter can be celebrated between March 22 and April 25. And the day it falls is important to also calculate the dates of other religious holidays, such as Pentecost and Ascension.

The term Easter comes from the Latin páscae , which in turn comes from the Greek πάσχα (pasjua), an adaptation of the Hebrew פסח (pésaj), which means "step" or "jump".

See also:

• Easter, Pentecost, Ascension.

Origin of Easter

The origin of the celebration of Easter is found in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Exodus. There it narrates the march of the people of Israel from captivity in Egypt to the promised land, and explains how the Passover celebration should be carried out for the Hebrew people.

The Christians, however, separated the celebration of the Jewish and Christian Passover at the First Council of Nicaea (AD 325), and thus defined the proper elements of the Christian celebration, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter symbols

Easter Bunny

The Easter bunny is a symbol of fertility, because, at the end of winter and early spring, in the northern hemisphere, it was when the animals began to appear with their young, remembering the rebirth of the earth.

Easter egg

The Easter egg represents the beginning of life. For this reason, in several countries chocolate eggs are given to friends and family to wish them a good Easter.

Paschal candle

It is a large candle and decorated with a cross in the center that is used during the Easter Vigil. Its light symbolizes the resurrection of Christ.

flowers

The flowers represent the life and joy for the resurrection of Jesus and the new life that he brings us. Temples are usually adorned with many flowers this day.

The light

The lights have a special role in the Easter celebrations: it is they that evoke the idea that Easter is the return of light for all in the resurrection of Christ. For this reason, not only candles but also light, cheerful and festive colors are used.

Jewish passover

Passover, also known as Passover, is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the departure of the Hebrew people from Egypt, related in the Biblical book of Exodus. The Hebrew people consider that this fact marks the birth of the people as such.

The celebration coincided in the Hebrew month ( Nissan ), which corresponds to the last days of March and April, when the spring season began.

The Jews continue with the tradition contemplated in the book Exodus. During the festivity, which takes place over seven days, a special dinner is served with unleavened bread, wine, herbs and lamb, where the whole family gathers. During these festivals, the consumption of fermented cereals is prohibited.