CNN - World of Faith - April, 1996

Christians observe Easter in many ways

Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the son of God.

Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday after he was crucified on Good Friday. Easter celebrates the belief that Christ died for the sins of humanity and that Christians, too, can be born again through their faith.

Easter Sunday follows a period of 40 days of penance and sacrifice known as Lent. Holy Week is the final week of Lent, and Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week.

Most Christians observe Easter the first Sunday after the first full moon after the first day of spring. This means Easter can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. This year, the holiday falls on April 7. Eastern Orthodox Christians, who use additional factors to calculate when the holiday will fall, generally celebrate Easter later in the year.

There are many traditions associated with the celebration of Easter, both religious and non-religious.

On Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, many Christians attend special services during which they receive a stroke of ash on their forehead. The ash symbolizes the humility with Christians are to enter Lent. Many churches distribute palm leaves on Palm Sunday to symbolizes the branches spread before Christ as he entered the city of Jerusalem. Many Christians fast or eat little food on Good Friday. Some churches hold sunrise services outdoors to celebrate Easter Sunday. Passion Plays dramatize the Easter story. The oldest, dating to 1634, is held every 10 years in Obberammergau, Germany

There are multiple symbols associated with Easter, including the cross, Easter lilies, which represent the purity of new life, and lamb which links the death of Christ to that of the lamb sacrificed on the first Passover. In many European countries Easter is called "Pascha" which comes from the Hebrew work "Pesach", meaning Passover.

Like Christmas, Easter has spawned numerous secular traditions including Easter eggs, Easter baskets, Easter bonnets, Easter parades and Easter brunch. In some countries children roll eggs down a long hill. The child whose eggs survives the longest without cracking, wins. The White House has been hosting an egg rolling contest for children since 1878.

Source: The World Book Encyclopedia, 1994 World Book, Inc.
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Christians observe Easter in many ways

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