Liv Knecht, Sophomore
Easter is a Christian holiday which is meant to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on the third day after his death. The holiday is celebrated on the first full moon, which follows the spring equinox. This is why Easter is not always on the same day, let alone the same month. The holiday has been evolving for over 200 years in the celebration of spring!
The name “Easter” comes from a pre-Christian goddess with English origins. Eostre, who was celebrated at the beginning of spring, inspires the holiday Easter. Reference to the goddess was recorded by a British monk who had lived in the seventh and early eighth century.
“Bede wrote that the month in which English Christians were celebrating the resurrection of Jesus had been called Eosturmonath in Old English, referring to a goddess named Eostre. And even though Christians had begun affirming the Christian meaning of the celebration, they continued to use the name of the goddess to designate the season.”
Jewish Passover; Easter is a broad term used by English-speaking areas and countries. In other cultures, the name of the holiday is called Passover. For example, in Greek “Pascha” is the name for their Passover. The Jewish community has the holiday celebrated as the “Jewish festival Passover.” In the Hebrew Bible, Passover is a celebration of the liberation of Jewish slaves from Egypt (Book of Exodus). This is one of the most important holidays to the Jewish community and is celebrated on the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
During the time of Jesus, Passover was a significant event for the Jewish community after they were under the dominance of foreign power, in this case, the Romans. Jewish pilgrims would stream into Jerusalem for the festival as well, in hopes that God would grant them their liberation.
One year Jesus had gone into Jerusalem with the Jewish people to participate in the holiday. Due to his presence in the city, he caused an uncertain amount of disturbance leading to the executions of Jews throughout the year 30 A.D.
Now in the modern era of the 21st century, Easter is celebrated in many different ways within many different cultures. Many of the traditions that have followed the holiday still participate today. These celebrations would most notably include egg hunts: eggs hidden in an open space filled with some type of prize. Dying hard boiled eggs is another common way to celebrate the holiday. Lastly, the symbol of the holiday, the Easter Bunny, was created in the 1700s by German settlers in Pennsylvania.
No matter what tradition, this holiday is to be spent having fun with your loved ones and enjoying the company of one another.
Happy Easter!
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