en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:51:04 GMT 15 By Aysha Herrera

Easter is a holiday celebrated by Christians worldwide. Many children wait for the Easter Bunny to visit and hide colorful eggs on Easter morning, some even filled with money or candy. Although this holiday is celebrated by many families, do they know just how this holiday came about? Until the fourth century CE, Easter and Pentecost were the only two holy days that Christians observed. Easter Sunday was the main day of celebration, formally recognized by the Council of Nicea in 325 CE (religioustolerance.org). According to the New Testament, Christ was crucified on the eve of Passover, and shortly afterward rose from the dead. In consequence, the Easter festival commemorated Christ's resurrection. In time, a serious difference over the date of the Easter festival arose among Christians. Those of Jewish origin celebrated the resurrection immediately following the Passover festival, which, according to their Babylonian lunar calendar, fell on the evening of the full moon; by their reckoning, Easter, from year to year, fell on different days of the week. Christians of Gentile origin, however, wished to celebrate the resurrection on the first day of the week, Sunday; according to them, Easter occurred on the same day of the week, but from year to year it fell on different dates. Easter falls on different days every year because the Christian churches in the East, which were closer to the birthplace of the new religion and in which old traditions were strong, observed Easter according to the date of the Passover festival. The churches of the West celebrated Easter on a Sunday (historychannel.com). When Easter is near, Easter bunnies appear all over the world, and stores begin selling items such as Easter baskets, egg coloring kits, and a various amount of other Easter pleasures. “When I was a kid…I always got a new dress to wear to church on Easter Sunday,” stated Polly Searfos, teacher at Hayes. “The Easter Bunny always brings an Easter basket that is hidden.” So where did traditions like the Easter bunny and Easter eggs come from? According to factmonster.com, hares and rabbits have long been symbols of fertility. The hare of Easter, known as the Easter Bunny, appears to have originated in Germany, where tales were told of an "Easter hare" who laid eggs for children to find. German immigrants to America brought the tradition with them and spread it across the country. They also baked cakes for Easter in the shape of hares, and may have pioneered the practice of making chocolate eggs and bunnies. In addition, it has been known that eggs are a symbol of new life and fertility across the ages, which is why eggs are colored for Easter. “It is a tradition in my family to color eggs the day before Easter, and then we all attend church on Easter morning,” said Josh Hauerspergr, sophomore at Hayes. Although Easter is not celebrated by every family, it is celebrated by numerous families all around the world. Easter is celebrated by different people with different family traditions, whether they are coloring eggs or hiding goodies for the children! ]]> Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:18:00 GMT