Easter Traditions Explained:
For Christians, Easter is about the crucifixion and resurrection (coming back to life) of Jesus Christ. After his death, Jesus’ body was put in a tomb (a type of grave). Three days later, the tomb was found to be empty, and people discovered that Jesus had risen.
Easter Traditions
Easter is a Christian spring holiday which celebrates new life and rebirth. Many of its symbols, such as rabbits and eggs, come from ancient (really old) traditions. Not everyone celebrates Easter at the same time. For example, the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates at a different time to the Catholic Church. Easter is not on the same date each year. It is usually celebrated somewhere between late March and late April.
Symbolism
Crosses – Jesus was crucified on a wooden cross. These symbolise his death and resurrection.
Eggs – symbolise new life and rebirth.
Rabbits – symbolise new life.
Lambs – represent spring and new life.
Palm fronds – symbolise peace and have links to the bible which tells of Jesus being greeted with palm fronds when he arrived in Jerusalem a few days before he was arrested.
Purple – the colour of royalty and a sign of mourning.
Religious observance
Many Christians participate in a time called Lent (the forty days before Easter). During Lent some people give up simple items such as chocolate while others do not eat meat, fish, eggs or dairy. The last week of Lent is called Holy Week. Palm Sunday (the first day of Holy Week) is the day that Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. Maundy Thursday is the day of the Last Supper and Good Friday is the day of Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Easter Sunday comes as a huge celebration at the end of Lent with feasting and treats, commemorating Jesus’ resurrection.
Easter Egg
The symbol of the egg may have origins in pagan rituals celebrating the spring season. The religious symbolism is the resurrection of Jesus. Decorating eggs for Easter dates back to at least the 13th century, according to the History channel. Dying eggs red symbolized the blood of Christ. The Easter egg is also a byproduct of Lent, as many families would give up eggs during those fast days, which end with Easter.
Easter Bunny
One theory is the Easter bunny also comes from pagan rites of spring, brought to the U.S. by 18th-century German settlers in Pennsylvania.These settlers prepared nests for the bunny in their gardens or barns and waited for Easter Eve for the rabbit, known as "Oschter Haws," to lay eggs, according to Christianity Today.
White House Easter Egg Roll
Since 1878, when Rutherford B. Hayes was in office, American presidents have hosted the "egg roll" on the White Houses' South Lawn, according to the White House Historical Association website.The tradition of egg rolling actually began around the Capitol building. Starting in the 1870s, Washingtonians converged there to celebrate Easter, but the brightly colored eggs made a mess of the lawn. In 1876, President Ulysses Grant signed a law that banned egg rollers on Capitol grounds, according to the website.
Easter Around the World:
Australia
In Australia we celebrate Easter over a four day long weekend. It starts on Good Friday and ends on Easter Monday. Over the weekend you might attend a church service, have an Easter egg hunt or receive a chocolate egg or bilby. Bilbies are like rabbits. They have long pointy ears and fine fur. People prefer bilbies in Australia as rabbits can be pests who steal native animals’ homes.Another treat which Australians enjoy eating over Easter is the hot cross bun. These delicious treats are usually made with spices and dried fruit and decorated with a white cross, but you can also buy chocolate or fruitless hot cross buns.
Greece
Easter in Greece is a very religious time. Eggs are painted red to represent the blood of Christ. Traditionally, when people meet they knock their eggs together and say ‘Christos anesti!’ meaning ‘Christ is risen!’
Germany
Germany has many Easter traditions. Easter Sunday is known as ‘Family Day’. Lots of sweet treats are eaten, including a cake shaped like a lamb, and eggs and cookies are hidden in the garden.Many Germans also have an ‘Easter Fire’ where they burn their Christmas tree to show that winter is over and spring is coming. It is also popular in Germany to have an egg tree. Real eggs are painted and then hung from branches in a vase inside the house.
Hungary
In Hungary, Easter is celebrated with the baking of delicious pastries and the painting of hardboiled eggs.People in northeast Hungary celebrate with girls and boys wearing traditional dress. The girls run down the street while the boys throw buckets of water on them! Afterwards, the girls reward the boys with coins or Easter eggs painted with flowers.
Russia
As in many countries, eggs are decorated at Easter. During the nineteenth century, Russia took this to a whole new level of extravagance.The Tsar Alexander III asked a jeweller named Peter Carl Fabergé to create an Imperial Easter Egg as a gift for the Empress each Easter. Each egg was made from precious stones and metals such as gold, silver, pearls, rubies and diamonds and took a whole year to make. When the egg was opened it held a surprise such as a beautiful pendant, a portrait or a golden hen.
Easter fast facts
- In Norway, it is popular to read a detective or crime novel over the Easter long-weekend.
- Eggs are often ‘blown’ to empty out the yolk and white before they are painted. Each end of the egg is pricked, and then air is blown into one end so that the yolk and white comes out of the other. The hollow eggshells can then be painted.
- It is believed that the word ‘Easter’ may come from ‘Eostre’ (sometimes called ‘Eostare’), the Anglo-Saxon goddess of sunrise and spring, who had festivals and feasts held in her honour during April.
- The cross on hot cross buns is there to remind us of Jesus, his crucifixion and resurrection.
- One of the world’s largest chocolate Easter eggs measured over 27 feet tall and weighed over 4000kgs.
- The day before Lent begins is called Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day. Traditionally, a feast was held on this day to use up all of the food that people would not be able to eat during Lent. Pancakes were a popular recipe to get rid of eggs and milk.
^ It's always interesting to learn why we do the traditions on different holidays as well as how other people around the celebrate the same holiday. ^
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