Easter is an important celebration of the christian church in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Easter originates from the Latin word Pascha, which derives from the Hebrew Passover / Passover, which means "the passing”. This "passage" is described in the Old testment as the deliverance of the Israelite people from slavery in Egypt. Passover was celebrated by the Jews to commemorate the freedom won by their people.
already in the New Testament, Easter is the celebration of the passage from death to life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
According to the Christian calendar, Easter is the closing of the call Holy Week. In Catholicism, the Easter celebrations begin at "Quinta Feira Santa" with the Mass of the Lord's Supper. Then, on "Good Friday" the crucifixion of Jesus is celebrated. "Easter Sunday", which celebrates his resurrection and first appearance to his disciples, closes the Easter celebrations.
Holy Week is the last week of Lent, period in which the Christian faithful must stay for 40 days in penance and fasting periods. Despite this, practices at this time vary according to the religion in question. For example, Catholic Christians and Protestant Christians have different practices during Easter.
Read more about the meaning of Lent.
The day of Passover was established by decree of the First Council of Nicaea (year 325 d. C), and should always be celebrated on the Sunday after the first full moon of the spring equinox (in the Northern Hemisphere) and autumn (in the Southern Hemisphere).
Easter is a mobile party. It's a type of holiday that doesn't always occur on the same date in the calendar calendar, but has a certain period of time. Like carnival, for example. The Easter celebration is usually between March 22nd to April 25th.
Easter is celebrated in many countries, especially those with strong Christian influences. The Spaniards call the date Passover, the Italians of Pasqua and the French of pâques.
See also the meaning of Christian Easter and day of Pentecost.
Jewish Passover
Passover had its origins in the history of the Jewish people, and the Passover or Passover is an old party held for celebrate the deliverance of the Hebrew people from captivity in Egypt, approximately in 1280 BC Ç.
The festivities began on the afternoon of the 14th of the lunar month of Nisan. A meal similar to the one the Hebrews had when they rushed out of Egypt (the Passover Seder) was served.
Easter symbols
Easter is filled with representative symbols, as are almost all religious celebrations. Most of these symbols, however, were syncretized by the church from pagan customs and rituals or from other religions.
O Easter Bunny, for example, became one of the main symbols of this festival in reference to the commemorations made by ancient peoples during the beginning of spring. The rabbit was believed to represent fertility and the resurgence of life.
Want to know more? See the meaning of Easter Bunny.
The egg is also a symbol of Easter as it represents the beginning of life. Several people used to present their friends with eggs, wishing them the passage to a happy life. From this custom, the first Easter eggs.
Find out more about the meanings of Easter egg.
Learn about the full meaning of Easter symbols.