THE Easter is the celebration that is part of the religious calendar of Christianity in remembrance of the crucifixion, deathandresurrectioninJesusChrist. This feast derives from a Jewish celebration that took place, more or less, around the same time that Passover takes place today. However, there are some differences between Jewish and Christian celebration.
Easter is a party with a moving date, so each year it takes place at a different time. The criteria for defining the date of each year were determined by the authorities of the Catholic Church, in the fourth century d. Ç. Easter has some traditions, the consumption of chocolate eggs being one of the most common.
Accessalso: Three Kings - the mysterious magicians who visited the newborn Jesus
When did the Easter celebration start?
Easter is a Christian event derived from a celebration held by Jews, approximately the same time of year (between March and April). However, the two festivals have different meanings, as the Jewish version, called peach (which means "passage"), is carried out in memory of the deliverance of Jews from slavery in Egypt.
The Jewish celebration is held in obedience to a Yahweh's order, as stated in the "Exodus" in the Bible. It was performed for the first time by the Jews in Egypt, before the passing of the angel of death, the tenth Egyptian plague, as stipulated in the biblical text. The feast took on new meaning through Christians because of Jesus' resurrection.
What does Easter represent for Christians?
Easter is one of the most important religious celebrations on the Christian calendar. This feast recalls the entire process of crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
From the perspective of Christians, Easter is a celebration that highlights the divine character of Christ, therefore, after his sacrifice (the crucifixion), the humanity wasredeemedinyoursins. The resurrection was, therefore, the demonstration of the power of God, for, once his purpose (to save humanity) was fulfilled, he died, but three days later he conquered death and rose again. Christians understand Easter as a demonstration of compassion of God with humans.
Easter preparation
As Easter is a very important festival, its celebration is awaited with great enthusiasm, and there is a process of preparation until its arrival. One of the ways the faithful prepare for it is to Lent — the period of 40 days before Easter marked by the performance of penances.
The week before Easter is known as WeekSanta, and in it it is customary to remember all the steps of Jesus until his resurrection. The beginning of this week is with the Palm Sunday — the moment when Jesus returned to Jerusalem and is welcomed into the city as king. On Maundy Thursday, remember the lastSupper.
This was the last supper of Jesus Christ with his apostles, which took place during the period in which the "Jewish Passover" was celebrated, the generic designation of the aforementioned peach. At the Last Supper, Jesus made mention that the bread represented His body, and the wine His blood. He also announced that He would be betrayed and denied by his disciples.
Later that day, Jesus was arrested and, before his crucifixion, in the Good friday, tried, condemned and tortured by the Roman authorities who controlled Palestine at the time. Jesus died during the crucifixion and his body would have been deposited in the HolyTomb, located in Jerusalem.
On the third day, that is, on the SundayinEaster, Jesus rose, demonstrated his divinity. Easter is celebrated exactly on the Sunday that marks such an act.
Accessalso:Christmas - the party that celebrates the birth of Jesus
Main Easter Traditions
Easter is a festival marked by several traditions, most of them religious, but there are also some secular practices. Let's see:
Rite of Footwashing: practice held on Maundy Thursday in memory of Jesus' act of washing the feet of his disciples. It is a tradition that symbolizes humility and love of neighbor as Christian practices.
Masses: they are held on Easter Sunday as a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.
Passion of christ: plays that enact the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus are very common in this period.
Easter eggs: a very common secular practice is the consumption of Easter eggs made from chocolate. In some places, games are performed with children, placing them to look for eggs in a certain space.
Accessalso: Corpus Christi, the celebration of the Eucharist
Easter date
The date of Easter was defined by the authorities of the Catholic Church in antiquity. During the Council of Nicaea, in 325, it was decided that Easter would be celebrated as follows: on the first Sunday, after the full moon following the equinox spring, against the background of the Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, Easter, in the coming years, will be celebrated on the following dates:
2020: April 12th
2021: April 4
2022: April 17th
2023: 9th April
2024: March 31
