Easter.

« Many Easter traditions originated long before the beginning of the Christian era.

Like Christmas, which is related to pre-Christian winter festivals, Easter is connected inmany ways with early pagan rituals that accompanied the arrival of spring.

Easter is also associated with the Jewish festival of Passover. A Easter Eggs The Easter egg is associated with beliefs of particularly ancient origin.

The egg was an important symbol in the mythologies of many early civilizations, including those ofIndia and Egypt.

It was commonly believed that the universe developed from a great egg and that the halves of its shell corresponded to Heaven and Earth.

The eggwas also connected with the springtime fertility rituals of many pre-Christian and Indo-European peoples, and both the Egyptians and the Persians made a practice ofcoloring eggs in the spring.

In Christianity the egg is a symbol of resurrection, representing the emergence of Christ from his tomb to everlasting life. Over the centuries the symbolic associations of the egg have been more or less forgotten, and modern Easter eggs are valued primarily for their colorful appearance.Eggs of chocolate or other kinds of candy are also favorites of the season. Games involving Easter eggs have long been popular in many Christian countries.

In France, Germany, and Austria, egg picking is a favorite game.

It is played by twopeople, each of whom holds a hard-boiled egg in his hand.

The players knock or roll their eggs together, and the one whose egg shows the fewest cracks may claimboth eggs.

A well-known Easter event in the United States is the annual egg rolling contest on the White House lawn. B Easter Rabbit Children are often told that Easter eggs are brought by the Easter bunny.

The rabbit has become as traditional at Easter time as the Easter egg.

Like the egg, the hareor rabbit was a symbol of fertility and new life in ancient times.

How the rabbit came to be associated with Easter and Easter eggs is unclear, but it may have beenintended to symbolize the fertile life that the risen Christ would send his followers.

In any case, the Easter rabbit has had a long history in European folklore.

ModernEaster rabbits are often stuffed toys or made of candy. C Paschal Lamb One of the most common Christian symbols, especially associated with Easter, is the lamb.

It is often depicted with a banner that bears a cross, and it is known as theAgnus Dei , meaning “lamb of God” in Latin.

The origin of the symbol is related directly to the Jewish Passover.

In ancient times the Jews sacrificed a lamb in the course of the festival.

The early Christians, most of whom were Hebrews, associated the sacrifice of the lamb with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

They connected the joyousPassover festival, which commemorates the liberation of the Hebrews from their years of bondage in Egypt, with the liberation from death represented by theresurrection. The popularity of lamb as an Easter food is undoubtedly related to its importance as a symbol.

During the Middle Ages roast lamb became the traditional main course ofthe pope’s Easter dinner, and it is still customarily served on Easter Sunday in many European countries.

Decorative lambs made of candy or cake are also frequentlyseen at Easter time. D Paschal Candle The lighting of the paschal candle is a traditional Easter observance in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican churches.

Set aside in a large candlestick near thealtar, the paschal candle is lighted from flint on the night of Holy Saturday.

All other candles in the church are lit by fire from this candle.

The ritual of a fire servicedates back at least as far as the 4th century.

The paschal candle represents Christ’s person, and its flame symbolizes his resurrection as “the light of the world.” In early times most members of the congregation carried fire from the paschal candle to their homes, to relight their hearths and lamps.

The passing of the light to thecongregation symbolizes Christ’s giving of his life to his faithful believers.

The custom of taking home the new fire is still observed in some countries. E Easter Fires In some parts of Europe huge bonfires are lighted on hilltops and in churchyards on the eve of Easter.

They are sometimes called Judas fires, because effigies of JudasIscariot are frequently burned in them.

The Easter eve bonfires predate Christianity and were originally intended to celebrate the arrival of spring.

The burning effigyonce symbolized winter. F Easter Clothes A popular Easter custom in the United States has been to wear new clothes on Easter Sunday.

In New York City many people display their new outfits as they strollalong Fifth Avenue in an Easter parade.

Parades take place on a smaller scale in many other communities.

Few Easter paraders realize that the custom originated withinthe church hundreds of years ago, when those who were baptized on Holy Saturday were given new white robes to wear.

Other members of the congregation, recallingtheir earlier participation in the ceremony of baptism, also put on new garments in memory of the occasion. G The Easter Service The many religious rituals of Lent and Holy Week culminate in the observance of Easter Sunday.

Since this is the most important and joyous feast day of the year, theservices are appropriately elaborate.

They are accompanied by the richest possible displays of vestments, ritual accessories, and flowers, including the traditional Easterlilies.

In many places, sunrise services are held outdoors. In the Roman Catholic Church the most solemn Easter service is the vigil observed on the night of Holy Saturday.

The vigil includes the blessing of the new fire, theprocession of the paschal candle, scripture reading, and often baptisms.

It is ended by a mass, in which the sacrifice of Christ is reenacted. V THE DATING OF EASTER According to the New Testament, Christ was crucified on the eve of Passover and shortly afterward rose from the dead.

In consequence, the Easter festivalcommemorated Christ’s resurrection.

In time, a serious difference over the date of the Easter festival arose among Christians.

Those of Jewish origin celebrated theresurrection immediately following the Passover festival.

By their reckoning, Easter fell on different days of the week from year to year. Christians of non-Jewish origin, however, wished to commemorate the resurrection on the first day of the week, Sunday.

By their method, Easter occurred on the sameday of the week, but from year to year it fell on different dates.. »