Easter

Easter Sunday is also known as the feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord.

We don't know exactly where the English word "Easter" comes from. Some have said there was an Anglo-Saxon goddess of life called Eastre, speculating that the Christian church borrowed the name to link it to the new life Jesus gives. Originally the festival day, as well as the 50-day season that follows, were known as Pasch—an adapted Hebrew word that means "deliverance" or "passover." The Jewish observance of Passover is closely linked to Easter, and many churches use this time of year to read the account of the Hebrew slaves who departed from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. (That's why the Charlton Heston movie The Ten Commandments is often broadcast in US in the days before Easter. It works for both Jews during Passover and Christians in the lead-up to Easter.)

Easter is the central day of the church's worship calendar. As such, it defines the starting dates of Lent (40 days before) and Pentecost (50 days after). But from year to year it is hard to know when Easter itself falls. Unlike Christmas, Easter is not a fixed date on the calendar. In the year 325 AD the Council of Nicea declared that Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal equinox. That means Easter could comes as early as March 22 or as late as April 25. (Branches of Eastern Christianity use a different calendar, so their Easter is often later.) In days when most people did not have calendars, the date of Easter would be announced from the pulpit on the first Sunday after Epiphany. Even with calendars, it's still a good idea to remind churchgoers when Easter falls so that they have adequate time to prepare for the biggest event of the church year. It was on this day that the ancient church initiated new members, often baptizing them in the early hours before sunrise. Remnants of this tradition still remain in the form of Easter Sunrise Services or the late-night Easter Vigil.

There are various speculations about how and why bunnies and eggs were added to Easter celebrations. Apparently the Easter bunny originated in Germany as a character very similar to Santa Claus. The first record of him in a book goes back to 1682, describing how he brought candy, eggs, and toys to the homes of children who were good. Colored Easter eggs may have something to do with the roasted eggs that are eaten during the Passover seder meal. Or they may have to do with Lenten fasting—if someone abstained from eating eggs for 40 days, then they would need to boil them to prevent spoilage, leaving a big batch to start eating on Easter day.

In spite of these later cultural traditions, the meaning of Easter clearly goes back to an empty tomb 2000 years ago. (Read John 20:1-18 for a review of the details.) What you believe happened early that Sunday morning in Jerusalem indicates where you fall on the spectrum of faith. For those who think that Jesus was just a good teacher and leader, the claims of the resurrection might be difficult to accept. But for those who believe that Jesus is the Father's own Spirit-filled Son, who organize their lives around the claim that God did indeed roll away the stone of the tomb, there is reason to sing.