Easter is considered one of the most important holidays of the year for Christians. This holiday commemorates the event of Jesus Christ’s resurrection after being crucified.
Understanding Easter
What is Easter?
Easter is a celebration of the day when the prophet Jesus was crucified and then resurrected, observed by Christians worldwide. This prophet is described in the scriptures as the son of the Almighty, who created all beings. His tragic death is seen as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Simultaneously, this holiday also commemorates the new covenant between humanity and the Almighty.
Easter is recognized as one of the most significant holidays of the year for Christians (Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, Anglicans). Long ago, this festival was referred to as the spring festival (Frühlingsfest) or “Ostarum”. The Germans called it “Ostara”, and the term “Ostern/Easter” originates from the word “Ost/East”, symbolizing the spring sun rising in the east.
The Jewish people refer to this holiday as “Paschafest”, while Egyptians call it “Osterlamm/paschal lamb”, celebrating the first full moon of spring by sacrificing lambs to commemorate their liberation from oppression and escape from slavery.
Origin of Easter
Easter typically occurs on a Sunday between late March and early April, commemorating the event of Jesus rising from the dead after being crucified. Easter does not have a fixed date; it is often calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. Thus, Easter is also viewed as a spring festival, celebrating the transition of the seasons with vibrant colors.
Meaning of Easter
Easter is the focal point of Christian belief. Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross but then resurrected from the dead, ascending to Heaven in triumph. Because Jesus overcame death and resurrected, Christians believe that only He has the power to grant them eternal life. This belief is what Christians proclaim annually during Easter and weekly on Sundays.
Easter is also a celebration of hope, coinciding with the arrival of spring for all living beings. The Creator’s wonders are evident as bare branches throughout the cold winter suddenly burst with buds and new leaves after a warm spring day.
Common Practices During Easter
What do people typically do during Easter?
- Fasting and Abstaining from Meat: More specifically, it involves abstaining from meat and certain foods. Catholics are required to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, two days before Easter, as well as refrain from unnecessary indulgences. Any surplus resources are usually donated to the poor or given to the church.
- Making Palm Leaf Shapes: The shapes vary depending on each person’s skill level.
Walking the Stations of the Cross: Reflecting on 12 images depicting the stages of Jesus’s journey from arrest to death. - Washing of Feet: This practice is derived from a story in the Bible where Jesus washed the feet of each disciple before His arrest, urging everyone to wash one another’s feet regardless of status.
- Reenacting the Crucifixion: This is common in regions with a high Christian population or in countries with many Catholics. The reenactment is based on the story from Jesus’s arrest to His death.
Important Days in the Easter Season
- Palm Sunday: The start of the Easter season is marked by Palm Sunday, which recounts the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem before His crucifixion. The townspeople welcomed Him with palm branches, leading to the tradition of using palm leaves in church celebrations.
- Holy Saturday: Holy Saturday is the day Jesus lay in the tomb after His crucifixion. It is also a public holiday in some parts of the United States, Australia, and Western countries where government offices remain closed, though stores may operate on limited hours. Churches do not hold special services on this day, but it is popular for baptism ceremonies and weddings.
- Easter Sunday: This day commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, making it a joyful event in the Christian calendar. Churches are filled with flowers and decorations in yellow and white, and choirs perform special hymns. Children receive gifts of chocolate eggs and participate in egg hunts at home. As a national holiday, all business activities are closed, depending on state and territory regulations.
- Easter Monday: Easter Monday is the final day of the Easter holiday period. Most businesses and schools remain closed. While it marks the last day of celebrating Jesus’s resurrection, many people take this opportunity to attend events or host family meals.
Symbols of Easter
On this day, people often gift each other colorful decorated eggs, bunnies, or slices of Jambon, all symbolic of this holiday.
Easter Eggs
Colorfully decorated Easter eggs.
Eggs are the oldest symbol of the Easter holiday, representing fertility and rebirth. During this occasion, people typically exchange beautifully decorated eggs, which may be made of chocolate, plaster, or even wool, often handcrafted to convey good wishes.
Western cultures believe that the Earth originated from a giant egg. In the Appalachian Mountains, ancient healers used to roll a boiled egg on the belly of a pregnant woman to predict the baby’s future fertility.
The cultural significance of eggs continues to grow. The tradition of exchanging eggs has existed in many great civilizations.
Archaeological studies show that the Egyptians and ancient Sumerians practiced decorating eggs as gifts at least 5,000 years ago. For these reasons, eggs are recognized as an essential symbol of Easter—the day celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.
Easter Bunny
The bunny symbolizes abundant and vibrant life.
Beyond being a symbol of fertility, the bunny represents abundant and vibrant life. Specifically, the bunny is tied to the legend of Ostara, also known as Easter. The name of this spring goddess was adopted for the holiday.
According to legend, the goddess brought spring late to Earth, causing many creatures to suffer from the cold, including a bird on the brink of death with frozen wings. Out of compassion, Ostara transformed the bird into a beloved bunny, granting it the ability to lay eggs and run swiftly. With this gift, the goddess intended for the bunny to deliver gifts to children each spring.
However, the bunny later unintentionally angered Ostara, resulting in her throwing it into the sky, where it became the constellation Lepus. Once a year, the bunny may descend to Earth in spring to gift colorful eggs to the people below.
Since then, the image of the bunny with eggs has become a distinctive feature of Western Easter celebrations.
Candle of Easter
The Easter candle symbolizes light and warmth, guiding us out of darkness and illuminating the path to righteousness and peace.
The candle bears five marks (representing the five wounds of Jesus), with the letters alpha inscribed at the top and omega at the bottom, symbolizing the first and the last of Greek, representing Jesus as the “Alpha and Omega.”
Jambon
Jambon is a traditional dish served during Easter.
The traditional ham has always been a staple on the tables of Christian believers around the world during Easter. For them, pork is considered a divine dish. If the first full moon of autumn is the best time to cure pork for storage, spring is when Westerners indulge in this preserved food. Thus, ham has become a traditional dish served at every Easter feast.
New Clothes
It is believed that wearing new clothes on Easter brings good luck for the remaining days of the year. New clothing symbolizes renewal and a fresh start—key elements of the annual Easter celebration.
For Catholics, Easter also represents faith in resurrection and hope for good things. This is the message that this holiday conveys to people around the world.
Easter Flowers
The Germans often use fresh branches, hanging colorful painted egg shells and small chocolate bunnies for children, along with popular flowers such as Daffodils (Osterglocken), Tulips (Uất kim cương), Hyacinths (Hyazinthen), Daisies (Gaenebluemchen), Dandelions (Loewenzahn), and Buttercups (Hahnenfuss).
Easter typically falls in March or April each year (calculated as the Sunday between March 22 and April 25).
Easter Hymns
Easter songs are also an important part of this special day. The lyrics and melodies of these songs express joy and happiness, reflecting gratitude and the desire for a positive and fortunate life.
Customs and Traditions
A week before Easter, known as Holy Week, runs from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday (or the Easter Vigil). During this week, Christian churches commemorate the Passion of Jesus, celebrating the mysteries that Jesus completed during his final days on Earth. For Christians, every act of service during this week conveys a sense of sorrow but is accompanied by gratitude for the Lord becoming human to endure suffering and death for sinful humanity.
In many Western countries, Easter includes Sunday and Monday as official holidays. In Europe, such as Germany, Good Friday is also an official holiday. On this day, entertainment venues, theaters, and shops are closed to commemorate the Passion of Jesus.
Many Christians pilgrimage to the Via Dolorosa in the Old City of Jerusalem to revisit the path of suffering that Jesus took to the hill of Golgotha.
In Vietnam, parishes with large numbers of believers from the northern regions often hold rituals reflecting on the 15 Stations of the Cross. Additionally, many parishes reenact the Passion of Christ. On Good Friday, there is also a ritual of veneration of the cross.
On Easter Sunday, popes usually offer the Urbi et Orbi blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Easter 2024 will be on Sunday, March 31, 2024.
