Easter is the holiday commemorating the resurrection of Christ, observed in the Christian churches today. By the first Christian, it was considered to continue the feast of the Passover, at which the paschal lamb, a symbol of Christ, was sacrificed. Hence, its name in Greek, French,and other Roman languages is taken from Hebrew "Pesach" - Passover. The English name comes from the Anglo-Saxon "Eastre" - a goddess of light or spring and fertility, whose festival was celebrated in April.
Easter Day is the day Christians remember Jesus rising from the dead. After his brutal crucifixion, a large stone was rolled over his tomb. But shortly after his death when followers went back to honor Jesus, the stone had mysteriously been moved and only the cloth that wrapped Jesus' body was laying there. As the story goes, Jesus' body was no longer in the tomb and he had in fact risen from his death in order to save us all. An angel nearby this tomb told his followers of the miracle that had taken place.
The resurrection, as described in the Bible, means that at the very moment Jesus rose from the dead, was the very moment we would be given everlasting life. Christians would now receive new life after death. The Easter holiday celebrates this belief. Easter is therefore the last day celebrated during a 40 day Easter season.
The run up to Easter is known as Lent, a term which is derived from the old English word for spring - lenten. This is a period of fasting and preparation for baptism, which symbolises the 40 day fast of Jesus after his baptism. It begins on Ash Wednesday when the ashes of the palms used on the previous Palm Sunday are used to mark a cross on the forehead of those attending church.
Easter Trivia
Decorating and coloring eggs was customary in the Middle Ages. There is a record that in 1290 Edward the 1st paid eighteen pence to have 450 eggs colored and gold- leafed to give as gifts to friends.
The largest Easter Egg ever made was in Vegreville, AB. It was 5000 pounds and was 25.7 long.
Easter is the second most important candy-eating occasion of the year for Americans, who consumed 7 billion pounds of candy in 2001, according to the National Confectioner's Association.
In 2000, Americans spent nearly $1.9 billion on Easter candy, while Halloween sales were nearly $2 billion; Christmas, an estimated $1.4 billion; and Valentine's Day, just over $1 billion.
The Easter Bunny's visit is based upon a German Legend. The legend goes that a poor woman decorated eggs for her children to find during a famine. At the moment they found them, they looked up to see a big bunny hopping away.
The Easter Lily first came to the United States in 1919 when a WW1 soldier brought the bulbs home to Oregon and gave them away to family and friends.
Chocolate bunnies should be eaten ears first, according to 76% of Americans. Five percent said bunnies should be eaten feet first, while 4% favored eating the tail first.
Easter Bonnets are a throw back to the days when the people denied themselves the pleasure of wearing finery for the duration of Lent.
There is a longstanding tradition of churchgoers wearing at least one new item of clothing to Easter services. Doing so is considered good luck.
Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25.
Rabbits symbolized new life and rebirth in ancient Egypt. They considered it a symbol of the moon as the moon determines the date of Easter.
Pysanka is a specific term used for the practice of Easter egg painting.
Ninety million chocolate Easter bunnies are produced each year.
From the very early times, egg has been considered to be the most important symbol of rebirth.
Carl Faberge a goldsmith in Russia made the most expensive eggs in the world. He was commssioned by the Russian Czar to make an egg in 1883. The Czar loved it so much that he order one made each year. There were 57 Faberge eggs made.
The white lily flower is the symbol of resurrection
The idea of easter baskets originated from the early Christian custom of bringing Easter dinner to church to be blessed.
The initial baskets of Easter were given the appearance of bird's nests.
Americans consume 16 billion jellybeans at Easter, many of them hidden in baskets. If all the Easter jellybeans were lined end to end, they would circle the globe nearly three times.
Ten growers along the California-Oregon border produce 95% of the bulbs for easter lilies. Over 11 million of them annually.
Jellybeans did not become an Easter tradition until the 1930s. They were probably first made in America by Boston candy maker William Schrafft, who ran advertisements urging people to send jellybeans to soldiers fighting in the Civil War.
70% of kids aged 6-11 say they prefer to eat Easter jellybeans one at a time, while 23% report eating several at once. Boys (29%) were more apt to eat a handful than girls (18%).
Children indicate their favorite Easter jellybean flavors are cherry (20%), strawberry (12%), grape (10%), lime (7%), and blueberry (6%).
Amazingly The easter lilly only has a two week selling span yet is the 4 largest flower crop in the US. Poinsettas are number one followed by mums and azealas.
The maiden chocolate eggs recipes were made in Europe in the nineteenth century.
Each year there are nearly 90 million chocolate bunnies made for easter.
In Greek Orthodox culture, easter eggs are traditionally painted red.
Next to Halloween, Easter holiday is the second biggest holiday for candy makers.
The custom of giving eggs at Easter time has been traced back to Egyptians, Persians, Gauls, Greeks and Romans, to whom the egg was a symbol of life.
In medieval times a festival of egg-throwing was held in church, during which the priest would throw a hard-boiled egg to one of the choir boys. It was then tossed from one choir boy to the next and whoever held the egg when the clock struck 12 was the winner and retained the egg.
Hot cross buns were among the earliest Easter treats, made by European monks and given to the poor during Lent.
Pretzels were originally associated with Easter. The twists of a pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossed in prayer.
Each Easter season, Americans buy more than 700 million Marshmallow Peeps, shaped like chicks, as well as Marshmallow Bunnies and Marshmallow Eggs, making them the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.
As many as 4.2 million Marshmallow Peeps, bunnies, and other shapes can be made each day.
In 1953, it took 27 hours to create a Marshmallow Peep. Today it takes six minutes.
Yellow Peeps are the most popular, followed by pink, lavender, blue, and white.]
Ham is the traditional meal of Easter. Before refrigeration hogs were slaughtered in the fall. The hams take 6-7 months to cure just in time for Easter.
When it comes to eating of chocolate bunnies, it is the ears that are preferred to be eaten first by as many as 76% of people.
In the catalogue of kids' favorite Easter foodstuff, Red jellybeans occupy top most position.
Adults prefer milk chocolate (65%), to dark chocolate (27%).
Easter Symbols
Many Easter customs come from the Old World. The white lily, the symbol of the resurrection, is the special Easter flower. Rabbits and colored eggs have come from pagan antiquity as symbols of new life. The Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in colored easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts. Easter Monday egg rolling, a custom of European origin, has become a tradition on the lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. During the Octave of Easter in early Christian times, the newly baptized wore white garments, white being the liturgical color of Easter and signifying light, purity, and joy.
History of the White House Easter Egg Roll
The original site of the Easter Egg Roll was the grounds of the United States Capitol. The event began during the Presidency of James Madison (1809-1817) at the suggestion of his wife, Dolley Madison. Mrs. Madison was fascinated to learn that Egyptian children rolled colored eggs on the site of the Pyramids. She thought the children of the Washington area would enjoy this enchanting activity.
In 1877, under orders from members of Congress, Capitol policemen required the children to leave the grounds. Some Congressmen, tired of slipping and sliding on the remains of boiled eggs, felt the grounds should no longer be torn up in such a way. Some sources tell us that one irritated nursemaid, followed by several of her charges, stormed down to the White House where she demanded access to the White House grounds for egg rolling. Others claim that President Rutherford B. Hayes, riding by the Capitol grounds in his carriage, saw the tearful children and invited them to the White House for their egg roll.
In 1878 President Hayes and his wife Lucy officially opened the White House grounds to the children of the area for egg rolling on Easter Monday. The event has been held on the South Lawn ever since, except during World War I and World War II. During the war years the Easter Egg Roll was held at the National Zoo, and other Washington locations. The White House Easter Egg Roll is eagerly awaited each year by thousands of children. It is always held on the Monday after Easter, on the South Lawn of the White House. Children hunt for brightly colored wooden signature eggs hidden in hay. Many of these eggs have been signed by famous people, including the athletes, astronauts, musicians, and celebrities from film, television, and theatre who visit the White House during the year. Of course, the real treasures are the eggs personally signed by the President and First Lady (as well as Socks)! By the late 1800s such games as "Egg Picking," "Egg Ball," "Toss and Catch," and "Egg Croquet" were popular Easter Monday activities. The children attending the event take part in many newer activities, but rolling a hard-boiled egg across the lawn is still a highlight of the day.
All I Need to Learn about Life I Learned From the Easter Bunny!
Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Walk softly and carry a big carrot. Everyone needs a friend who is all ears. There's no such thing as too much candy. All work and no play can make you a basket case. A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention. Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day. Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits. Some body parts should be floppy. Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans. Good things come in small-sugarcoated packages. The grass is greener in someone else's basket. An Easter bonnet can cover the wildest hare. To show your true colors you have to come out of the shell. The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.
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