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We here at Languages United hope you had a great Easter Sunday! But why do we celebrate it? and how?
Why do we celebrate?
Easter Sunday is one of the most important events in the Christian calendar. It commemorates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death, as written in the Christian Bible.
Why does ‘the Easter date’ change each year?
The date of Easter Sunday is dependent on the ‘March Equinox.’ This is when the length of day and night are nearly equal (12 hours of sunlight followed by 12 hours of night time). In 325AD/CE, the Council of Nicaea decided that the date for Easter would be the first Sunday after the March Equinox. This year, that was Sunday the 1st of April.
What do people do to celebrate?
Around the world, many Christians celebrate Easter by going to a church service, with music, candlelight, flowers and the ringing of church bells. Easter processions are held in some countries such as the Philippines and Spain. Easter Sunday is also one of the largest feast days in the Church year. It is a day of joy and celebration, in commemoration of Christ’s revival.
In Italy, many towns and villages hold ‘sacred dramas’ about the episodes of the Easter story. Pastries called corona di nove are baked in the form of a crown. Italian ‘Easter food’ does not end there, however. Other traditional foods include capretto (lamb) and agnello (kid/goat).
In Poland, Easter Sunday is celebrated with family meals that include ham, sausages, salads, babka (a Polish cake) and mazurka, or sweet cakes filled with nuts, fruit and honey.
Aside from the days religious importance, many children living in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom think of it as a time to welcome spring. This can either take the form of buying new clothes for spring, or decorating eggs, or taking part in an Easter egg hunt (where eggs are hidden by the Easter Bunny).
However you celebrated Easter Sunday this year, we hope you had a great day!