Easter

Easter is considered the most important religious holiday of the Christian liturgical year, observed in March, April, or May to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after his death by crucifixion (see Good Friday), which Christians believe happened at about this time of year around AD 30-33. Easter can also refer to the season of the church year, lasting for fifty days, which follows this holiday and ends around Pentecost. (See Eastertide.)

Related Topics:
Holiday - Christian - Liturgical year - March - April - May - Resurrection - Jesus - Crucifixion - Good Friday - Pentecost - Eastertide

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In most languages of Christian societies, other than English and German, the holiday's name is derived from Pesach, the Hebrew name of Passover, a Jewish holiday to which the Christian Easter is intimately linked. Easter depends on Passover not only for much of its symbolic meaning but also for its position in the calendar; the Last Supper shared by Jesus and his disciples before his crucifixion is generally thought of as a Passover seder, based on the chronology in the Synoptic Gospels. The Gospel of John has a different chronology which has Christ's death at the time of the slaughter of the Passover lambs (perhaps for theological reasons). This would put the Last Supper slightly before Passover, on 14 Nisan of the Hebrew calendar.

Related Topics:
English - German - Hebrew - Passover - Last Supper - Disciples - Seder - Synoptic Gospels - Gospel of John - Nisan - Hebrew calendar

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According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "In fact, the Jewish feast was taken over into the Christian Easter celebration."

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The English and German names, "Easter" and "Ostern", are not etymologically derived from Pesach and are instead related to ancient names for the month of April, Eostremonat and Ostaramanoth respectively. According to the 8th century Christian monk and historian Bede, this month was dedicated to the pagan fertility goddess Eostre. The Easter Bunny is often identified as a remnant of this fertility festival, although there is no hard evidence of any link.

Related Topics:
Eostremonat - Christian - Monk - Historian - Bede - Pagan - Fertility goddess - Eostre - Easter Bunny

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