Easter is just around the corner, so let's be united to celebrate this festival with gaiety and zeal on April 12, 2020. This day marks the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who was resurrected for three days and three nights. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ was the Son of God, born to the Virgin Mary, who had descended on Earth to guide Man onto the path of righteousness.
For the righteousness of people, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice and was crucified on false accounts of blasphemy. Three days after his crucifixion, he was resurrected as he had predicted. With one last lesson to his disciples and followers, he left this world to ascend to heaven. The celebrations of Easter Sunday in the US begin a week in advance and include several fun traditions. Let us take a look at everything that Easter Sunday in the US entails.
The Legacy Associated with Easter
Easter is an ancient holiday that is celebrated in many countries. For Christians, it is the commemoration of the death and rebirth of Jesus Christ. However, Easter has deep roots and traditions that go back well before Christianity (which is 2000 years old). The word Easter comes from Eostre, the ancient Germanic goddess of spring (popular from the 6th century BC). Eostre found a colorful bird that was too injured to be able to fly again, so she turned it into a rabbit. Amazingly, the rabbit kept the ability to lay eggs. To say thank you, the rabbit gave Eostre a basket of her colorful eggs as a gift. In-kind, followers of Eostre honored spring with gifts of colorful bird eggs.
This tradition spread throughout Europe and did not change until the mid-1800 when European manufacturers began to produce chocolate eggs. Chocolate was very popular and the custom evolved, so today it is common to give baskets of chocolate Easter eggs. Migrants to the United States, Australia, and other countries brought folk tales and traditions with them.
If you look even further back than the legend of Eostre, you can find plenty of evidence of ancient cultures decorating and giving eggs in Spring. For more than 3000 years, the Chinese have been painting eggs red for spring festivals, the Zoroastrians (Middle East - 2500 years ago) offered colored eggs on their New Year's Eve which is at the start of spring, and the Druids (Western Europe - 6000 years ago) used them in ceremonies held on the spring equinox (when day and night are of equal length). Incredibly, a large stash of 60, 000-year-old ostrich egg shells found at Diepkloof Rock Shelter in South Africa had detailed patterns scratched onto them.
How is Easter Celebrated?
Easter Sunday marks the resurrection day of Jesus Christ, and the celebration of Easter in the US entails numerous fun traditions. One of the significant customs is Easter Egg Hunting. Children gather in fields or the garden of their home to search for chocolate Easter Eggs that the Easter Bunny left hidden overnight. Stories claim that Easter Bunny is a Santa-like apparition who comes during Easter Sunday to bring gifts for children who have been at their best behavior all year. Los Angeles holds a magnanimous Egg Hunt program in Pershing Square Community Hall.
Easter egg rolls are another fun activity children often partake in – one of the most famous ones being the White House Easter Egg Roll. The Easter Bonnet Festival of New York is an eccentricity everyone enjoys relishing. You wear as over-the-top dresses as possible to participate in the costume competition. Los Angeles also celebrates several Easter Sundays in the US in a merry way through the Big Bunny’s Spring Fling, held at the Los Angeles Zoo every year, and the Blessing of the Animals procession at Olvera Street.
In Eastern Europe, people use wax and dye to create detailed designs on hard-boiled eggs. In the Netherlands and Germany Easter fires are lit at sunset on Easter Sunday. In Bermuda, kites are flown. In Nordic countries, the Easter holiday is associated with murder mysteries. Major TV stations run crime and detective marathons and publishing houses release novels just before Easter. In Finland, Sweden, and Denmark small children dress as witches and go door-to-door collecting chocolate eggs. In Switzerland (the land of cuckoo clocks) the cuckoo brings the eggs. In Westphalia (a region of Germany) a fox brings the eggs. In the United Kingdom, egg knocking competitions are held. Competitors line up and knock eggs together. If an egg is cracked the competitor is out.
Symbols Associated With Easter Sunday
Easter eggs are a significant part of the festival. Coloring them has been a tradition for a long time, and each color used has a specific meaning attached to it. Eggs were majorly painted red originally, to symbolize the blood Jesus Christ split for the sake of Man. As Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his wrongful crucifixion, many people often include the scene of his reawakening in decorations. This resurrection is said to represent the renewal of fertility of nature and the birth of young animals. It is also believed that as Jesus was resurrected, all the dead Christians will also arise during the second coming of Christ.
The Easter Bunny is a Santa Clause-like fictional character associated with the celebrations of Easter Sunday in the US. Children believe that the Easter Bunny comes overnight and hides Chocolate Easter Eggs all over the grounds of their home or nearest park. Those who have been on their best behavior throughout the year find these eggs hidden, especially for them.
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Briefly Put
Get set to celebrate the forthcoming Easter on 22 April 2022. This festival marks the great sacrifices of Jesus Christ who always stood for the righteousness of people.
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