Easter 2023: Easter is the most significant religious holiday in Christianity. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a central tenet of Christianity and the centre of their faith. Religious scholars believe the event occurred approximately 30 years after the crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans, three days later. Therefore, Christians have hope that they will also experience a resurrection in heaven. It is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon following March 21. Easter is on April 9 in 2024. Christians celebrate Easter in personal and universal ways. Let’s look more closely.
WHEN IS EASTER 2023?
This year, Easter is celebrated on April 4, the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. The holiday has Christian roots, but its other elements, such as the Easter bunny and Easter eggs, have made it popular in secular society.
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HISTORY OF EASTER
It is a two-thousand-year-old Christian holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the beginning of spring. It is one of the most significant observances of the year for Christians around the world. However, for many, It is synonymous with chocolate bunnies, dyed eggs, and bouquets of daffodils and lilies.
It is also closely associated with the Old Testament account of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and the Jewish holiday of Passover. The Last Supper, which occurred the evening before Jesus’ arrest, is also associated with these events.
The Sunday preceding Easter is known as Palm Sunday. It commemorates and celebrates the day Jesus arrived in Jerusalem and his disciples laid palm leaves at his feet as a sign of respect. In many churches, Easter celebrations begin on Holy Saturday evening, just before Easter Sunday. This service is referred to as the Easter Vigil.
Easter 2023: BACKGROUND
According to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the Easter rituals commence with the Great Lent, which begins 40 days before Easter on Clean Monday. The 40 days, excluding Sundays, are a period of repentance, fasting, and remembrance of the biblical events preceding the persecution, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Holy Week is the final week, which culminates in Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter.
It is religiously observed by Christians in a variety of ways, such as the baptismal rite and traditional liturgy observed by Catholics on Holy Saturday evening or the sunrise practises on Easter Sunday favoured by Protestants. It is also enthusiastically observed by members of the Orthodox church, although the date of their celebration differs by 13 days from that of Catholics due to their use of the Julian calendar.
Over time, numerous pagan celebrations have merged with it to usher in spring. The Easter bunny, a figure associated with spring who brings colourful eggs representing new life, is one of these relatively modern traditions. Although the origins of the Easter bunny have been debated, most agree that it originated in Germany. In any case, children eagerly anticipate his arrival, and egg decorating, candy consumption, and community Easter egg hunts have become significant aspects of the evolving Easter holiday.
Easter 2023: Traditions of the Day
While Christians observe Easter by participating in religious rituals, vigils, and attending church, children have numerous nonreligious Easter traditions. Easter egg dying is the most prevalent custom, accompanied by a variety of entertaining activities such as egg rolling and egg hunts. Kite-flying and games such as leapfrog are also popular, as are those involving the Easter bunny.
Chocolate and other candies, especially those shaped like bunnies or eggs, are widely consumed. This day is associated with pastel hues such as pink, baby blue, and lilac, which can be seen everywhere on clothing, dyed eggs, and at events.
Easter 2023: HOW TO PRACTICE EASTER
Attend church
It remains one of the few Sundays during the year when many people feel compelled to attend church services.
Engage in worship
Regardless of a person’s devotion to or attention to their religious faith, prayer is frequently viewed as a source of comfort, both for those who pray and those for whom we pray.
Hold an Easter egg hunt
Easter is meant to be a day of joy, so why not add some extra excitement in the form of an egg hunt? The choice of coloured, hard-boiled, or plastic eggs is entirely yours.
THE EASTER HOLIDAY: THREE FACTS
Christendom or Easter eggs?
Eggs have been viewed as a symbol of life and rebirth since ancient times, and the practise of colouring them predates Christianity.
Spending vast sums of money
The National Retail Federation reports that Americans spend approximately $18 billion on Easter.
The Easter Bunny certainly visits the United States.
According to the National Confectioners Association, two out of every three American parents create Easter baskets for their children.
WHY EASTER IS IMPORTANT
It is the most holy of holy days
A tenet of the Christian faith is that God sent his “unique Son” to be crucified for humanity’s sins. There are ongoing debates regarding the historical veracity of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, but for the majority of Christians, Easter is meaningless without a literal belief in the veracity of this central story.
It brings together the family.
Easter brings families together in celebration of their shared religious faith. It is the ideal time to reconnect with loved ones we may not have seen in a while.
It is enjoyable for children.
Easter has a significance for children that transcends religious and familial obligation. It is a day of sweets, treats, and play, as well as the colouring of Easter eggs.
EASTER DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | April 4 | Sunday |
| 2022 | April 17 | Sunday |
| 2023 | April 9 | Sunday |
| 2024 | March 31 | Sunday |
| 2025 | April 20 | Sunday |
