Easter

Easter Sunday is celebrated by Christians as the day Christ was resurrected from the dead. It is the first Sunday after the full moon on or the next one after the vernal equinox (spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern hemisphere). This why the date for Easter Sunday falls between March 22 and April 25. If the full moon falls on a Sunday, Easter is observed one week later.

The Easter season begins with Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, which is forty days prior to Easter. The Sundays in the Lent season are considered a commemoration of Easter Sunday and are excluded from the Lent fast. During Lent, people may fast and it is a time of self-denial and self-examination. The custom of a sunrise service on Easter Sunday was brought to the United States by Protestant settlers.

There are a number of traditions associated with Easter. One such tradition is the purchase of new clothes to wear to church on Easter Sunday. Out of this tradition is the Easter parade which started in the 1800s in New York City. The rich of the city would go to their church services on Fifth Avenue and afterwards parade down the street showing off their Easter finery. This show brought out many people who wanted to see the latest fashions. The Easter Parade has changed over the years and now includes more flamboyant outfits and designs than normal dress such as hats with live birds nesting in them. The participants are not just the rich but anyone who wants to participate.

Symbols associated with Easter include the Easter bunny and eggs. Eggs are considered a symbol of fertility and life. Over the years, eggs have been decorated. Many of the decorations are based on various meanings within the countries where Easter is celebrated. Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are traditions associated with Easter. Easter baskets and chocolate bunnies are traditional Easter gifts.

A major egg hunt event is the Annual Easter Egg Hunt held at the White House on the Monday after Easter. Children up to the age of twelve are invited. The event is hosted by the First Lady.

As with other religious holidays, the traditions and symbols of Easter pre-date Christianity and have been added to over the centuries.