Christianity is one of the biggest religions in the world. Christians are spread far and wide in every corner of the world. Christmas is their main festival. But apart from Christmas they also celebrate other crucial festivals like Good Friday, Easter and Thanksgiving Day. Easter is quite significant in the religion of Christianity. After the crucifixion, Jesus Christ was resurrected and this occasion is celebrated as the festival of Easter. One of the holiest Christian festivals, the Easter Day also traditionally heralds the advent of the spring season after the chilling months of winter. This is a festival when people make merry, rejoice the occasion and mingle with one another. One can associate Easter with cheerfulness and joyous gaiety.
This year, it was on 12th April, 2009. Historians credit ancient pagan roots to the origin of Easter. That makes sense because of same trend followed by several other Christian festivals. It is believed that Easter is a blend of a myriad of Christian, Hebrew and Pagan traditions. Not many know but Easter eggs and Easter bunny represents pagan symbols of fertility. Pagan Goddess of Spring is known as Eostre and many believe that term is the origin of the name of the festival Easter.
After the vernal equinox, the first Sunday following the first full moon heralds the arrival of Easter. According to history, Jesus Christ was crucified on Good Friday and thereafter his body was buried in a cave near Mount Cavalry, just outside Jerusalem. But on Sunday morning, his tomb was found empty and nobody could ever found his body. The stories of Resurrection got firm with many people claiming to see Jesus in several public places. That gave birth to acceptance of Jesus as the true Son of God and Resurrection became a reality. Christians celebrate this oldest Christian festival with amazing enthusiasm and excitement. It represents a new life, new beginning and abundance of joys.
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