What Is Easter?

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NINE (9) QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT EASTER

WHAT IS EASTER?

Easter is the sacred celebration of Christ's resurrection from the dead. It is the oldest and holiest Christian festival, the climax and center of the liturgical year, and the holy day to which all other holy days point. Even denominations that do not strictly follow a liturgical calendar commemorate Easter with tremendous joy and thanksgiving.

Like pagans, Christians celebrate the end of death and the rebirth of life; but instead of focusing upon nature, Christians believe that Easter marks the day that Jesus Christ was resurrected after spending three days dead in his tomb. Many theologians argue that the word EASTER comes from EOSTUR, the Norse word for spring, but it’s more likely that it comes from EOSTRE, the name of an Anglo-Saxon goddess.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF EASTER?

Although Easter is probably the oldest Christian celebration aside from the Sabbath, it wasn’t always the same as what people currently think of when they look at Easter services. The earliest known observance, Pasch, occurred between the second and fourth centuries. These celebrations commemorated both Jesus’ death and his resurrection at once, whereas these two events have now been split up between Good Friday and Easter Sunday in modern times.

WHEN IS EASTER CELEBRATED?

Easter can occur on any date between March 23rd and April 26th and is closely related to the timing of the Spring Equinox. The actual date is set as the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs after March 21, one of the first days of spring. Originally Easter was celebrated at the same time as Jews celebrated Passover, the 14th day of the month of Nisan. Eventually this was moved to Sundays, which had become the Christian Sabbath.

WHY DOES THE DATE OF EASTER KEEP CHANGING?

The gospels tell us that Christ's death and resurrection took place during Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the sacred commemoration of Israel's deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12:1-17). Passover is a festival that always falls on the evening of the fourteenth day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. The Feast of Unleavened Bread follows immediately on 15 Nisan and lasts seven days. Although Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are separate festivals, they have usually been considered to be a single multi-day observance. Therefore, the gospel of John refers to Passover as the "Day of Preparation" and the Feast of Unleavened Bread as a "High Day Sabbath" (John 19:31). The ancient Hebrew calendar is based on twelve lunar months, which is a total of approximately 354 days -- 11 days short of the full cycle of the seasons. Passover must fall in the spring because that is the time of year that lambs are matures enough to slaughter for the feast (Exodus 12:5). To keep the month of Nisan in the spring, a 13th month is added to the Hebrew calendar every three years or so. The result is that Passover always begins in the March/April time frame but on a different day each year. Since the date of Passover is movable, the date of Easter, which was originally based on Passover, is also movable.

By the middle of the second century A.D., Christians determined the date of Easter in several ways based on local ordinances, but two methods were predominant. In Asia Minor (modern Turkey), churches celebrated the resurrection of Jesus on 14 Nisan, the first day of Passover, whether or not this day was a Sunday. Congregations in other areas celebrated the resurrection on the Sunday after 14 Nisan. This discrepancy in the dating of Easter was one of the topics on the agenda of the Council of Nicaea, an official gathering of hundreds of theologians and bishops that took place in the year 325. The council established the rule that Easter is to be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. Disagreements on the dating of Easter persisted, however. Differences in language and theology and poor communication between widely scattered churches resulted in many more years of controversy before the Nicene formula became generally accepted.

A significant disparity continues to exist today. Churches of the Eastern rites (Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, etc.) base the date of Easter on the vernal equinox of the Julian calendar of the Roman Empire. Churches of the West (Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Lutheran, and Protestant) follow the Gregorian calendar, a revision of the Julian calendar that went into effect in Europe starting in 1582. The result is that Eastern rite Christians typically celebrate Easter anywhere from a week to more than a month after Western rite Christians. In 2008 for example, churches of the Western rite will celebrate Easter on March 23, and Eastern Orthodox churches will celebrate it on April 27. It also sometimes happens that the two dates will coincide as they did in 2007 and 2004.

In 1997, a special conference of representatives from the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches urged that all traditions abandon previous methods of computing the date of Easter in favor of modern and scientifically precise calculations that use Jerusalem, the site of the Lord's death and resurrection, as the meridian from which astronomical measurements are based. While this proposal (commonly called the Aleppo Statement) would result in a unified date for Easter that is faithful to the Nicene formula, it is unclear what, if anything will ultimately come of it. What all Christians need to remember is that it is the reality of the Lord's resurrection that unites the Body of Christ, and not the date on which we choose to celebrate it.

WHAT ARE THE GREAT FIFTY (50) DAYS?

The joy Christians experience when contemplating Christ's resurrection is so profound and overpowering that it cannot be confined to just one festival day. This is why Easter is a season that begins on Easter Sunday proper and continues for seven full weeks. This cycle is known historically as the Great Fifty Days or the Week of Weeks. During this time, the church celebrates the Lord's resurrection, His appearances to the disciples after Easter, His post-resurrection teachings, His ascension into heaven, and the disciples' eager anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Ascension Day, which is celebrated mostly by Catholics and some other orthodox churches, is the 40th day of the Great Fifty Days and it is sometimes commemorated with a special evening service since it always falls on a Thursday.

WHAT IS WORSHIP LIKE DURING THE EASTER SEASON?

The Catholic Church and other orthodox Churches:

Early Christian church services included a vigil service before the Eucharist. The vigil service consisted of a series of psalms and readings, but it is no longer observed every Sunday, instead, Roman Catholics observe it only one day of the year, and that is on Easter. Aside from the psalms and readings, the service also included the lighting of a paschal candle and the blessing of the baptismal font in the church.

Easter, Judaism, and Passover:

Christian celebrations of Easter were originally tied to Jewish celebrations of Passover. For Jews, Passover is a celebration of deliverance from bondage in Egypt and for Christians; Easter is a celebration of deliverance from death and sin. Jesus is the Passover sacrifice, which in some narratives of the Passion, the Last Supper of Jesus and his disciples is a Passover meal. It is argued then that Easter is the Christian Passover celebration.

Easter Celebrations in Eastern Orthodox & Protestant Churches:

Easter retains great importance for Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches as well. For Eastern Orthodox Christians, there is an important procession which symbolizes the failed search for the body of Jesus, followed by a return to the church where lit candles symbolize Jesus’ resurrection. Many Protestant churches hold interdenominational services in order to focus on the unity of all Christians and as part of a culmination of special church services throughout the Holy Week.

Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches:

In Ghana, these churches line up programs for the Easter which run for weeks before Easter (during the period of Lent). These programs are climaxed with church group meetings and celebrations called Conventions, (Convention of Believers) and they end on Easter Sunday. Most Easter Conventions are held for a period of four (4) days to one week. Most churches normally converge at a central venue to celebrate Easter.

WHAT IS A PASCHAL CANDLE?

The paschal candle is an ancient symbol of the risen Jesus and commonly used in liturgical parishes during the Great Fifty Days of Easter. It is a very large white candle, the largest and tallest of all sanctuary candles. Paschal candles are always inscribed with a cross, the current year, and the Greek letters alpha and omega (Revelation 1:8 and 22:13), signifying that the Lord is present in His church now in the present year and forever in eternity. Sometimes, five grains of incense, symbolizing the five wounds of Christ, are pressed into the arms and center of the cross with pins or small nails. The paschal candle is prominently featured in the service of the Great Vigil at which it is first lighted and brought into the sanctuary. According to ancient liturgical tradition, it is allowed to shine continuously throughout the Great Fifty Days until it is finally extinguished on Ascension Day. After that, it is removed from its place next to the altar and placed near the baptismal font. In the Catholic Church and most orthodox churches, it is lighted at baptisms to remind Christians that in baptism we are crucified and raised with Jesus (Romans 6:3-5). The paschal candle is also lighted at Christian funerals as a reminder that those who die in Christ are raised up with Him.

WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF EASTER EGGS AND THE EASTER RABBIT?

In many ancient cultures, eggs were a common symbol new life and immortality. In medieval times, Christians adapted the egg to their own religious devotions by giving up the eating of eggs during Lent and resuming it after Easter. Eggs came to represent the Lord's resurrection, just as Christ broke out of the tomb on Easter morning, the yolk of the egg breaks out of its shell when cracked. The decoration of eggs for Easter is part of the folk traditions of many cultures, although it has little or no religious significance any more.

The Easter rabbit is a popular secular symbol for Easter that has never taken on a Christian interpretation. It seems to have originated from the hare, a symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt and later on in parts of Europe. It is not altogether clear how the Easter rabbit became associated with the laying of eggs. Funny isn’t it?

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EASTER TO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH?

The foundation of the Christian faith is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus lived the righteous and perfect life that we, because of our fallen and corrupt nature, cannot. He suffered the penalty for our sins by taking our guilt upon Himself and dying horribly on the cross at Calvary. He rose bodily from the dead that first Easter morning ensuring that we who have been baptized into His death and resurrection will rise again in glorified bodies on the Last Day.

The apostle Paul joyfully declared: Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive ... "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:20-22 and 55-57).

Easter is not treated simply as a commemoration of events that occurred at one time in the past but instead, it should be regarded as a living symbol of the very nature of Christianity. During Easter, Christians believe that they symbolically pass through death and into a new life (spiritually) in Jesus Christ, just as Jesus passed through death and three days later rose from the dead.

Although Easter is just one day in the liturgical calendar, in reality preparations for Easter take place throughout the 40 days of Lent, and it plays a central role in the following 50 days of Pentecost (also known as the Easter season). Thus, Easter can rightly be regarded as the central day in the entire Christian calendar.

There is a deep connection between Easter and baptism because during the time of early Christianity, the season of Lent was used by catechumens (those who wanted to become Christians) to prepare for their baptisms on Easter day, which was the only day of the year when baptisms for new Christians were performed. This is why the blessing of the baptismal font on Easter night is so important today especially for the Catholics.

On Easter Sunday therefore, all Christians will celebrate God's great triumph over sin, death, and the devil himself with the ancient greeting:

Alleluia! Christ Is Risen!

He Is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Amen!