Easter Dates, Symbols and Traditions

Determining the Dates for Easter

Easter is a Christian tradition celebrated the first Sunday after spring equinox. Equinox is the first full moon after March 21.

The 50 Days of Easter Season

Easter for Christians is not just one day, but rather a 50-day period. Lent is forty days of fasting before Easter. Holy Week is the last week of Lent. It starts on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday.

Palm Sunday recalls the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Maundy Thursday observes the last supper of Jesus with his disciples before his arrest. Good Friday honours the day of his crucifixion. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Christ after his death.

Easter Eggs

Easter-Egg-Hunt

Eggs are symbols of new life and spring. Before modern farming methods, chickens stopped laying eggs in the fall and started again in the spring. In the Christian tradition of Lent, eggs were one of the food not eaten. The uneaten eggs were then decorated for the Ester Feast. If you want to know how to dye the eggs in natural colours, please see the previous post of Instructions for Natural Egg Dyeing at Home .

Easter Baskets

For many, the Easter long weekend includes tasty treats delivered by the Easter Bunny. A basket is often used to gather the goodies. The Easter Bunny has links back to the Easter Hare, a German tradition. Christians used baskets to carry food to Church to celebrate the end of Lent with an Ester feast.

Easter and Spring Animals

Easter symbol animals

Spring marks the arrival of baby animals like chicks and lambs. This is why they are symbols for spring. They are also symbols for Easter. The chick coming out of the egg is like the resurrection of Jesus. The lamb is a symbol for Jesus because He is called the Lamb of God.