Easter Traditions

A short introduction about Easter from the perspective of various religions, traditions and cultures, including Easter season, Easter bread, Easter eggs, greetings, etc.

Easter is the most important religious holiday of the Christian liturgical year, observed in March, April, or May to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe occurred after his death by crucifixion in AD 27-33 (see Good Friday). Easter can also refer to the season of the church year, lasting for fifty days, which follows this holiday and ends at Pentecost. The Easter festival is kept in many different ways among Western Christians. The traditional, liturgical observation of Easter, as practised among Roman Catholics and some Lutherans and Anglicans begins on the night of Holy Saturday with the Easter Vigil. This, the most important liturgy of the year, begins in total darkness with the blessing of the Easter fire, the lighting of the large Paschal candle (symbolic of the Risen Christ) and the chanting of the Exsultet or Easter Proclamation attributed to Saint Ambrose of Milan. A short introduction about Easter from the perspective of various religions, traditions and cultures, including Easter season, Easter bread, Easter eggs, greetings, etc.

CONTENTS:

Easter
– Nature and development
– – Easter in the early Church
– Date of Easter
– – Computations
– Position in the church year
– – Western Christianity
– – Eastern Christianity
– Easter controversies
– – Anti-Easter Christians
– – Possible pagan influences on Easter traditions
– – Easter as a Sumerian festival
– Miscellaneous
– – Word for “Easter” in various languages
– – – Names related to Eostremonat (Eostre Month)
– – – Names derived from the Hebrew Pesach (Passover)
– – – Names used in other languages
Easter Season
Easter Traditions
– Religious observation of Easter
– – Western Christianity
– – Eastern Christianity
– – English
– – Greek
– – Church Slavonic*
– Non-religious Easter traditions
– – North America
– – Scandinavia
– – Central Europe
Easter Bread
– Italy
– Sources
Babka
Hot Cross Bun
– Music
Simnel Cake
Tsoureki
– Tsoureki/Lambropsomo: Easter Bread
– Christopsomo: Christmas Bread
– Vasilopita: New Year’s Bread
Easter Bunny
– Early history
– Local traditions
– Mythology
Easter Sepulchre
– References
Easter Egg
– See also
Egg Decorating
Egg Rolling
Chocolate Egg
Easter Monday
– Official holiday
– Traditions
Easter Triduum
Easter Vigil
– Roman Catholicism
– Eastern Orthodoxy
– Oriental Orthodoxy
– Anglican Communion
Holy Fire
– Criticism
– References
Paschal Greeting
– The Paschal greeting around the world
Easter Postcards
– History
License
GNU Free Documentation License
– GNU Free Documentation License
About the author
– Nicolae Sfetcu
– – Contact

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