Easter Sunday is one of the world’s most festive Christian events. It commemorates the resurrection from the death of Jesus Christ, as written in the Bible of Christ. Easter is celebrated on Sunday which marks the end of Holy week that is the end of Lent which is the last day of Easter Triduum and it is the beginning of the Easter Season.
According to the New Testament Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb where Jesus had been buried and found empty. An angel told her Christ resurrected. For centuries Christians around the world have celebrated Easter. As Easter is the fulfillment of God’s promises to humanity, it is one the important holiday according to the Christian Calendar. Easter Day is the end of Lent and at that time most of the people end their fast.
Date of Easter Sunday 2021
This year Easter Sunday 2021 will be celebrated on the 4th of April all over the world.
How the Date of Easter id decided?
During the 4th Century, the Council of Nicea decided that Easter should fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon of Spring, the Paschal Moon. The date of Easter varies accordingly which always falls on Sunday between March 22 to April 25th. In Roman Catholic Church Easter is always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring equinox. If the Easter Moon, the first full moon of spring, was to happen on a Sunday, Easter would be celebrated on the proceeding Sunday.
When did Easter Start?
The early Christians started to recall the Resurrection every Sunday after it occurred. In A.D. 325, the Council of Nicaea allocates a special day for the celebration of the Resurrection. There was a problem in deciding whether Easter should be celebrated on Sunday or a weekday. Some thought that the date would continue to be focused on the timing of the Easter Resurrection. If the Jewish leaders had decided each year the date of Easter, Christian leaders could set the date for Easter three days after the Passover. Using this plan, it assured that each year Easter would be a different day ina week falling on Sunday once in a while.
Celebrations
The celebrations of Easter start at midnight on Easter Eve where all lot of churches participate in it. To mark Midnight Easter Christian, lighten up the candles in the churches all over the world to remember that Jesus is the light of the earth and when he came to life on Easter Day, he got rid of the darkness of evil.
In most of the churches, the celebration starts in the darkness after that twelve candles are lighten up, and the other candles are lighted throughout the rest of the church. When the candle is lit, the priest says, “Christ is risen! ‘And the congregation replies,’ He has now Risen! ‘. Fireworks are often used in Greece to launch the service.
On the day of Easter, churches are filled with a flower that represents a new life. To start the Easter Day most of the Christians go to the church for the sunrise service held in the early morning. On this day Easter Eggs are also given.
Swikriti Dandotia
