Easter

Easter, like Christmas is one of the holidays, which is significant for many people living on the Earth. Of course, it has got two distinctly different meanings, depending whether one is religious or not.

For Christians, Easter is by far the most sacred holiday of the year. It is the time when Christians remember the death of Christ and his return to life.

The Easter season actually begins 40 days before Easter Sunday. This period is called Lent`. It is similar to Advent before Christmas and it is the time when religious people prepare for Easter. There are people who give up eating meat, drinking alcohol or they fast for the time of Lent. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Churches hold services at which a few ashes are put on the worshippers foreheads as a symbol of humility and the inevitability of death.

There are four important days during the last week of Lent - during Holy Week. This week recalls the events associated with Jesus Christ`s death and resurrection.

In our editorial the origin of the name Palm Sunday is explained. It may seem shocking that the people who greeted him by waving palm branches, condemned him to death in less than a week. Unfortunately, similar treacheries have occurred many times in the history.
On Maunday Thursday many churches hold a special service to remember the Last Supper, the last meal of Jesus when he washed his disciples` feet which was a display of Jesus` humility. On this day, all decorations are removed from the altars in churches. Good Friday is the most solemn day of Holy Week. Churches hold mournful services to commemorate Jesus Christ`s crucifixion. Many Christians fast especially on this day.

Easter Sunday is a sharp contrast to good Friday. It is a joyous celebration of Jesus` resurrection from death.

The above written account depicts the religious side of Easter. However, we all more or less participate in the secular side of Easter. Eggs, rabbits and baby chickens are the symbols of new life and fertility. The Easter version of Santa Claus is the Easter Bunny. This imaginary rabbit is believed to bring or hide Easter eggs and other chocolate sweets on Easter Sunday. Eggs are hidden in the grass, in bushes and trees. It is children`s task to find as many as possible. This Easter egg hunting means a lot of fun both for children and adults. I remember an American lecturer who mentioned that his father always had hidden a 100 dollar bank-note in one egg and they, as his adult sons, used to have a lot of fun hunting for this particular one.

In the past, people used to have new clothes and for women, wearing a new Easter bonnet, a very decorated new hat, was an important part of the celebrations.

In some English-speaking countries there is a special race on Easter. Elaborately decorated hard-boiled eggs are lined up on a small hill and rolled down the hill. The person whose eggs rolls longest without cracking becomes the Easter champion.

In the Middle Ages, there were open-air plays which were sometimes religious and sometimes about the new beginning of life in spring. English children have another reason to celebrate this time of year, for April is the end of the second of the three school terms, and every school closes for some days.

With Easter comes the promise that days are going to be much longer, people will not get up in the dark any more. It is the beginning of spring and the countryside looks forward to the summer with green grass, bright yellow daffodils and colourful tulips.