A Spring Time Festival

Easter is the oldest of all Christian festivals. It embodies the spirit of life for devotees, as they recall the widely believed Christian legend of the resurrection of Christ. Easter honors day and its brightness. It marks the transition from night to day, and from death to life. A time for joy and happiness epitomizing new beginnings, it rejoices at the spring harvest season.

Legend of Easter: According to the Bible, Jesus was tied and crucified along with two criminals. After he was declared dead, a man named Joseph took his body down from the cross, wrapped it in a linen sheet and placed it in a tomb . Some women saw that the body had been placed in the grave without being anointed with any of the customary spices or perfumes. They went home and prepared the spices and perfumes and Very early on Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb with the spices.

But they could not find the body of Jesus inside the tomb. Suddenly, they saw two men in bright shinning clothes standing beside them. The men, who were angels, asked the women why they were looking for the body of a man who had been raised and was alive. The women ran to tell their families and the good news spread like wildfire.

People rejoiced at the return of the son of god. As it is believed that the resurrection took place on a Sunday, the feast too is celebrated on a Sunday on varying dates between March 22and April 25 and is therefore called a movable feast. In India, Easter is observed on the first Sunday after the full moon.

It is also traditional to wear new clothes on Easter Sunday and show them off by walking around town. People visit friends and relatives and exchange decorated eggs.

The egg symbolizes new life breaking through the captivity of the hard egg shell. Probably a pre-Christian symbol, it was adapted to illustrate the release of Christ from his tomb. Earlier these eggs were painted at home. But now these eggs are made of chocolates and filled with sweets. They are readily available at confectioneries during Easter.

The Easter bunny or rabbit is also very popular. The rabbit is an extraordinarily fertile creature and therefore represented spring.

At home, people come together to participate in the ceremonial Easter feast. The most significant Easter food is lamb. The main dish of the meal, it symbolizes Christ, the lamb of god. There may be minor variations in the rituals observed by various peoples. But the spirit of joy and hope is universal.