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Festivity
- Easter |
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Wishing
You a Blessed Easter!
Christianity is the world's biggest religion,
with about 2.1 billion followers’ worldwide
accounting to 33% of population. Easter is the
most important Christian festival.
One of the most important concepts in Christianity
is that of Jesus giving his life on the Cross
(the Crucifixion) and rising
after the third day (the Resurrection)
of his death by crucifixion in AD 30-33.
Christians commemorate Easter, the resurrection
and rebirth of Jesus Christ, as it is
Jesus’ victory over death and mankind's
hope for eternal life.
Also the resurrection of Jesus is a core event
on which much of Christian doctrine and theology
depend and it affirm that Jesus gives his ultimate
demonstration that he has power over life and
death. According to Holy Bible
- 1 Cor. 15:14 “If Christ
was not raised, then all our preaching is useless,
and your trust in God is useless"
“Christ has risen from the dead, and thus
His own words have been justified and thus God
has given Him the sign of His Messianic mission.
The final and absolute seal of genuineness has
been put on all His claims, and the indelible
stamp of a divine authority upon all His teachings.
The resurrection spans and binds the sacred
Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. Christ
is raised from the dead, and every promise of
God is yea and amen in Him.” -
Bishop Samuel Fallows
Most
Christians observe Easter on the first Sunday
after the first full moon following the first
day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Meanwhile,
the eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate the
Easter later because of additional factors in
calculating the date of Easter.
As the Easter Day is the Sunday after the full
moon that occurs next after the vernal equinox,
the date of Easter changes year to year and
it falls in between March 22 and April 25in
the case of Western religions or April and May
for ORTHODOX religions (according to the date
of the Passover festival.)
Easter celebrated in March 22nd in the years
1598,1693,1763,1818 and Easter will be celebrated
in March 22nd in the year 2285!
Similarly Easter celebrated in April 25 in the
years, 1666, 1734, 1886, 1943 and Easter will
be celebrated in April 25 in the years2038,
2190, 2258 etc.
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In
Eastern Christianity “Pascha (Passover)
is the fundamental and most important festival.
The spiritual preparation for Pascha begins with
Great Lent, which
starts on Clean Monday and lasts for 40 continuous
days. The last week of Great Lent (following the
fifth Sunday of Great Lent) is called Palm
Week, and ends with Lazarus
Saturday. The week which begins on Easter
Sunday is called Bright Week,
during which there is no fasting”
In many European languages the name Easter derived
from the word Passover.
In Greek and Latin……Pascha.
In Italian……………….
Pasqua.
In French………………
Paques.
In Spanish……………..
Pascua.
“Easter and Passover always
fall close to each other but they are not always
at exactly the same time. Passover commemorates
the time when God rescued the people of Israel
from slavery and Moses led them out of Egypt.
Both Easter and Passover revolve around the idea
of rebirth. Jesus is resurrected, or born again,
and the slaves are reborn into freedom.”
In addition to attending Church Services, Easter
is celebrated by festive family meals,
exchange of Gift like Easter Eggs, Easter bunny,
Easter egg candies and Easter bonnets or baskets
which have things like flowers in them or playing
Easter games like egg coloring, Egg rolling are
the favorite Easter activity of kids, younger
boys and girls. Sending of Easter
greetings / Gift giving has become popular
all over the world now.
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