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History of Easter Day
Holidays Explained > History of Easter Day
What is Easter?
Easter is one of the most important holidays to the Christian community, and is a holiday that celebrates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. According to Christian scripture, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Some Christians celebrate this resurrection on Easter or Easter Sunday. Easter is also referred to as the season of the church year called Eastertide or the Easter Season. It is a moveable feast holiday, meaning it is not fixed in relation to our calendar. The date of Easter was established as the first Sunday after the full moon, which usually varies between March 22nd and April 25th.
Where did it come from?
Easter acquired its name from Eostre, who is the goddess of fertility and birth, and was worshipped by first-century pagans at the vernal equinox. These people had worshipped her believing that she would bless their families and their crops. Christian missionaries saw this celebration took place around the time of the resurrection of Christ, so they adopted Easter as a Christian holiday to increase conversion.
This holiday is in actuality an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to be covered in the span of a day. Lent is the 40-day period that leads up to Easter Sunday. This period of time reflects the 40 days that Jesus had spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry, which was a time in which Christians believe he had went through and surpassed all temptations.
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What symbols are associated with Easter?
Easter Bunny
The Easter bunny has become a prominent symbol of Christianity's most important holiday. The exact origins of this mythical mammal are unclear, but rabbits, known to be prolific procreators, are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life. According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws." Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. Eventually, the custom spread across the U.S. and the fabled rabbit's Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests. Additionally, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping.
Easter Eggs
Easter is a religious holiday, but some of its customs, such as Easter eggs, are likely linked to pagan traditions. The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring.
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From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus' emergence from the tomb and resurrection. Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century, according to some sources. One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, and then eat them on Easter as a celebration.
Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are two popular egg-related traditions. In the U.S., the White House Easter Egg Roll, a race in which children push decorated, hard-boiled eggs across the White House lawn, is an annual event held the Monday after Easter. The first official White House egg roll occurred in 1878, when Rutherford B. Hayes was president. The event has no religious significance, although some people have considered egg rolling symbolic of the stone blocking Jesus' tomb being rolled away, leading to his resurrection.
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Easter Candy
Easter is the second best-selling candy holiday in America, after Halloween. Among the most popular sweet treats associated with this day are chocolate eggs, which date back to early 19th century Europe. Eggs have long been associated with Easter as a symbol of new life and Jesus' resurrection. Another egg-shaped candy, the jelly bean, became associated with Easter in the 1930s (although the jelly bean's origins reportedly date all the way back to a Biblical-era concoction called a Turkish Delight).
According to the National Confectioners Association, over 16 billion jelly beans are made in the U.S. each year for Easter, enough to fill a giant egg measuring 89 feet high and 60 feet wide. For the past decade, the top-selling non-chocolate Easter candy has been the marshmallow Peep, a sugary, pastel-colored confection. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based candy manufacturer Just Born (founded by Russian immigrant Sam Born in 1923) began selling Peeps in the 1950s. The original Peeps were handmade, marshmallow-flavored yellow chicks, but other shapes and flavors were later introduced, including chocolate mousse bunnies.
Easter Parade
In New York City, the Easter Parade tradition dates back to the mid-1800s, when the upper crust of society would attend Easter services at various Fifth Avenue churches then stroll outside afterward, showing off their new spring outfits and hats. Average citizens started showing up along Fifth Avenue to check out the action. The tradition reached its peak by the mid-20th century, and in 1948, the popular film Easter Parade was released, starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland and featuring the music of Irving Berlin. The title song includes the lyrics: "In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it/You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade."
The Easter Parade tradition lives on in Manhattan, with Fifth Avenue from 49th Street to 57th Street being shut down during the day to traffic. Participants often sport elaborately decorated bonnets and hats. The event has no religious significance, but sources note that Easter processions have been a part of Christianity since its earliest days. Today, other cities across America also have their own parades.
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How is it celebrated?
Nowadays, Easter has been celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike. There are a great many rituals associated with eggs, mainly dating from medieval times in Europe, usually involving throwing, rolling or hiding eggs for children to find them. Other popular activities for Easter are egg tapping, Pace egging, and egg decorating. Just like any other largely celebrated holidays, Easter is now commercially important as our nation generate wide sales with greeting cards, chocolate Easter eggs, marshmallow bunnies, Peeps, and jelly beans.
Decorating for this holiday
For this holiday, prepare plastic eggs filled with toys for children to go on egg hunts with. A lot of candies are also needed for Easter, so definitely have popular sweets such as Peeps, Jelly Beans, chocolate eggs or bunnies ready for your guests to munch on! You want to decorate your home with bright pastel colored decorations, with themes revolving bunnies, flowers, butterflies, chicks, and eggs; just about anything associated with Spring time. Brighten up your with our spring selection of Easter decorations now and start decorating for the holiday!
Visit our blog for more tips on how to decorate for Easter!
A sneak peek into our blog...
April 27, 2012 ~ Spring Projects for Recycling Plastic Easter Eggs
We're sharing with everyone a few fun projects to make use of plastic Easter eggs for the Springtime! Revamp them and use them for the rest of Spring! Visit our blog now for the projects & other holiday ideas, as well!
April 25, 2012 ~ Popular Color Trends for Spring 2012 - Home Decor, Clothing, & Beauty
Springtime is all about bright colors and pretty pastels! Visit our newest blog post for ideas on how to introduce these fun colors into your wardrobe, home or beauty routine! With so many cool colors for Spring, there is bound to be one that you like! More holiday home decor ideas coming up! Stay tuned!
April 20, 2012 ~ Spring Picnic Ideas - At Home Or In the Great Outdoors
Jazz up your Springtime picnic with a few ideas we are sharing in our newest blog post. Whether you are planning an indoor or outdoor picnic, you will definitely find some inspiration to use! Learn some fun ideas for food, decoration, and supplies! More Spring and holiday ideas coming up soon!
April 16, 2012 ~ A Rainbow of Blooms For Your Home
Fill your home with a rainbow of blooms with the help of our newest blog post! We are sharing a list of flowers that cover every color of the rainbow! Now you can bring the colorful Spring indoors to you! More Spring home decor and holiday decor ideas coming up soon!
April 9, 2012 ~ Spring Home Decor - Springtime Wreaths
Want to bring the Springtime spirit into your home? Visit our newest blog post now for inspiration pictures we sourced for you! No matter your home decorating style, you are sure to find one that will inspire you to find a Spring wreath of your own. More Spring home decor ideas and projects coming up soon!
April 6, 2012 ~ Easter Home Decor Using Classic Easter Treats
Visit our newest blog post for fun Easter home decorating ideas using classic Easter treats! Learn how to add a few Easter Peeps and pastel colored jellybeans to your decorations! More holiday home decor and project ideas coming up! Keep checking back to our blog page!
April 3, 2012 ~ Popular Classic Easter Treats
Check out our newest blog post for a revisit to our favorite childhood treats for Easter! They're still popular today and are as yummy as ever! Check back to our blog soon for tips and tricks on how to use these treats for projects and home decor for Easter!
March 27, 2012 ~ Alternative Natural Dyes for Dyeing Easter Eggs
Tired of using boxed dyes year after year for your Easter eggs? Check out our newest blog post for ideas on creating your own natural dyes. Naturally dyed Easter eggs are definitely a lot more unique! More Easter holiday and holiday home decorating ideas coming up!
March 23, 2012 ~ Plastic Easter Egg Project - Bunnies, Chicks, and Carrots!
Visit our newest blog post for a fun project to make cute Easter bunnies, chicks, and carrots out of plastic Easter eggs for the holiday! They're fun, easy to make, and are great for Easter egg hunts! Visit our blog for supplies and instructions now!
March 22, 2011 ~ DIY time: Easter cards!
Spring time is here! A lot of us Spring enthusiasts are already prepping for the upcoming holiday by brainstorming good Easter decorative ideas. The first post we want to dedicate to Easter is DIY card making.
