Easter is kind of a confusing holiday because it combines the Christian faith with a bunch of non-religious images. So, how did bunnies, eggs and candy get associated with Easter? And where does the word Easter come from, and why does the date of Easter always change? Let’s find out.

EASTER CELEBRATES THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

Most importantly, Easter is a Christian holiday. In fact, you could argue that it is the most important Christian holiday because it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The death and resurrection of Jesus are the central events of Christianity. Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity.

1 Corinthians 15:14 says, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”

For Christians, Easter Sunday celebrates the day Jesus was raised from the dead. Christians gather together to sing songs of worship, read from the Bible, encourage each other, and proclaim Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection.

EARLY CHRISTIANS CELEBRATED THE RESURRECTION

The story of the resurrection is all over the Bible. After the writing of the Bible, Christians thought that once a year the church should have a special celebration of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Initially, it appears that this was done on the same day. However, eventually these two celebrations were separated and Easter was celebrated on a Sunday. Interestingly, the word Easter is never found in the Bible. As best as we can tell, the word probably comes from European pagan religions. They had several goddesses whose names sound similar to Easter.

WHY DOES THE DATE OF EASTER CHANGE?

You’ve probably noticed that the date of Easter changes each year. Easter moves between March 22 and April 25. Although there were a number of pagan festivals held in the spring, these do not seem to be the primary motivation for the dating of Easter. Christians dated Easter around the time of the Jewish Passover. We know Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples just before his crucifixion. So, the dating of Easter involved the Jewish Passover and the time of the full moon around the spring equinox. And if you are Eastern Orthodox you celebrate Easter on a different day because you follow a different calendar.

DIFFERENT CUSTOMS HAVE FOUND THEIR WAY INTO EASTER

There are lots of ideas about how bunnies and eggs made their way into Easter celebrations, but the truth is that no one knows the right answer. There are a number of pagan religions that used to use bunnies and eggs as symbols of spring and fertility. It’s likely these images of spring were brought into Christian celebrations of Easter, but we don’t know when this practice started.

SHOULD CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE EASTER?

This may seem like an odd question, but some Christians wonder if it is ok to celebrate Easter if it involves things like bunnies and eggs. It’s important to remember that your celebration of Easter doesn’t need to include these things. Some Christians prefer to celebrate “Resurrection Sunday” instead of “Easter Sunday.” That’s certainly ok. Whatever you call Easter, the point is to put the focus on Jesus. We celebrate his death and resurrection that gives us eternal life.

LOOKING TO CELEBRATE EASTER AT CENTERPOINT?

Join us to celebrate Easter at any of our 7 locations:

• BAY SHORE
• HOLBOOK
• KING PARK
• LONG BEACH
• MASSAPEQUA
• STONY BOOK
• WESTBURY