All about Easter: A Christian holiday
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Gul Demir and Niki Gamm
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 11, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - One of the two major holidays celebrated by Christians falls this Sunday, April 12, though members of the Greek Orthodox Church commemorate Easter, which marks the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection from the dead - the cornerstone of the Christian faith, one week later. The date for Easter celebrations do not occur on the same date every year because it is based on the lunar calendar. The arrival of Easter also marks the end of the 40-day period of Lent, when Christians give up a vice.
Christians celebrate two major holidays during the year: Christmas and Easter. While the former falls each year on Dec. 25, the latter moves around because it is based on a lunar calendar, and thus can come as early as March 22 and as late as April 25. This year, Easter will be celebrated this Sunday, April 12.
The celebration of Easter commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his resurrection from the dead, the cornerstone of the Christian faith. The New Testament of the Bible tells how Jewish authorities became disturbed by the teachings of Jesus, who called himself the Son of God, and enlisted the aid of the Romans who controlled the area we today call Palestine and Israel to stop this "false prophet."
When Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, he was arrested. Since the Romans basically wanted to keep the Jews quiet, they allowed him to be tried and executed by being nailed to a cross until he died. This most likely occurred on a Friday, as is now commemorated by Christians two days before Easter as "Good Friday," because of what they believe happened next. After the crucifixion, Jesus’ body was hastily entombed in a cave, and a stone was rolled in front of it. When his followers came on Sunday to anoint his body and give him a proper burial, they found the stone rolled back and the cave empty. According to the Christian faith, Jesus had arisen from the dead Ğ the miraculous event now celebrated as Easter. He later appeared to people before ascending to heaven 40 days later.
Many Christians today mark the period leading up to Easter by observing Lent, a 40-day period during which people traditionally give up a vice (such as sugar or coffee) or engage in fasting to remind themselves of their sins and atone for them. Prayer and alms giving are also emphasized. Exactly when Lent begins and how it is observed differ between religious denominations.
Easter too is variable: This year, for example, the Catholic and Protestant churches celebrate it on April 12 while the Eastern Orthodox churches will hold services on April 19. Next year, both groups will celebrate Easter on the same day. This "movable feast" was to be held on the first Sunday after the full moon or vernal equinox, but this has been the subject of serious debate over the centuries because it meant that the Jewish Passover and the Christian Easter sometimes coincided. As the first Christians were Jews who had formed a new faith, they wanted Easter to be at a different time from Passover to signify the break between the two religions.
Passover commemorates a Biblical event that occurred while the Jews were enslaved in Egypt. After God subjected the Egyptians to 10 plagues, the last of which brought death to the first-born son of every household, the Egyptian pharaoh let the Jews go free. Jewish families were spared the final plague by sacrificing a spring lamb and sprinkling its blood on the doors of their homes so that the angel of death would "pass over" their house, allowing the first-born son within to survive.
Other origins
The word "Easter" is said to have come from the Anglo-Saxon "Eostre," who is alternately known as the great mother goddess of the Saxon people across northern Europe or the Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility. The derivation "Easter" is first found in the works of the Venerable Bede, a monk, author and scholar who lived at the beginning of the eighth century in England. It was a festival for the start of spring, based on the spring equinox, March 21, when nature is starting to return to life. Rabbits, which are noted for their fertility, were part of the festival, as were eggs that were painted like the rays of the returning sun or the northern lights.
Even earlier traditions indicate that eggs were important for the Zoroastrians of Persia, who painted them red, yellow and green as part of their religious rites. To this day, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchs hand out eggs dyed red after the Easter service.
Easter’s identification with the spring equinox suggests other such legends from around the world, from ancient India and Persia to Egypt, including the ancient Greek story of Ceres and Persephone. In this legend, the god of the underworld wanted Ceres’ daughter Persephone as his wife. Persephone was told not to eat anything while living underground, but she did Ğ six seeds of a pomegranate fruit. Though this could have doomed her to the underworld forever, a deal was made where she would live six months of the year underground (winter) and six months aboveground (summer). The occasion is also spoken of as "paschalia," a word derived from the Hebrew "pasch," signifying Passover, which comes at roughly the same time as Easter.
Unknown to most Christians, Muslims also hold Jesus Christ in high regard. He is mentioned 25 times in the Koran, and always with respect. The difference is he is not considered the Son of God, but the final prophet before the arrival of the Prophet Mohammed.
Today’s Easter
In the modern era, Easter still draws large church attendances, but it has been commercialized Ğ although not as much as Christmas. Web sites offer freebies for sending Easter greetings on the Internet. Hotels offer special brunches on Easter morning Ğ after church, of course Ğ and even offer special prices for a weekend stay. Tours are also available to the Holy Land (Israel/Palestine) for the religious.
For the non-religious, Easter means picnics and family get-togethers where the weather is relatively good in the United States. Even the White House hosts Easter egg hunts and other festivities for children. Museums, zoos and other institutions are often open free of charge for the holiday weekend.
Renaissance Easter
Many paintings from the Renaissance era depict the "Last Supper" before Jesus Christ was arrested, as well as his crucifixion and burial. Some of the most famous artists of all time have depicted these subjects. A recent controversial book, the Da Vinci Code, even takes the famous painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci and spins it into a mystery tale. From medieval times to the present day, in the form of both paintings and sculpture, there are thousands of reproductions of the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension Ğ virtually every museum in Europe and the Western world has at least one example.
The celebration of Easter commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his resurrection from the dead, the cornerstone of the Christian faith. The New Testament of the Bible tells how Jewish authorities became disturbed by the teachings of Jesus, who called himself the Son of God, and enlisted the aid of the Romans who controlled the area we today call Palestine and Israel to stop this "false prophet."
When Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, he was arrested. Since the Romans basically wanted to keep the Jews quiet, they allowed him to be tried and executed by being nailed to a cross until he died. This most likely occurred on a Friday, as is now commemorated by Christians two days before Easter as "Good Friday," because of what they believe happened next. After the crucifixion, Jesus’ body was hastily entombed in a cave, and a stone was rolled in front of it. When his followers came on Sunday to anoint his body and give him a proper burial, they found the stone rolled back and the cave empty. According to the Christian faith, Jesus had arisen from the dead Ğ the miraculous event now celebrated as Easter. He later appeared to people before ascending to heaven 40 days later.
Many Christians today mark the period leading up to Easter by observing Lent, a 40-day period during which people traditionally give up a vice (such as sugar or coffee) or engage in fasting to remind themselves of their sins and atone for them. Prayer and alms giving are also emphasized. Exactly when Lent begins and how it is observed differ between religious denominations.
Easter too is variable: This year, for example, the Catholic and Protestant churches celebrate it on April 12 while the Eastern Orthodox churches will hold services on April 19. Next year, both groups will celebrate Easter on the same day. This "movable feast" was to be held on the first Sunday after the full moon or vernal equinox, but this has been the subject of serious debate over the centuries because it meant that the Jewish Passover and the Christian Easter sometimes coincided. As the first Christians were Jews who had formed a new faith, they wanted Easter to be at a different time from Passover to signify the break between the two religions.
Passover commemorates a Biblical event that occurred while the Jews were enslaved in Egypt. After God subjected the Egyptians to 10 plagues, the last of which brought death to the first-born son of every household, the Egyptian pharaoh let the Jews go free. Jewish families were spared the final plague by sacrificing a spring lamb and sprinkling its blood on the doors of their homes so that the angel of death would "pass over" their house, allowing the first-born son within to survive.
Other origins
The word "Easter" is said to have come from the Anglo-Saxon "Eostre," who is alternately known as the great mother goddess of the Saxon people across northern Europe or the Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility. The derivation "Easter" is first found in the works of the Venerable Bede, a monk, author and scholar who lived at the beginning of the eighth century in England. It was a festival for the start of spring, based on the spring equinox, March 21, when nature is starting to return to life. Rabbits, which are noted for their fertility, were part of the festival, as were eggs that were painted like the rays of the returning sun or the northern lights.
Even earlier traditions indicate that eggs were important for the Zoroastrians of Persia, who painted them red, yellow and green as part of their religious rites. To this day, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchs hand out eggs dyed red after the Easter service.
Easter’s identification with the spring equinox suggests other such legends from around the world, from ancient India and Persia to Egypt, including the ancient Greek story of Ceres and Persephone. In this legend, the god of the underworld wanted Ceres’ daughter Persephone as his wife. Persephone was told not to eat anything while living underground, but she did Ğ six seeds of a pomegranate fruit. Though this could have doomed her to the underworld forever, a deal was made where she would live six months of the year underground (winter) and six months aboveground (summer). The occasion is also spoken of as "paschalia," a word derived from the Hebrew "pasch," signifying Passover, which comes at roughly the same time as Easter.
Unknown to most Christians, Muslims also hold Jesus Christ in high regard. He is mentioned 25 times in the Koran, and always with respect. The difference is he is not considered the Son of God, but the final prophet before the arrival of the Prophet Mohammed.
Today’s Easter
In the modern era, Easter still draws large church attendances, but it has been commercialized Ğ although not as much as Christmas. Web sites offer freebies for sending Easter greetings on the Internet. Hotels offer special brunches on Easter morning Ğ after church, of course Ğ and even offer special prices for a weekend stay. Tours are also available to the Holy Land (Israel/Palestine) for the religious.
For the non-religious, Easter means picnics and family get-togethers where the weather is relatively good in the United States. Even the White House hosts Easter egg hunts and other festivities for children. Museums, zoos and other institutions are often open free of charge for the holiday weekend.
Renaissance Easter
Many paintings from the Renaissance era depict the "Last Supper" before Jesus Christ was arrested, as well as his crucifixion and burial. Some of the most famous artists of all time have depicted these subjects. A recent controversial book, the Da Vinci Code, even takes the famous painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci and spins it into a mystery tale. From medieval times to the present day, in the form of both paintings and sculpture, there are thousands of reproductions of the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension Ğ virtually every museum in Europe and the Western world has at least one example.