What Is Easter?
More stories from Emma Weast
Two Symbols of Life and Easter, A Bunny and Easter Eggs
You may have heard of Easter. When people think of Easter, they think of chocolate bunnies, hunting for decorated eggs, and candy! But most people don’t know why we celebrate it, or when Easter first originated. Luckily, this story will tell you all about the famous holiday.
Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus (resurrection means to be brought back from death). It is one of Christianity’s most important holiday. Easter has been called a movable holiday, because it doesn’t fall on a set date every year, as most holidays do. Because of this, Easter always falls between March 22nd and April 25th. Not all think of Easter as a Christian holiday, however, that is how Easter originated.
People think of the holiday as a time to get candy, and chocolate bunnies, delivered by the mysterious, “the Easter Bunny.” Several kids across the globe have heard about the Easter Bunny. What happens is this: kids wake up on Easter, and surprises like candy, plastic decorated eggs filled with candy are located at random places in their houses. Their parents tell them, “it was the Easter bunny!” Just like Santa, the Easter bunny is said to have come into your house and leaves gifts like toys and candy.
You’re probably wondering why there’s an Easter Bunny, or why Easter was even created! “Easter, also called Pascha (Greek, Latin) or Resurrection Sunday, is a festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial after his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD” (History.com). “The story of the Easter Bunny is thought to have become common in the 19th Century. Rabbits usually give birth to a big litter of babies (called kittens), so they became a symbol of new life. Legend has it that the Easter Bunny lays, decorates and hides eggs as they are also a symbol of new life” (Origins of the Easter Bunny).
Hopefully, you have learned more about Easter and why it’s celebrated. This year, Easter is on April 1st. If you want to know more about Easter, visit these links: