Although Christians observe the Lord's supper each Lord's day in remembrance of His death, burial and resurrection, the world recognizes Easter Sunday once a year. People who are not religious will go to church once a year on Easter.
According to the Biblical documents, the events of Jesus' death and resurrection took place during the Jewish celebration of Passover.
Passover celebrates the liberation of the Jewish people from their captivity in Egypt. It begins on the 15th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, lasting seven to eight days, in the springtime. Jesus linked his death to the Passover lamb in his last meal with disciples.
In the earliest days, various Christian churches celebrated what was then called Pascha, on different days. Some observed on Passover itself, or the Sunday after Passover most commonly. Finally, the universal Council of Nicea in 325 AD established the date to celebrate Christ's Resurrection. It would be the first Sunday after the Full Moon occurring on or after the year's first vernal equinox.
In years past, we got new spring clothes to wear for Easter Sunday. Little girls would wear hats and sometimes white gloves. We boiled eggs and dyed them pretty colors or added designs. Children always got an Easter basket from the bunny with candy and used it at the Easter egg hunt to collect the eggs they found hidden in the grass and around the yard. Family lunches were always an enjoyable event for Easter Sunday.
Question: "What is the origin of the Easter bunny and Easter eggs?"
Answer: It is commonly thought that the word Easter comes from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. The only problem with this theory is that it has no basis in history. The existence of a goddess named Eastre or a spring festival in her honor is based on pure conjecture. The same is true of the origin of the Easter bunny and Easter eggs—no one knows for sure how these things became a part of Easter observances. The most we can say is that the word Easter is probably related to the word east (ost in German) and that the Saxons had a month they called Eosturmononath. What is the history of Easter Bunny? 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.
While we enjoy all of these traditions, they are not biblical. In fact, they are of pagan origin. Like many of the traditions surrounding Christmas, we enjoy traditions but do not incorporate them into our worship.
For a Christian, the Friday before Easter Sunday, is the most difficult day of the year as we remember the fake trial that Jesus went through, the flogging and mistreatment he received, the painful trip carrying his cross and the horrible crucifixion. The agony was more than we can even imagine yet he endured it for our salvation. He could have called 10,000 angels as the song says, yet he died alone for you and me.
The happy time of Easter on Sunday morning is to celebrate his resurrection from the dead. He gave us the hope of resurrection and having life after death. He gave us the hope of heaven. For this, we can be happy and rejoice on Easter Sunday and celebrate with family dinners and being together to worship Him.
I remember one special Easter at Ron's aunt Virginia Taylor's home in Columbia, TN. All of the Brown family was there and the children had a wonderful Easter egg hunt in the front yard. I can see Leigh Ann in her pretty Easter dress and Ronald in his yellow one-piece boy's suit with their baskets looking for eggs. If we have pictures of that day, they are in the children's picture albums.
I also recall a special Easter when Ha Ha, a little boy from China was with us while he had skin grafts for a burn he had received when his mother tripped and spilled boiling water on his face.
Ha Ha was the nick name given to him by the flight attendant (Masako) who accompanied him on his trip the the U.S and back home again in one year. His real name is Li Ce. I can honestly say, he was the best child in behavior that I have ever seen. He is now 17 years old and in a vocational school in Xi'an, China learning how to repair electric motors for cars. He writes to me remembers so many things from his year with us and the Petersen family (Peachtree City, GA) while he was 3-4 years old. We sent pictures home with him so I think he must look at those picture and recall his year with us. I have sent him many of the pictures we took of him.
I have just sent him $100 to give him a little spending money. He is so grateful for our love and help and it brings great joy to know that he has a good life and a hope for a good job so he can take care of himself.
These are pictures of him in 2008 and in 2020 so you can see that he was a handsome little boy and he has not changed a lot in 14 years.
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