Easter

In many countries, Easter is celebrated over two public holidays, just like Pentecost and Christmas. Most businesses and shops are closed on these days, and schools have a few days off before and after Easter. While we always celebrate Christmas on 25 and 26 December, Easter has no fixed date. Easter Sunday always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon in spring. This means it can fall as early as 22 March or as late as 25 April. Easter is associated with various terms and customs. In Christian churches, the Easter candle is lit. Children hunt for Easter eggs supposedly hidden by the Easter Bunny. People decorate branches in vases or on trees with Easter eggs, or use them to decorate Easter fountains. Bonfires are lit, and in some places there are processions on foot or horseback. During the Easter season, shops sell all kinds of sweets and other products with “Easter” in their names. Easter is also a welcome opportunity for businesses to make a profit.

Easter originated in Christianity. The Bible tells how, about 2,000 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth—whom Christians believe to be the Son of God—was sentenced to death in Jerusalem and crucified. After Jesus died in agony, his body was taken and placed in an empty tomb, which was sealed with a stone. Three days later, women are said to have gone to the tomb to anoint the dead man with ointments and oils. When they arrived, the stone had been moved and the tomb was empty. However, they saw a young man dressed in white. He said, “Do not be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here.” Jesus is then said to have appeared to some of his disciples several more times and to have ascended into heaven 40 days after his resurrection. The Christian celebration of Easter began as a way of remembering this event. Christianity teaches not only that Jesus rose from the dead, but that everyone will rise after the Last Judgment. Jesus will then return and judge people and the way they have lived. In the first centuries of Christianity, baptisms took place on Easter Day. In the days before Easter, church bells fell silent, and people kept watch through the night on Easter Eve. The word “Easter,” however, probably does not have a Christian origin. It is thought that a Germanic goddess called “Ostara” was worshipped even before Christianity spread. However, people are no longer certain about this. What is certain is that, for thousands of years, people have developed customs connected with the end of winter and the long-awaited arrival of spring.

Today, in many families, it is customary for children to hunt for colorful eggs on Easter morning, supposedly hidden by a hare. The tradition probably began in Alsace, the Palatinate, along the Upper Rhine, and in Switzerland. In other regions, people thought the fox, cuckoo, or stork hid the eggs. Eggs and hares have long been symbols of spring and nature awakening. The hare is considered fertile because it has many young. The egg represents the beginning of life. The tradition of lighting an Easter bonfire is very old. Sometimes people simply burn wood; in the past, they also threw a doll or another symbol of evil spirits into the flames. In some regions, villages held actual competitions against one another. Today, people mainly gather around Easter bonfires to chat and celebrate. But they should also remember the countless tiny creatures that like to settle in woodpiles, including birds that sometimes build their nests there. In any case, all animals should be chased away before lighting the fire.