The History and Traditions of Easter

Easter is a commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The date varies from March to April as it depends on the date of the March equinox. Christians around the world celebrate this major holiday with sumptuous feasts and attending special church services. Modern-day celebrations often include Easter egg hunts. Easter Sunday marks the end of Lent, a 40-day period of reflecting and fasting. Easter Sunday also follows the events of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Fiesta Flowers, Plants, & Gifts will give you a short history and how celebrations are made.

Based on the Bible

The story of Easter is a fundamental aspect of Christianity. Good Friday is a representation of Jesus’ Crucifixion, which is a time of mourning and reflection, but Easter Sunday is the day that people celebrate His resurrection. This is an important concept in Christian (and Catholic) belief because it is associated with salvation.

The tradition of celebrating Easter with a feast started soon after the actual resurrection, which was believed to be around 33 AD. The time of the year was chosen because Jesus celebrated the Passover before he was crucified.

Medieval celebrations include congregations walking in a procession after attending mass. The priest joined them, carrying a crucifix or a candle.

Different Traditions

Christians around the world begin their celebration with an Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, also called Easter Eve. Early morning church services are also done with depictions of the resurrected Jesus being met by His mother Mary for the first time. Other celebrations and traditions include the following:

• Easter egg hunt – this actually came about from pagan spring festivals which celebrated fertility. Christians used to intertwine pagan practice with religious significance. In modern Easter egg hunts, eggs are hidden by a mythical Easter bunny. These eggs may contain goodies and other prizes. Some use hard boiled eggs and shells are painted or decorated. Families gather the night before to prepare the eggs and maybe even a special treat-laden Easter basket for the kids. Then the older ones hide eggs all over and then let the kids find them on Easter Sunday.
• Churches are adorned with flowers. The flowers represent rebirth, like the rebirth of Christ, and of the church and its members. Easter Lilies are traditionally used, as Lilies are believed to have grown in the Garden of Gethsemane, where, according to the Bible, Jesus prayed and was arrested. There are other flowers and foliage that are also often used such as Pussy Willows, Narcissuses, Daffodils, and red Tulips, which represent the blood of Jesus.
• Gift giving is also traditionally done. Baskets of goodies are given to children at the start of the Easter morning. These candies may be loose or hidden inside Easter eggs. The most common candy given is the chocolate Easter bunny.

There are other traditions that are country-specific. For example, in Italy, they present reenactments of the story of Easter in public squares. In Cyprus, they have bonfires in schoolyards and churches. People in Germany put eggs in trees, calling them Easter egg trees, in much the same way that we decorate Christmas trees. People in the United Kingdom participate in rolling eggs downhill.

Aside from being church decorations, flowers may also be used to adorn homes, and Fiesta Flowers has a wide array of flower arrangements to choose from.