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{{For|other uses|Easter (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox Holiday
|holiday_name=Easter
|image=Resurrection (24).jpg
|caption=Icon of the ] of ] ], which is the usual Orthodox icon for Pascha.
|observedby=]s
|date2010=April 4 (both Western and Eastern)
|date2011=April 24 (both Western and Eastern)
|observances=], all-night vigil, sunrise service
|celebrations=Religious (church) services, festive family meals, ] hunts and gift-giving
|type=Christian
|significance=Celebrates the resurrection of ]
|relatedto=], of which it is regarded the Christian equivalent; ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] which lead up to Easter; and ], ], ], and ] which follow it.
}}{{portal|Christianity}}

'''Easter''' ({{lang-el|Πάσχα}}) is the most important annual religious feast in the ] ].<ref>Anthony Aveni, "The Easter/Passover Season: Connecting Time's Broken Circle," ''The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 64-78.</ref> According to Christian scripture, ] was ] from the dead on the third day after his ]. Some Christians celebrate this resurrection on '''Easter Day''' or '''Easter Sunday'''<ref>'Easter Day' is the traditional name in English for the principal feast of Easter, used (for instance) by the '']'', but in the 20th century 'Easter Sunday' became widely used, despite this term also referring to the following Sunday.</ref> (also '''Resurrection Day''' or '''Resurrection Sunday'''), two days after ] and three days after ]. The ] of his death and resurrection is variously interpreted to be between ] 26 and AD 36.
Easter also refers to the ] of the church year called ] or the ]. Traditionally the Easter Season lasted for the forty days from Easter Day until ] Day but now officially lasts for the fifty days until ]. The first week of the Easter Season is known as Easter Week or the ]. Easter also marks the end of ], a season of fasting, prayer, and penance.

Easter is a ], meaning it is not fixed in relation to the ]. The ] (325) established the date of Easter as the first Sunday after the full moon (the ]) following the ].<ref></ref> Ecclesiastically, the equinox is reckoned to be on March 21 (regardless of the astronomically correct date), and the "Full Moon" is not necessarily the astronomically correct date. The date of Easter therefore varies between March 22 and April 25. ] bases its calculations on the ] whose March 21 corresponds, during the twenty-first century, to April 3 in the ], in which calendar their celebration of Easter therefore varies between April 4 and May 8.

Easter is linked to the Jewish ] not only for much of its symbolism but also for its position in the calendar. In most European languages the feast called Easter in English is termed by the words for passover in those languages and in the older English versions of the Bible the term Easter was the term used to translate passover.<ref>Oxford English Dictionary</ref><ref>Francis X. Weiser, Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, page 210, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company - 1958</ref>

Relatively newer elements such as the ] and ] hunts have become part of the holiday's modern celebrations, and those aspects are often celebrated by many Christians and non-Christians alike. There are also some Christian denominations who do not celebrate Easter.

== Theological significance ==
The ] teaches that the resurrection of Jesus, which Easter celebrates, is a foundation of the Christian faith.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|15:12-20}}</ref> The resurrection established Jesus as the powerful son of God<ref name="ReferenceA"/> and is cited as proof that God will judge the world in righteousness.<ref>{{bibleverse||Acts|17:31}}</ref> God has given Christians "a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead".<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Peter|1:3|HCSB}}</ref> Christians, through faith in the working of God<ref>{{bibleverse||Colossians|2:12}}</ref> are spiritually resurrected with Jesus so that they may walk in a new way of life.<ref>{{bibleverse||Romans|6:4}}</ref>

Easter is linked to the ] and ] recorded in the ] through the ] and ] that preceded the resurrection. According to the narratives of the New Testament, Jesus gave the Passover meal a new meaning, as he prepared himself and his disciples for his death in the ] during the Last Supper. He identified the loaf of bread and cup of wine as symbolizing ] soon to be ] and ] soon to be shed. {{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|5:7|NIV}} states, "Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed"; this refers to the Passover requirement to have no yeast in the house and to the allegory of Jesus as the ].<ref>{{bibleverse||John|1:29}}, {{bibleverse||Revelation|5:6}}, {{bibleverse|1|Peter|1:19}}, {{bibleverse|1|Peter|1:2}}, and the associated notes and Passion Week table in {{cite book|editor=Barker, Kenneth|title=Zondervan NIV Study Bible|publisher=]|location=]|year=2002|isbn=0310929555|page=1520}}</ref>

One interpretation of the ] is that Jesus, as the Passover lamb, was crucified at roughly the same time as the Passover lambs were being slain in the temple, on the afternoon of ].<ref>{{bibleverse||Exodus|12:6}}.</ref><ref>The scriptural instructions specify that the lamb is to be slain "between the two evenings", that is, at twilight. By the Roman period, however, the sacrifices were performed in the mid-afternoon. Josephus, ''Jewish War'' 6.10.1/423 ("They sacrifice from the ninth to the eleventh hour"). Philo, ''Special Laws'' 2.27/145 ("Many myriads of victims from noon till eventide are offered by the whole people").</ref> This interpretation, however, is inconsistent with the ] in the ]. It assumes that text literally translated "the preparation of the passover" in {{bibleverse||John|19:14|YLT}} refers to Nisan 14 (Preparation Day for the Passover) and not necessarily to ] (Friday, Preparation Day for ])<ref>{{bibleverse||John|13:2}}, {{bibleverse||John|18:28}}, {{bibleverse||John|19:14}}, and the associated notes in {{cite book|editor=Barker, Kenneth|title=Zondervan NIV Study Bible|publisher=]|location=]|year=2002|isbn=0310929555}}</ref> and that the priests' desire to be ritually pure in order to "eat the passover" in {{bibleverse||John|18:28|YLT}} refers to eating the Passover lamb, not to the public offerings made during the days of Unleavened Bread ({{bibleverse||Leviticus|23:8|KJV}}).

== Origins and etymology ==
=== Anglo-Saxon and German ===
] (1909).]]
{{Main|Ēostre}}
The modern English term ''Easter'' is speculated to have developed from ] word ''Ēastre'' or ''Ēostre'' or ''Eoaster'', which itself developed prior to 899. The name refers to ''Eostur-monath'', a month of the ] attested by ] as named after the ] ] of ].<ref name=EASTETYM>] ''The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology'' (1995) ISBN 0-06-270084-7.</ref> Bede notes that Eostur-monath was the equivalent to the month of April, and that feasts held in her honor during Ēostur-monath had died out by the time of his writing, replaced with the Christian custom of Easter.<ref>''De Temporum Ratione'' 15: "Eosturmonath, qui nunc paschalis mensis interpretatur, quondam a dea illorum quae Eostre vocabatur et cui in illo festa celebrabant nomen habuit. A cuius nomine nunc paschale tempus congnominant, consueto antiquae observationis vocabulo gaudia novae solemnitatis vocantes." (Eosturmonath, which now is taken to mean Paschal month, once had its name from their goddess who was called Eostre, and to whom they celebrated a festival in that month. Now they call the Paschal season by the name of this month, calling the joys of the new rite by the old observance's customary name.)</ref> Using comparative linguistic evidence from continental Germanic sources, the 19th century scholar ] proposed the existence of an equivalent form of Eostre among the pre-Christian beliefs of the ], whose name he reconstructed as ''Ostara''.

The implications of the goddess have resulted in scholarly theories about whether or not Eostre is an invention of Bede, theories connecting Eostre with records of Germanic folk custom (including ]s and ]), and as descendant of the ] through the ] of her name. Grimm's reconstructed Ostara has had some influence in modern popular culture. Modern German has ''Ostern'', but otherwise, Germanic languages have generally borrowed the form pascha, see below.

=== Semitic, Romance, Celtic and other Germanic languages ===
]'' by ], completed 1515]]

The Greek word Πάσχα and hence the ] form ''Pascha'' is derived from Hebrew ''Pesach'' ({{lang|he|פֶּסַח}}) meaning the festival of ]. In Greek the word Ανασταση, (upstanding, up-rising, resurrection) is used also as an alternative.

Christians speaking ] or other ] generally use names ] to ''Pesach''. For instance, the second word of the Arabic name of the festival {{lang|ar|عيد الفصح}} ''{{transl|ar|DIN|ʿĪd al-Fiṣḥ}}'' has the ] F-Ṣ-Ḥ, which given the ]s applicable to Arabic is cognate to Hebrew P-S-Ḥ, with "Ḥ" realized as {{IPA|/x/}} in Modern Hebrew and {{IPA|/ħ/}} in Arabic. Arabic also uses the term {{lang|ar|عيد القيامة}} ''{{transl|ar|DIN|ʿĪd al-Qiyāmah}}'', meaning "festival of the resurrection," but this term is less common. In ] the word is ''L-Għid''. In ] and the modern ] of ] and ], two forms exist: ፋሲካ ("Fasika," ''fāsīkā'') from Greek ''Pascha'', and ትንሣኤ ("Tensae," ''tinśā'ē''), the latter from the Semitic root N-Ś-', meaning "to rise" (cf. Arabic ''nasha'a'' - ś merged with "sh" in Arabic and most non-]).

In all ] the name of the Easter festival is derived from the Latin ''Pascha''. In Spanish, Easter is ''Pascua'', in Italian ''Pasqua'', in Portuguese ''Páscoa'' and in Romanian ''Paşti''. In French, the name of Easter ''Pâques'' also derives from the Latin word but the ''s'' following the ''a'' has been lost and the two letters have been transformed into a ''â'' with a ] accent by ].

In all modern ] the term for Easter is derived from Latin. In ] this has yielded Welsh ''Pasg'', ] and ] ''Pask''. In ] the word was borrowed before these languages had re-developed the /p/ sound and as a result the initial /p/ was replaced with /k/. This yielded Irish ''Cáisc'', ] ''Càisg'' and ] ''Caisht''. These terms are normally used with the ] in Goidelic languages, causing ] in all cases: ''An Cháisc'', ''A' Chàisg'' and ''Y Chaisht''.

In ], Easter is known as ''pasen'' and in the ] Easter is known as ''påske'' (Danish and Norwegian), ''påsk'' (Swedish), ''páskar'' (Icelandic) and ''páskir'' (Faeroese). The name is derived directly from Hebrew Pesach.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=kZIOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA126&lpg=PA126&dq=dutch+word+for+easter+derived+from+hebrew+pesach&source=bl&ots=tUhDdxdLDT&sig=Lzibv_ypo6KEpe46i-i3G8qVPEM&hl=en&ei=mHXZSZqJL5eWMYyY6PkO&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7 |title=A Dictionary of True Etymologies |publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul Books |accessdate=2009-04-05}}</ref> The letter ] is a double a pronounced /o/, and an alternate spelling is ''paaske'' or ''paask''.

=== Slavic languages ===
In most Slavic languages, the name for Easter either means "Great Day" or "Great Night". For example, ''Wielkanoc'', ''Veľká noc'' and ''Velikonoce'' mean "Great Night" or "Great Nights" in Polish, ] and ], respectively. Велигден (''Veligden''), Великдень (''Velykden''), Великден (''Velikden''), and Вялікдзень (''Vyalikdzyen''') mean "The Great Day" in ], ], ], and ], respectively.

In ], however, the day's name reflects a particular theological connection: it is called ''Uskrs'', meaning "Resurrection". It is also called ''Vazam'' (''Vzem'' or ''Vuzem'' in Old Croatian), which is a noun that originated from the ] verb ''vzeti'' (now ''uzeti'' in Croatian, meaning "to take"). In ] Easter is called ''Vaskrs,'' a liturgical form inherited from the Serbian recension of ]. The archaic term ''Velja noć'' (''velmi'': Old Slavic for "great"; ''noć'': "night") was used in Croatian while the term ''Velikden'' ("Great Day") was used in Serbian. It is believed that ], the "holy brothers" who baptized the Slavic people and translated Christian books from Greek into Old Church Slavonic, invented the word ''Uskrs'' from the Croatian word ''krsnuti'' which means "to enliven".<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Sts. Cyril and Methodius}}</ref> It should be noted that in these languages the prefix ''Velik'' (Great) is used in the names of the ] and the three feast days preceding Easter.

Another exception is Russian, in which the name of the feast, Пасха (''Paskha''), is a borrowing of the Greek form via ].<ref>], Russisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg, 1950-1958.</ref>

=== Finno-Ugric languages ===
In Finnish the name for Easter ''pääsiäinen'', traces back to the verb ''pääse-'' meaning ''to be released'', as does the ] word ''Beassážat''. The ] name ''lihavõtted'' and the Hungarian ''húsvét'', however, literally mean ''the taking of the meat'', relating to the end of the Great Lent fasting period.

== Easter in the early Church ==
] in ] on the ] from the ] to the ].]]

The first Christians, ] and Gentile, were certainly aware of the ] ({{bibleverse||Acts|2:1}}; {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|12:3}}; {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|20:6}}; {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|27:9}}; {{bibleverse|1|Cor|16:8}}), but there is no direct evidence that they celebrated any specifically Christian annual festivals. The observance by Christians of non-Jewish annual festivals is believed by some to be an innovation postdating the ]. The ecclesiastical historian ] (b. 380) attributes the observance of Easter by the church to the perpetuation of its custom, "just as many other customs have been established," stating that neither ] nor his ] enjoined the keeping of this or any other festival. However, when read in context, this is not a rejection or denigration of the celebration—which, given its currency in Scholasticus' time would be surprising—but is merely part of a defense of the diverse methods for computing its date. Indeed, although he describes the details of the Easter celebration as deriving from local custom, he insists the feast itself is universally observed.<ref>Socrates, ''Church History'', 5.22, in {{cite web
| last = Schaff
| first = Philip
| title = The Author’s Views respecting the Celebration of Easter, Baptism, Fasting, Marriage, the Eucharist, and Other Ecclesiastical Rites.
| work = Socrates and Sozomenus Ecclesiastical Histories
| publisher = Calvin College Christian Classics Ethereal Library
|date=July 13, 2005
| url = http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf202.ii.viii.xxiii.html
| accessdate = 2007-03-28}}</ref>

Perhaps the earliest extant primary source referencing Easter is a mid-2nd century Paschal ] attributed to ], which characterizes the celebration as a well-established one.<ref name = "Melito">
{{cite web
| first = Melito
| authorlink = ]
| title = Homily on the Pascha
| publisher = ]: The Journal of ].
| url = http://www.kerux.com/documents/KeruxV4N1A1.asp
| accessdate = 2007-03-28}}</ref> Evidence for another kind of annual Christian festival, the commemoration of martyrs, begins to appear at about the same time as evidence for the celebration of Easter.<ref>Cheslyn Jones, Geoffrey Wainwright, Edward Yarnold, and Paul Bradshaw, Eds., ''The Study of Liturgy, Revised Edition'', Oxford University Press, New York, 1992, p. 474.</ref> But while martyrs' "birthdays" were celebrated on fixed dates in the local solar calendar, the date of Easter was fixed by means of the local Jewish ] calendar. This is consistent with the celebration of Easter having entered Christianity during its earliest, ], but does not leave the question free of doubt.<ref>Cheslyn Jones, Geoffrey Wainwright, Edward Yarnold, and Paul Bradshaw, Eds., ''The Study of Liturgy, Revised Edition'', Oxford University Press, New York, 1992, p. 459:" is the only feast of the Christian Year that can plausibly claim to go back to apostolic times... must derive from a time when Jewish influence was effective....because it depends on the lunar calendar (every other feast depends on the solar calendar)."</ref>

===Second-century controversy===
{{details|Quartodecimanism}}
{{See also|Easter controversy|Passover (Christian holiday)}}
By the later second century, it was accepted that the celebration of Pascha (Easter) was a practice of the ] and an undisputed tradition. The ] controversy, the first of several ], then arose concerning the date on which Pascha should be celebrated.

The term "Quartodeciman" refers to the practice of celebrating Pascha or Easter on ] 14 of the ], "the {{LORD}}'s passover" ({{bibleverse||Leviticus|23:5}}). According to the church historian ], the Quartodeciman ] (bishop of Smyrna, by tradition a disciple of ]) debated the question with ] (bishop of Rome). The ] was Quartodeciman, while the Roman and Alexandrian churches continued the fast until the Sunday following, wishing to associate Easter with Sunday. Neither Polycarp nor Anicetus persuaded the other, but they did not consider the matter ] either, parting in peace and leaving the question unsettled.

Controversy arose when ], bishop of Rome a generation after Anicetus, attempted to excommunicate ] and all other bishops of Asia for their Quartodecimanism. According to Eusebius, a number of synods were convened to deal with the controversy, which he regarded as all ruling in support of Easter on Sunday.<ref>Eusebius, Church History 5.23.</ref> Polycrates (c. 190), however wrote to Victor defending the antiquity of Asian Quartodecimanism. Victor's attempted excommunication was apparently rescinded and the two sides reconciled upon the intervention of bishop ] and others, who reminded Victor of the tolerant precedent of Anicetus.

Quartodecimanism seems to have lingered into the fourth century, when ] recorded that some Quartodecimans were deprived of their churches by ]<ref>Socrates, ''Church History'', 6.11, at {{cite web
| last = Schaff
| first = Philip
| title = Of Severian and Antiochus: their Disagreement from John.
| work = Socrates and Sozomenus Ecclesiastical Histories
| publisher = Calvin College Christian Classics Ethereal Library
|date=July 13, 2005
| url = http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf202.ii.ix.xii.html
| accessdate = 2009-03-28}}</ref> and that some were harassed by ].<ref>Socrates, ''Church History'' 7.29, at {{cite web
| last = Schaff
| first = Philip
| title = Nestorius of Antioch promoted to the See of Constantinople. His Persecution of the Heretics.
| work = Socrates and Sozomenus Ecclesiastical Histories
| publisher = Calvin College Christian Classics Ethereal Library
|date=July 13, 2005
| url = http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf202.ii.x.xxix.html
| accessdate = 2009-03-28}}</ref>

=== Third/fourth-century controversy and Council ===
It is not known how long the Nisan 14 practice continued. But both those who followed the Nisan 14 custom, and those who set Easter to the following Sunday (the Sunday of Unleavened Bread) had in common the custom of consulting their Jewish neighbors to learn when the month of Nisan would fall, and setting their festival accordingly. By the later 3rd century, however, some Christians began to express dissatisfaction with the custom of relying on the Jewish community to determine the date of Easter. The chief complaint was that the Jewish communities sometimes erred in setting Passover to fall before the ] spring equinox. ] in the later third century wrote:<blockquote>
Those who place in and fix the Paschal fourteenth day accordingly, make a great and indeed an extraordinary mistake<ref>Eusebius, ''Church Histor''y, 7.32.</ref></blockquote>
Peter, ] (died 312), had a similar complaint

<blockquote>
On the fourteenth day of , being accurately observed after the equinox, the ancients celebrated the Passover, according to the divine command. Whereas the men of the present day now celebrate it before the equinox, and that altogether through negligence and error.<ref>Peter of Alexandria, quoted in the ]. In Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, eds., ''Ante-Nicene Christian Library, Volume 14: The Writings of Methodius, Alexander of Lycopolis, Peter of Alexandria, And Several Fragments'', Edinburgh, 1869, p. 326, at {{cite web
| last = Donaldson
| first = Alexander
| title = That Up to the Time of the Destruction of Jerusalem, the Jews Rightly Appointed the Fourteenth Day of the First Lunar Month.
| work = Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius the Great, Julius Africanus, Anatolius and Minor Writers, Methodius, Arnobius
| publisher = Calvin College Christian Classics Ethereal Library
| date=June 1, 2005
| url = http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf06.ix.vi.v.html
| accessdate =2009-03-28}}
</ref>
</blockquote>
The ]<ref>MS Verona, Biblioteca Capitolare LX(58) folios 79v-80v.</ref> confirms these complaints, for it indicates that the Jews of some eastern Mediterranean city (possibly ]) fixed Nisan 14 on March 11 (Julian) in A.D. 328, on March 5 in A.D. 334, on March 2 in A.D. 337, and on March 10 in A.D. 339, all well before the spring equinox.<ref>Sacha Stern, ''Calendar and Community: A History of the Jewish Calendar Second Century BCE - Tenth Century CE,'' Oxford, 2001, pp. 124-132.</ref>

Because of this dissatisfaction with reliance on the Jewish calendar, some Christians began to experiment with independent computations.<ref>Eusebius reports that Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, proposed an 8-year Easter cycle, and quotes a letter from Anatolius, Bishop of Laodicea, that refers to a 19-year cycle. Eusebius, ''Church History'', 7.20, 7.31. An 8-year cycle has been found inscribed on a statue unearthed in Rome in the 17th century, dated to the third century. Allen Brent, ''Hippolytus and the Roman Church in the Third Centur''y, Leiden, E.J. Brill, 1995.</ref> Others, however, felt that the customary practice of consulting Jews should continue, even if the Jewish computations were in error. A version of the ] used by the sect of the ] advised:<blockquote>
Do not do your own computations, but instead observe Passover when your brethren from the ] do. If they err , it is no matter to you....<ref>Epiphanius, ''Adversus Haereses'' Heresy 70, 10,1, in Frank Williams, ''The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis Books II and II'', Leiden, E.J. Brill, 1994, p. 412. Also quoted in Margaret Dunlop Gibson, ''The Didascalia Apostolorum in Syriac'', London, 1903, p. vii.</ref>
</blockquote>

Two other objections that some Christians may have had to maintaining the custom of consulting the Jewish community in order to determine Easter are implied in Constantine's letter from the Council of Nicea to the absent bishops:<blockquote>
It appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast we should follow the practice of the Jews...For we have it in our power, if we abandon their custom, to prolong the due observance of this ordinance to future ages by a truer order...For their boast is absurd indeed, that it is not in our power without instruction from them to observe these things....Being altogether ignorant of the true adjustment of this question, they sometimes celebrate Passover twice in the same year.<ref>Eusebius, Life of Constantine, 3.18, in A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series, Volume 14: The Seven Ecumenical Councils'', Eerdmans, 1956, p. 54.</ref>
</blockquote>

The reference to Passover twice in the same year might refer to the geographical diversity that existed at that time in the Jewish calendar, due in large measure to the breakdown of communications in the Empire. Jews in one city might determine Passover differently from Jews in another city.<ref>Sacha Stern, ''Calendar and Community: A History of the Jewish Calendar Second Century BCE - Tenth Century CE'', Oxford, 2001, pp. 72-79.</ref> The reference to the Jewish "boast", and, indeed, the strident anti-Jewish tone of the whole passage, suggests another issue: some Christians thought that it was undignified for Christians to depend on Jews to set the date of a Christian festival.

This controversy between those who advocated independent computations, and those who wished to continue the custom of relying on the Jewish calendar, was formally resolved by the ] in 325 (''see below''), which endorsed the move to independent computations, effectively requiring the abandonment of the old custom of consulting the Jewish community in those places where it was still used. That the older custom (called "protopaschite" by historians) did not at once die out, but persisted for a time, is indicated by the existence of canons<ref>Apostolic Canon 7: If any bishop, presbyter, or deacon shall celebrate the holy day of Easter before the vernal equinox with the Jews, let him be deposed''. A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series, Volume 14: The Seven Ecumenical Councils'', Eerdmans, 1956, p. 594.</ref> and sermons<ref>St. John Chrysostom, "Against those who keep the first Passover", in ''Saint John Chrysostom: Discourses against Judaizing Christians'', translated by Paul W. Harkins, Washington, D.C., 1979, p. 47ff.</ref> against it.

Some historians have argued that mid-4th century Roman authorities, in an attempt to enforce the Nicene decision on Easter, attempted to interfere with the Jewish calendar. This theory was developed by S. Liebermann,<ref>S. Liebermann, "Palestine in the 3rd and 4rh Centuries", ''Jewish Quarterly Review'' (New Series), 36, p. 334 (1946).</ref> and is repeated by ] in the Ben-Sasson ''History of the Jewish People''.<ref>S. Safrai, "From the Roman Anarchy Until the Abolition of the Patriarchate", in H. H. Ben-Sasson, ed., ''A History of the Jewish People'', Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1969 (English trans. 1976), p. 350.</ref> This view receives no support, however, in surviving mid-4th century Roman legislation on Jewish matters.<ref>Amnon Linder, ''The Jews in Roman Imperial Legislation'', Wayne State University Press, Detroit, 1987. Linder presents only one piece of legislation from the time of Constantine II and one from the time of Constantius II dealing with Jewish matters. Neither has anything do do with the Jewish calendar.</ref> The Historian ], in his ]<ref>Procopius, ''Secret History'' 28.16-19.</ref> claims that the emperor ] attempted to interfere with the Jewish calendar in the 6th century, and a modern writer has suggested<ref>Sacha Stern, Calendar and Community: A History of the Jewish Calendar Second Century BCE-Tenth Century CE, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2001, pp. 85-87.</ref> that this measure may have been directed against the protopaschites. However, none of Justinian's surviving edicts dealing with Jewish matters is explicitly directed against the Jewish calendar,<ref>Justinian's Novel 146 of A.D. 553 does, however, forbid public reading of the ''deuterosis'', (probably the Mishnah) or expounding of its doctrines. Amnon Linder, ''The Jews in Roman Imperial Legislation,'' pp. 402-411.</ref> making the interpretation of Procopius's statement a complex matter.

== Date of Easter ==
{{Dates for Easter}}
Easter and the holidays that are related to it are '']s'', in that they do not fall on a fixed date in the ] or ] calendars (both of which follow the cycle of the sun and the seasons). Instead, the date for Easter is determined on a ] similar to the ].

In ], using the Gregorian calendar, Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25 inclusively.<ref>. Article from ] (March 27, 2007).</ref> The following day, ], is a ] in many countries with predominantly Christian traditions. In Eastern Orthodox Churches which continue to use the Julian calendar for religious dating, Easter also falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25 inclusive of the Julian calendar. (The Julian calendar is no longer used as the civil calendar of the countries where Eastern Christian traditions predominate.) In terms of the Gregorian calendar, due to the 13 day difference between the calendars between 1900 and 2099, these dates are between April 4 and May 8 inclusive. Among the ] some churches have changed from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar and the date for Easter as for other fixed and moveable feasts is the same as in the Western Church.<ref>"The Church in Malankara switched entirely to the Gregorian calendar in 1953, following Encyclical No. 620 from Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem I, dt. December 1952." . Retrieved 2009-04-22</ref>

The precise date of Easter has at times been a matter for contention. At the ] in 325 it was decided that all ]s would celebrate Easter on the same day, which would be computed independently of any Jewish calculations to determine the date of ]. It is probable, though, that no method of determining the date was specified by the Council. (No contemporary account of the Council's decisions has survived.) ] wrote in the mid-4th century:
:...the emperor...convened a council of 318 bishops...in the city of Nicea...They passed certain ecclesiastical canons at the council besides, and at the same time decreed in regard to the Passover that there must be one unanimous concord on the celebration of God's holy and supremely excellent day. For it was variously observed by people....<ref name = Epiphianus>Epiphanius, ''Adversus Haereses'', Heresy 69, 11,1, in {{cite book | last = Willams | first = F. | title = The Panarion of Epiphianus of Salamis Books II and III | publisher = E.J. Brill |year=1994 | location = Leiden | page = 331}}</ref>

In the years following the council, the computational system that was worked out by the church of Alexandria came to be normative. It took a while for the Alexandrian rules to be adopted throughout Christian Europe, however. The Church of Rome continued to use an 84-year ] cycle from the late third century until 457. The Church of Rome continued to use its own methods until the 6th century, when it may have adopted the Alexandrian method as converted into the ] by ] (certain proof of this does not exist until the ninth century). Early Christians in Britain and Ireland also used a late third century Roman 84-year cycle. This was replaced by the Alexandrian method in the course of the 7th and 8th centuries. Churches in western continental Europe used a late Roman method until the late 8th century during the reign of ], when they finally adopted the Alexandrian method. However, with the adoption of the ] by the ] in 1582 and the continuing use of the ] by Eastern Orthodox and most Oriental Orthodox Churches, the date on which Easter is celebrated again deviated, and the divergence continues to this day.

=== Computations ===
{{Main|Computus}}

The rule has since the 4th century been phrased as ''Easter is observed on the Sunday after the first ] on or after the day of the ]''. However, this does not reflect the actual ecclesiastical rules precisely. One reason for this is that the full moon involved (called the ]) is not an astronomical full moon, but the ] of a calendar lunar month. Another difference is that the astronomical vernal equinox is a natural astronomical phenomenon, which can fall on March 19, 20, or 21, while the ecclesiastical date is fixed by convention on March 21.<ref>Paragraph 7 of ] to "the vernal equinox, which was fixed by the fathers of the ] at XII calends April ". This definition can be traced at least back to chapters 6 & 59 of ]'s ] (725).</ref>

In applying the ecclesiastical rules, Christian Churches use March 21 as the starting point in determining the date of Easter, from which they find the next full moon, etc. The ] and ] continue to use the Julian calendar. Their starting point in determining the date of Orthodox Easter is also March 21, but according to the Julian reckoning, which corresponds to April 3 in the Gregorian calendar. In addition, the lunar tables of the Julian calendar are 4 days (sometimes 5 days) behind those of the Gregorian calendar. The 14th day of the lunar month according to the Gregorian system is only the 9th or 10th day according to the Julian. The result of this combination of solar and lunar discrepancies is divergence in the date of Easter in most years. (see table)

The actual calculations for the date of Easter are somewhat complicated, but can be described briefly as follows:

Easter is determined on the basis of ] cycles. The lunar year consists of 30-day and 29-day lunar months, generally alternating, with an ] added periodically to bring the lunar cycle into line with the solar cycle. In each solar year (January 1 to December 31), the lunar month beginning with an ] falling in the 29-day period from March 8 to April 5 inclusive is designated as the Paschal lunar month for that year. Easter is the 3rd Sunday in the Paschal lunar month, or, in other words, the Sunday after the Paschal lunar month's 14th day. The 14th of the Paschal lunar month is designated by convention as the ], although the 14th of the lunar month may differ from the date of the astronomical full moon by up to two days.<ref>Montes, Marcos J. Retrieved 2008-01-12.</ref> Since the ecclesiastical new moon falls on a date from March 8 to April 5 inclusive, the Paschal full moon (the 14th of that lunar month) must fall on a date from March 21 to April 18 inclusive.

Accordingly, Gregorian Easter can fall on 35 possible dates - between March 22 and April 25 inclusive.<ref>Easter Sunday always falls after (never on) March 21, so the earliest it can fall is March 22; if the 14th of the Paschal lunar month falls on April 18 and this day is a Sunday, then Easter falls one week (seven days) later on April 25.</ref> It last fell on March 22 in 1818, and will not do so again until 2285. It fell on March 23 in 2008, but will not do so again until 2160. Easter last fell on the latest possible date, April 25, in 1943 and will next fall on that date in 2038. However, it will fall on April 24, just one day before this latest possible date, in 2011. The cycle of Easter dates repeats after exactly 5,700,000 years, with April 19 being the most common date, happening 220,400 times or 3.9%, compared to the ] for all dates of 189,525 times or 3.3%.

The Gregorian calculation of Easter was based on a method devised by the ]n doctor ] (or Lilio) for adjusting the ]s of the moon <ref>G Moyer (1983), , pages 171-188 in G.V. Coyne (ed.)</ref>, and has been adopted by almost all Western Christians and by Western countries who celebrate national holidays at Easter. For the British Empire and colonies, a determination of the date of Easter Sunday using ] and ]s was defined by the ''Calendar (New Style) Act 1750'' with its Annexe. This was designed to exactly match the Gregorian calculation.

=== Relationship to date of Passover ===
In determining the date of the Gregorian and Julian Easter a lunisolar cycle is followed. In determining the date of the Jewish ] a lunisolar calendar is also used, and because Easter always falls on a Sunday it usually falls up to a week after the first day of Passover (Nisan 15 in the ]). However, the differences in the rules between the Hebrew and Gregorian cycles results in Passover falling about a month after Easter in three years of the 19-year cycle. These occur in years 3, 11, and 14 of the Gregorian 19-year cycle (corresponding respectively to years 19, 8, and 11 of the Jewish 19-year cycle).

The reason for the difference is the different scheduling of embolismic months in the two cycles (see ]). In addition, without changes to either calendar, the frequency of monthly divergence between the two festivals will increase over time as a result of the differences in the implicit solar years: the implicit mean solar year of the Hebrew calendar is 365.2468 days while that of the Gregorian calendar is 365.2425 days. In years 2200-2299, for example, the start of Passover will be about a month later than Gregorian Easter in four years out of nineteen.

Since in the modern Hebrew calendar Nisan 15 can never fall on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, the '']'' of Nisan 15 never falls on the night of Maundy Thursday. The second ''seder'', observed in some Jewish communities on the second night of Passover can, however, occur on Thursday night.

Because the Julian calendar's implicit solar year has drifted further over the centuries than the those of the Gregorian or Hebrew calendars, Julian Easter is a lunation later than Gregorian Easter in five years out of nineteen, namely years 3, 8,11, 14, and 19 of the Christian cycle. This means that it is a lunation later than Jewish Passover in two years out of nineteen, years 8 and 19 of the Christian cycle. Furthermore, because the Julian calendar's lunar age is now about 4 to 5 days behind the mean lunations, Julian Easter always follows the start of Passover. This cumulative effect of the errors in the Julian calendar's solar year and lunar age has led to the often-repeated, but false, belief that the Julian cycle includes an explicit rule ''requiring'' Easter always to follow Jewish Passover.<ref>Peter L'Huillier, ''The Church of the Ancient Councils'', St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, Crestwood, 1996, p. 25.</ref><ref>The supposed "after Passover" rule is called the ''Zonaras proviso'', after ], the Byzantine canon lawyer who may have been the first to formulate it.</ref>

=== Reform of the date of Easter ===
{{See also|Reform of the date of Easter}}

A Pan-Orthodox congress of Eastern Orthodox bishops met in Istanbul in 1923 under the presidency of Patriarch ], where the bishops agreed to the ]. The original form of this calendar would have determined Easter using precise astronomical calculations based on the meridian of ].<ref>M. Milankovitch, "Das Ende des julianischen Kalenders und der neue Kalender der orientalischen Kirchen", ''Astronomische Nachrichten'' 200, 379–384 (1924).</ref><ref>Miriam Nancy Shields, "", ''Popular Astronomy'' '''32''' (1924) 407–411 (). This is a translation of M. Milankovitch, "The end of the Julian calendar and the new calendar of the Eastern churches", ''Astronomische Nachrichten'' No. 5279 (1924).</ref> However, all the Eastern Orthodox countries that subsequently adopted the Revised Julian calendar adopted only that part of the revised calendar that applied to festivals falling on fixed dates in the Julian calendar. The revised Easter computation that had been part of the original 1923 agreement was never permanently implemented in any Orthodox diocese.

At a summit in ], ], in 1997, the ] proposed a reform in the calculation of Easter which would have replaced the present divergent practices of calculating Easter with modern scientific knowledge taking into account actual astronomical instances of the spring equinox and full moon based on the meridian of Jerusalem, while also following the Council of Nicea position of Easter being on the Sunday following the full moon.<ref></ref> The WCC presented comparative data of the relationships:

{{Table of dates of Easter|align=left}}
{{-}}
<small>Notes: 1. Astronomical Easter is the first Sunday after the Astronomical full moon.<br /> 2. Passover commences at sunset preceding the date indicated.</small>

The recommended WCC changes would have side-stepped the calendar issues and eliminated the difference in date between the Eastern and Western churches. The reform was proposed for implementation starting in 2001, but it was not ultimately adopted by any member body.

A few clergymen of various denominations have advanced the notion of disregarding the moon altogether in determining the date of Easter. Their proposals include always observing Easter on the second Sunday in April, or always having seven Sundays between the ] and ], producing the same result except that in leap years Easter could fall on April 7. These suggestions have not attracted significant support, and their adoption in the future is considered unlikely.

In the United Kingdom, the ] set out legislation to allow the date of Easter to be fixed as the first Sunday after the second Saturday in April (or, in other words, the Sunday in the period from April 9 to April 15). However, the legislation has not been implemented, although it remains on the Statute book and could be implemented subject to approval by the various Christian churches.<ref></ref>

== Position in the church year ==
{{Liturgical year}}

=== Western Christianity ===
In Western Christianity, Easter marks the end of ], a period of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter, which begins on ] and lasts forty days (not counting Sundays).

The week before Easter, known as ], is very special in the Christian tradition. The Sunday before Easter is ] and the last three days before Easter are ] or Holy Thursday, ] and ] (sometimes referred to as Silent Saturday). Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday respectively commemorate Jesus' entry in Jerusalem, the ] and the ]. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are sometimes referred to as the ] (] for "Three Days"). In some countries, Easter lasts two days, with the second called "]." The week beginning with Easter Sunday is called ] or the ], and each day is prefaced with "Easter", e.g. Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday, etc. ] is therefore the Saturday ''after'' Easter Sunday. The day before Easter is properly called Holy Saturday. Many churches begin celebrating Easter late in the evening of Holy Saturday at a service called the ].

], or Paschaltide, the season of Easter, begins on Easter Sunday and lasts until the day of ], seven weeks later.

=== Eastern Christianity ===
In Eastern Christianity, the spiritual preparation for Pascha begins with ], which starts on ] and lasts for 40 continuous days (including Sundays). The last week of Great Lent (following the fifth Sunday of Great Lent) is called Palm Week, and ends with ]. The ] which begins Lazarus Saturday officially brings Great Lent to a close, although the fast continues through the following week. After Lazarus Saturday comes ], ], and finally Pascha itself, and the fast is broken immediately after the Paschal ].

The ] begins with the ], which is the last service of the ] and is timed so that it ends a little before midnight on ] night. At the stroke of midnight the Paschal celebration itself begins, consisting of Paschal ], ], and Paschal Divine Liturgy.<ref name = "Eastern Liturgy">{{cite web | first = Ephrem (Archimandrite) | title = On the Holy and Great Sunday of Pascha | publisher = Monastery of Saint Andrew the First Called, Manchester, England |date=January 25, 2007 | url = http://www.anastasis.org.uk/pascha.htm | accessdate = 2007-03-27}}</ref> Placing the Paschal Divine Liturgy at midnight guarantees that no Divine Liturgy will come earlier in the morning, ensuring its place as the pre-eminent "Feast of Feasts" in the ].

The liturgical season from Pascha to the Sunday of ] (the Sunday after ]) is known as the ] (the "fifty days"). The week which begins on Easter Sunday is called ], during which there is no fasting, even on Wednesday and Friday. The ] of Pascha lasts 39 days, with its ] (leave-taking) on the day before ]. Pentecost Sunday is the fiftieth day from Pascha (counted inclusively).

Although the Pentecostarion ends on the Sunday of All Saints, Pascha's influence continues throughout the following year, determining the daily ] and ] readings at the Divine Liturgy, the ], and the ] all the way through to the next year's Lazarus Saturday.

==Religious observance of Easter==<!--] redirects here-->
{{Refimprove|date=January 2010}}
=== Western Christianity ===
]

The Easter festival is kept in many different ways among ]. The traditional, ] observation of Easter, as practised among ] and some ]s and ]s begins on the night of ] with the ]. This, the most important liturgy of the year, begins in total darkness with the blessing of the Easter fire, the lighting of the large ] (symbolic of the Risen Christ) and the chanting of the ] or Easter Proclamation attributed to Saint ]. After this service of light, a number of readings from the ] are read; these tell the stories of ], the sacrifice of ], the crossing of the ], and the foretold coming of the ]. This part of the service climaxes with the singing of the ] and the ] and the proclamation of the ] of the ]. A ] may be preached after the gospel. Then the focus moves from the ] to the ]. Anciently, Easter was considered the ideal time for converts to receive ], and this practice continues within ] and the ]. Whether there are baptisms at this point or not, it is traditional for the congregation to renew the vows of their baptismal faith. This act is often sealed by the sprinkling of the congregation with ] from the font. The Catholic ] of ] is also celebrated at the Vigil.

The Easter Vigil concludes with the celebration of the ] (known in some traditions as ]). Certain variations in the Easter Vigil exist: Some churches read the Old Testament lessons before the procession of the Paschal candle, and then read the gospel immediately after the Exsultet. Some churches prefer to keep this vigil very early on the Sunday morning instead of the Saturday night, particularly ] churches, to reflect the gospel account of the women coming to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. These services are known as the ] and often occur in outdoor setting such as the church cemetery, yard, or a nearby park.

The first recorded "Sunrise Service" took place in 1732 among the Single Brethren in the ] Congregation at ], ], in what is now Germany. Following an all-night ] they went before dawn to the town graveyard, ], on the hill above the town, to celebrate the Resurrection among the graves of the departed. This service was repeated the following year by the whole congregation and subsequently spread with the Moravian Missionaries around the world. The most famous "Moravian Sunrise Service" is in the Moravian Settlement ] in ], ]. The beautiful setting of the Graveyard, ], the music of the Brass Choir numbering 500 pieces, and the simplicity of the service attract thousands of visitors each year and has earned for Winston-Salem the soubriquet "the Easter City."

Additional celebrations are usually offered on Easter Sunday itself. Typically these services follow the usual order of Sunday services in a congregation, but also typically incorporate more highly festive elements. The music of the service, in particular, often displays a highly festive tone; the incorporation of brass instruments (trumpets, etc.) to supplement a congregation's usual instrumentation is common. Often a congregation's worship space is decorated with special banners and flowers (such as ]).

In predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines, the morning of Easter (known in the national language as "Pasko ng Muling Pagkabuhay" or the Pasch of the Resurrection) is marked with joyous celebration, the first being the dawn "Salubong," wherein large statues of Jesus and Mary are brought together to meet, imagining the first reunion of Jesus and his mother Mary after Jesus' Resurrection. This is followed by the joyous Easter Mass.

In Polish culture, The Rezurekcja (Resurrection Procession) is the joyous Easter morning Mass at daybreak when church bells ring out and explosions resound to commemorate Christ rising from the dead. Before the Mass begins at dawn, a festive procession with the Blessed Sacrament carried beneath a canopy encircles the church. As church bells ring out, handbells are vigorously shaken by altar boys, the air is filled with incense and the faithful raise their voices heavenward in a triumphant rendering of age-old Easter hymns. After the Blessed Sacrament is carried around the church and Adoration is complete, the Easter Mass begins. Another Polish Easter tradition is ], the blessing of Easter baskets by the parish priest on Holy Saturday. This custom is celebrated not only in Poland, but also in the United States by Polish-Americans.

=== Eastern Christianity ===
], Russia'', painting by ] (1880-83), depicting a ] ]]]
'''Pascha''' is the fundamental and most important festival of the ] and ] Orthodox Churches:
<blockquote>
:This is the Expected and Holy Day,
:the One among the Sabbaths,
:the Sovereign and Lady of days,
:Feast of feasts, Celebration of celebrations,
:on which we praise Christ for all eternity!
</blockquote>
Every other religious festival on their calendars, including ], is secondary in importance to the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is reflected in rich Paschal customs in the cultures of countries that have traditionally had an Orthodox Christian majority. ] have similar emphasis in their calendars, and many of their liturgical customs are very similar.
This is not to say that Christmas and other elements of the Christian liturgical calendar are ignored. Instead, these events are all seen as necessary but ''preliminary'' to, and illuminated by, the full climax of the Resurrection, in which all that has come before reaches fulfilment and fruition. They shine only in the light of the Resurrection. Pascha (Easter) is the primary act that fulfills the purpose of Christ's ministry on earth—to defeat death by dying and to purify and exalt humanity by voluntarily assuming and overcoming human frailty. This is succinctly summarized by the ], sung repeatedly during Pascha until the ] of Pascha, which is the day before ]:
]; all electric lighting is off, and only the ]s in front of the ] remain lit (], ])]]
]'s ''Easter Greetings'' (1912) shows traditional Russian '']'' (exchanging a triple kiss), with such foods as ], ] and ] in the background]]
] blessing ] in ], ]]]
<blockquote>
:Χριστὸς ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν,
:θανάτῳ θάνατον πατήσας,
:καὶ τοῖς ἐν τοῖς μνήμασι
:ζωὴν χαρισάμενος.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
:Christ is risen from the dead,
:Trampling down death by death,
:And upon those in the tombs
:Bestowing life!
</blockquote>
Preparation for Pascha begins with the season of ]. In addition to fasting, almsgiving, and prayer, Orthodox Christians cut down on all entertainment and non-essential worldly activities, gradually eliminating them until ], the most austere day of the year. Traditionally, on the evening of ], the ] is celebrated shortly after 11:00 p.m. (see ]). At its completion all light in the church building is extinguished, and all wait in darkness and silence for the stroke of midnight. Then, a new flame is struck in the altar, or the priest lights his candle from the ] kept burning there, and he then lights candles held by deacons or other assistants, who then go to light candles held by the congregation (this practice has its origin in the reception of the ] at the ] in ]). Then the priest and congregation go in a ] (] with the cross) around the ] (church building), holding lit candles, chanting:
<blockquote>
By Thy Resurrection O Christ our savior,
the angels in Heaven sing,
enable us who are on Earth,
to glorify thee in purity of heart.</blockquote>
This procession reenacts the journey of the ] to the Tomb of Jesus "very early in the morning" ({{bibleverse||Luke|24:1|KJV}}). After circling around the temple once or three times, the procession halts in front of the closed doors. In the Greek practice the priest reads a selection from the ] ({{bibleverse||Mark|16:1-8|KJV}}). Then, in all traditions, the priest makes the ] with the censer in front of the closed doors (which represent the sealed tomb). He and the people chant the Paschal Troparion, and all of the ] and ] are sounded. Then all re-enter the temple and Paschal ] begins immediately, followed by the Paschal ] and then the Paschal ]. The high point of the liturgy is the delivery of ] of ], for which the congregation stands.

After the ] of the Liturgy, the priest may bless ] and baskets brought by the faithful containing those foods which have been forbidden during the Great Fast. Immediately after the Liturgy it is customary for the congregation to share a meal, essentially an ] dinner (albeit at 2:00 a.m. or later). In Greece the traditional meal is ''mageiritsa'', a hearty stew of chopped lamb liver and wild greens seasoned with egg-and-lemon sauce. Traditionally, ], hard-boiled eggs dyed bright red to symbolize the spilt ] and the promise of eternal life, are cracked together to celebrate the opening of the ].

The next morning, Easter Sunday proper, there is no ], since the Liturgy for that day has already been celebrated. Instead, in the afternoon, it is often traditional to celebrate "] ]". In this service, it has become customary during the last few centuries for the priest and members of the congregation to read a portion of the ] {{bibleverse-nb||John|20:19-25|KJV}} (in some places the reading is extended to include verses {{bibleverse-nb||John|19:26-31|KJV}}) in as many languages as they can manage, to show the universality of the Resurrection.

For the remainder of the week, known as "]", all fasting is prohibited, and the customary ] is: "Christ is risen!," to which the response is: "Truly He is risen!" This may also be done in many different languages. The services during Bright Week are nearly identical to those on Pascha itself, except that the do not take place at midnight, but at their normal times during the day. The Crucession during Bright Week takes place either after Paschal Matins or the Paschal Divine Liturgy.

== Religious and secular Easter traditions ==
{{Citations missing|section|date=March 2008}}
{{Globalize/Europe}}
{{Split section|Easter customs|date=April 2009}}
] are a popular sign of the holiday among its religious and secular observers alike.]]
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ]]] -->

As with many other Christian dates, the celebration of Easter extends beyond the church. Since its origins, it has been a time of celebration and feasting and many ] developed, such as ], ], ] and ]. Today Easter is commercially important, seeing wide sales of ]s and confectionery such as chocolate ], marshmallow bunnies, ], and ]. Even many non-Christians celebrate these aspects of the holiday while eschewing the religious aspects.

=== English-speaking world ===
Throughout the English-speaking world, many Easter traditions are similar with only minor differences. For example, Saturday is traditionally spent decorating ] and hunting for them with children on Sunday morning, by which time they have been mysteriously hidden all over the house and garden.
]s in the United States.]]
Other traditions involve parents telling their children that eggs and other treats such as chocolate eggs or rabbits and marshmallow chicks (]) have been delivered by the Easter Bunny in an Easter basket which children find waiting for them when they wake up. Many families observe the religious aspects of Easter by attending ] or services in the morning and then participating in a feast or party in the afternoon. Some families have a traditional ], often of either ] or ham. Easter breads such as ], a fruit cake with eleven marzipan balls representing the eleven faithful apostles, or nut breads such as ] are traditionally served. ]s, spiced buns with a cross on top, are traditionally associated with ], but today are often eaten well before and after.

In Scotland, the north of England, and Northern Ireland, the traditions of ] and pace egging are still adhered to. In Louisiana, USA, egg tapping is known as egg knocking. Marksville, Louisiana claims to host the oldest egg-knocking competition in the US, dating back to the 1950s. Competitors pair up on the steps of the courthouse on Easter Sunday and knock the tips of two eggs together. If the shell of your egg cracks you have to forfeit it, a process that continues until just one egg remains.<ref> The Times, London, 2009.</ref>

In the ] of ], the most notable feature of the Easter celebration is the flying of kites to symbolize Christ's ascent.<ref>, Bermuda Kite History.</ref> Traditional ]s are constructed by Bermudians of all ages as Easter approaches, and are normally only flown at Easter. In addition to hot cross buns and Easter eggs, fish cakes are traditionally eaten in Bermuda at this time.

=== The Netherlands, Belgium and France ===
Church bells are silent as a sign of mourning for one or more days before Easter in The Netherlands, Belgium and France. This has led to an Easter tradition that says the bells fly out of their steeples to go to Rome (explaining their silence), and return on Easter morning bringing both colored eggs and hollow chocolate shaped like eggs or rabbits.

In both The Netherlands and Flemish-speaking Belgium many of more modern traditions exist alongside the Easter Bell story. The bells (''"de Paasklokken"'') leave for Rome on ], called ''"Stille Zaterdag"'' (literally "Silent Saturday") in Dutch.

In French-speaking Belgium and France the same story of Easter Bells (« ''les cloches de Pâques'' ») bringing eggs from Rome is told, but church bells are silent beginning ], the first day of the ].

=== Nordic countries ===
In Norway, in addition to staying at mountain cabins and ] in the mountains and painting eggs, a contemporary tradition is to read or watch murder mysteries at Easter. All the major television channels run crime and detective stories (such as '']''), magazines print stories where the readers can try to figure out "]", and new detective novels are scheduled for publishing before Easter. Even the milk cartons are altered for a couple of weeks. Each Easter a new short mystery story is printed on their sides. Stores and businesses close for five straight days at Easter, with the exception of grocery stores, which re-open for a single day on the Saturday before Easter Sunday.

In Finland, Sweden and Denmark, traditions include egg painting and small children dressed as witches collecting candy door-to-door, in exchange for decorated ]. This is a result of the mixing of an old Orthodox tradition (blessing houses with willow branches) and the Scandinavian Easter witch tradition.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}<ref> accessed 2008-03-22.</ref> Brightly coloured feathers and little decorations are also attached to birch branches in a vase. For lunch/dinner on ], families traditionally feast on a ] of herring, salmon, potatoes, eggs and other kinds of food. In Finland, the Lutheran majority enjoys ] as another traditional Easter treat, while the Orthodox minority's traditions include eating pasha (also spelt ]) instead.

=== Netherlands and Northern Germany ===
], ], The Netherlands]]
In the northern and eastern parts of the Netherlands (] and ]), ] (in Dutch: "Paasvuur") are lit on Easter Day at sunset. Easter Fires also take place on the same day in large portions of Northern Germany ("Osterfeuer").

=== Central Europe ===
:''Main article: see ]''

Many central and eastern European ethnic groups, including the ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] decorate eggs for Easter.

In the Czech Republic and ], a tradition of spanking or whipping is carried out on ]. In the morning, men spank women with a special handmade whip called a '''''pomlázka''''' (in Czech) or '''''korbáč''''' (in Slovak), or, in eastern ] and Slovakia, throw cold water on them. The pomlázka/korbáč consists of eight, twelve or even twenty-four withies (willow rods), is usually from half a meter to two meters long and decorated with coloured ribbons at the end. The spanking is not painful or intended to cause suffering. A legend says that women should be spanked in order to keep their health and beauty during whole next year.<ref name = "whipping">{{cite web | first = Terry | last = Kirby | title = The Big Question: Why do we celebrate Easter, and where did the bunny come from? | publisher = The Independent |date=April 6, 2007 | url = http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2426203.ece | accessdate = 2008-03-18}}</ref>

An additional purpose can be for men to exhibit their attraction to women; unvisited women can even feel offended. Traditionally, the spanked woman gives a coloured ] and sometimes a small amount of money to the man as a sign of her thanks. In some regions the women can get revenge in the afternoon or the following day when they can pour a bucket of cold water on any man. The habit slightly varies across Slovakia and the Czech Republic. A similar tradition existed in Poland (where it is called ]), but it is now little more than an all-day water fight.

In ] and ] a basket of food is prepared and covered with a handmade cloth, and brought to the church to be blessed. A typical Easter basket includes ham, horseradish, bread, colored eggs, and a type of nut cake called "potica".<ref>Slovenia's Easter Celebrations </ref>

The ] (Baranek wielkanocny) is a traditional addition to the Easter Meal for many Polish Catholics. Butter is shaped into a lamb either by hand or in a lamb-shaped mould.

In Hungary, ], Southern ], ], Northern ] - ] and other territories with Hungarian-speaking communities, the day following Easter is called ''Locsoló Hétfő'', "]". Water, ] or perfumed water is often sprinkled in exchange for an ].

== Easter controversies ==
=== Christian denominations and organizations that do not observe Easter ===
Along with Christmas celebrations, Easter traditions were among the first casualties of some areas of the ], being deemed "pagan" by some Reformation leaders.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}

Other Reformation Churches, such as the ], ], and ], retained a very full observance of the ]. In Lutheran Churches, not only were the days of Holy Week observed, but also Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost were observed with three day festivals, including the day itself and the two following. Among the other Reformation traditions, things were a bit different. These holidays were eventually restored (though Christmas only became a legal holiday in Scotland in 1967, after the ] finally relaxed its objections). Some Christians (usually, but not always ]{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}), however, continue to reject the celebration of Easter (and, often, of Christmas), because they believe them to be irrevocably tainted with ] and ]. Their rejection of these traditions is based partly on their interpretation of {{bibleverse|2|Corinthians|6:14-16|KJV}}. Additionally, some Christians who do celebrate the event prefer to call it "Resurrection Sunday" or "Resurrection Day", as a way of distinguishing the religious celebration from more secular or commercial aspects of the holiday such as the Easter Bunny.

This is also the view of ], who instead observe a yearly commemorative service of the ] and subsequent death of Christ on the evening of Nisan 14, as they calculate it derived from the lunar ]. It is commonly referred to, in short, by many Witnesses as simply "The Memorial". Jehovah's Witnesses believe that such verses as {{bibleverse||Luke|22:19-20|KJV}} and {{bibleverse|1|Cor|11:26|NIV}} constitute a commandment to remember the death of Christ (and not the resurrection, as only the remembrance of the death was observed by early Christians), and they do so on a yearly basis just as Passover is celebrated yearly by the Jews.

Members of the ] traditionally do not celebrate or observe Easter (or any other Church holidays), believing instead that "every day is the Lord's day", and that elevation of one day above others suggests that it is acceptable to do un-Christian acts on other days—they believe that every day is holy, and should be lived as such. This belief of Quakers is known as their ''testimony against time and season''.

Some groups feel that Easter is something to be regarded with great joy: not marking the day itself, but remembering and rejoicing in the event it commemorates—the miracle of Christ's resurrection. In this spirit, these Christians teach that each day and all ] should be kept holy, in Christ's teachings. ], ], and ] movement churches (such as the ]) usually reject Easter in favor of Nisan 14 observance and celebration of the ]. This is especially true of Christian groups that celebrate the ]s or annual ] in addition to ]. This is textually supported by the letter to the Colossians: "Let no one...pass judgment on you in matters of food and drink or with regard to a festival or new moon or sabbath. These are shadows of things to come; the reality belongs to Christ." (Col. 2:16-17, NAB)

Critics charge that such feasts are meaningless in light of the end of the Old Testament sacrificial system and the destruction of the Second Temple in A.D. 70. Televangelist ] (Pentecostal) and many ] churches have adopted Hebrew-Christian practices, but without rejecting Easter.

Other ] groups, such as the {{dn|Church of God}}, celebrate a ] that lacks most of the practices or symbols associated with Western Easter and retains more of the presumed features of the Passover observed by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper.

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
{{External links|date=May 2009}}
{{Commons category|Easter}}
{{Wiktionary|Easter}}

=== Primary sources ===
* - Extract referring to the goddess Eostre.

=== Liturgical ===
*
*
* (Orthodox ] and ])

=== Traditions ===
*
*
*
* Easter service in Jerusalem ]
*
*
* (from the ])
* (the ] tradition)

=== Calculating ===
{{See also|Computus}}
* Julian and Gregorian Easter for any year plus other info
* Julian or Gregorian Easter and associated festivals for any year
* algorithm
* for calculator
* Julian Easter and associated festivals in Gregorian calendar 1583–4099

=== National traditions ===
*
*
*
*

<br />{{Time in religion and mythology}}
{{Holy Week}}
{{Easter}}
{{US Holidays}}
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Revision as of 05:22, 17 February 2010