History of Easter, Cont’d
History of Easter, Cont’d…
Why do we celebrate Easter?
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, who Christians believe was raised back to life three days after he was crucified. Easter also marks the end of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday in Western churches, six and a half weeks before Easter.
Lent is a period of repentance and fasting before Easter. In modern times, during Lent many Catholics and other Christians choose to forgo certain pleasures, such as alcohol, chocolate or other foods. The act is done to promote self-control and focus on prayer and other spiritual matters in the lead up to Easter.
What do eggs have to do with Easter?
Eggs came to symbolize the resurrection of Jesus and new life. Since the 12th century, meals marking the end of the fast during Lent included eggs as well as other foods such as ham, cheeses and bread.
Eating eggs during Holy Week (the week falling between Palm Sunday and Easter) was banned by the church. The idea of labeling eggs laid during this week as “Holy Week” eggs is what led to the tradition of painting eggs on Easter. The use of painted Easter eggs was first recorded in the 13th century.
Easter eggs are painted red in the Orthodox tradition to represent the blood of Jesus shed during his crucifixion.