Easter

When: The Sunday after the first full moon of spring (the date changes each year)

Easter is the most important day in the Christian year. Christians celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his death. It is a day of joy, light, new life and hope.

Where it came from

All four Gospels tell that on the first day of the week, women who went to the tomb found it empty, and that Jesus appeared to his followers. In one of the earliest Christian writings, the apostle Paul says that Christ died, was buried, and was raised on the third day, and that he was seen by many (1 Corinthians 15:3–8). For Christians, the resurrection is the heart of their faith.

From the beginning, Christians kept every Sunday as a small Easter. By the 100s, they kept a yearly Easter too. In 325, bishops at the Council of Nicaea agreed that Easter should be on a Sunday, after the spring full moon. This is why the date changes every year. In most languages, the name of Easter comes from Pascha, the word for Passover, because Jesus died at Passover time. The English name Easter has a different, debated origin.

How it is kept around the world

• The Philippines. Before dawn on Easter Sunday, the Salubong takes place. Two processions, one carrying the statue of Mary, and one of the risen Jesus, meet. A child dressed as an angel lifts a veil from Mary's face, and the church rings with joy.
• Greece and Orthodox countries. Families crack red eggs and say “Christ is risen!” “Truly he is risen!”. They roast lamb and share bread.
• Germany and Eastern Europe. Decorated Easter eggs and trees. Children are told that the Easter hare (Osterhase) brings eggs. In Poland, Easter Monday is Śmigus-dyngus, a day of water splashing.
• Mexico and Latin America. Families gather after the Holy Week events. In Mexico, Pascua is a time for family meals and picnics.
• Sweden and Finland. Children dress up as Easter witches and go door to door for sweets, a custom with old roots in Scandinavia.
• Churches everywhere. Sunrise services outdoors, Easter vigils with the lighting of a new candle, lilies and flowers, and songs of “Alleluia”, which many churches have not sung since before Lent.
• Ethiopia. After a long fast, people celebrate Fasika with a night service, white clothes, and a great feast.

Christians differ

All Christians celebrate Easter, but not always on the same day. Catholic and Protestant churches use one way of working out the date, and most Orthodox churches use another, so the dates are sometimes the same and sometimes up to five weeks apart. Many churches are talking about agreeing on a common date.

Christians also differ about the eggs and the rabbit. Some families love them. Others keep Easter free of such customs and focus on the Scriptures and the church service. Some Christians see the resurrection as a historical event, others stress its meaning for hope and new life; almost all agree it is the heart of the faith.

Do it together

Ages 0 to 2

• Look at spring flowers or a seed that has sprouted. Say “new” and “alive”.
• Sing “Alleluia” in a bright voice, and clap.

Ages 3 to 5

• Plant a bean in a clear cup so you can see it grow, and watch the roots.
• Decorate eggs with colours and patterns. Talk about new life.

Ages 6 to 8

• Make an “empty tomb” garden in a tray with a stone and flowers.
• Join in a dawn walk or sunrise service, and say “Christ is risen” in two languages.

Ages 9 to 12

• Read the resurrection story in Luke 24 and list the different people who meet the risen Jesus.
• Find out when Orthodox Easter falls this year, and why it can differ.

Ages 13 to 17

• Read 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 and 15:12–20. Why does Paul say everything depends on the resurrection?
• Talk with someone who believes differently about Easter. Listen to what it means to them.

A short prayer

Alleluia! Christ is risen. Thank you, God, for new life and for hope that does not end. Help us to share this joy. Amen.

Mark as done

Where this comes from

• Gospel of Luke 24; Gospel of John 20; 1 Corinthians 15:3 to 20
• Council of Nicaea (325), letter on the date of Easter, in Norman P. Tanner, ed., Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, vol. 1 (Sheed & Ward, 1990)
• Paul F. Bradshaw and Maxwell E. Johnson, The Origins of Feasts, Fasts and Seasons in Early Christianity (Liturgical Press, 2011)
• F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone, eds., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed. (Oxford University Press, 2005), entries “Easter” and “Paschal Controversies”
• Ronald Hutton, The Stations of the Sun (Oxford University Press, 1996), on Easter customs

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.