Easter traditions (also known asPaschal traditions) are customs and practices that are followed in various cultures and communities around the world to celebrateEaster (also known asPascha orResurrection Sunday), which is the central feast inChristianity, commemorating theresurrection of Jesus. TheEaster season is seen as a time of celebration and feasting, in contrast to the antecedent season ofLent, which is a time of penitence and fasting.[1]
Easter traditions includesunrise services orlate-night vigils, exclamations and exchanges ofPaschal greetings,flowering the cross,[2] the wearing ofEaster bonnets by women,[3]clipping the church,[4] and thedecoration and the communal breaking ofEaster eggs (a symbol of theempty tomb).[5][6][7] TheEaster lily, a symbol of the resurrection in Christianity,[8][9] traditionally decorates thechancel area ofchurches on this day and for the rest ofEastertide.[10] There are also traditionalEaster foods that vary by region and culture. Many traditional Easter games and customs developed, such asegg rolling,egg tapping, andcascarones or confetti eggs.[11]Egg hunting, originating in the idea of searching for the empty tomb, is an activity that remains popular among children.[11][12][13] Today Easter is commercially important, seeing wide sales ofgreeting cards and confectionery such as chocolateEaster eggs.
There are a large number of traditional Easter games and customs in theChristian world. Many of these games incorporateEaster eggs, a symbol of theempty tomb.[5][6][7] Of these the most well known, widespread and popular until the modern times are theegg rolling,egg hunt,egg tapping, andegg dance.[11][12][13] Their rules may vary in different cultures and localities. At the same time, there exist less known peculiar customs. Nowadays child entertainers andkindergartens invent various new Easter games, often adapting well-known games to Easter topics, such asword puzzles involving Easter-related words.
The holiday ofEaster is associated with variousEaster foods (food traditions that vary regionally). Preparing, coloring, and decoratingEaster eggs is one such popular tradition.Lamb is eaten in many countries, mirroring the JewishPassover meal.[14] Eating lamb at Easter has a religious meaning.[15] ThePaschal Lamb of theNew Testament is in fact, for Christianity, the son of God Jesus Christ.[16] The Paschal Lamb, in particular, represents the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of humanity.[15] Eating lamb at Easter therefore commemorates theDeath and Resurrection of Jesus.[15]
The egg is an ancient symbol of new life and rebirth.[17] In Christianity it became associated with Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection.[18] The custom of the Easter egg originated in the early Christian community ofMesopotamia, who stained eggs red in memory of theblood of Christ, shed at his crucifixion.[19][20] As such, for Christians, the Easter egg is a symbol of theempty tomb.[6][7] The oldest tradition is to use dyedchicken eggs.
Easter, known asFasika (Ge'ez: ፋሲካ, sometimes transcribed asFasica; from GreekPascha),[21] also calledTensae (Ge'ez: ትንሣኤ, "to rise")[22] is celebrated amongEthiopian andEritrean Christians.
In Ethiopia, the most prominent and longstanding religion has been theEthiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (then including theEritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church) since the times ofFrumentius. Ethiopian (Ethio-Eritrean, Eastern) Easter, or Fasika, however, takes place in all theChristian Churches throughout the country, whether it be Orthodox, Catholic, or Protestant, and follows the eastern method of calculating Easter (seeComputus for details), thus tending to fall afterEaster in the Western calendar (some years both fall on the same date). Fasika is a much more important festival thanChristmas, since theDeath and Resurrection of Jesus is more significant in Orthodox and Ethiopian Evangelical theology than his birth. Jesus'crucifixion which led to his death on a Friday, according to Orthodox thought was for the purpose of fulfilling the word of God, and led to the conquest of death and Jesus' resurrection from the tomb after three days, the third day being the Sunday when Ethiopian Easter is celebrated.
Fasika is a climactic celebration.Fasting becomes more intense over the 55-day period ofLent for Orthodox Christians,Catholics and optionally for some Protestant denominations, when no meat or animal products of any kind, including milk and butter, are eaten.[23][24][25]Good Friday starts off by church going, and is a day of preparation for the breaking of this long fasting period.
The Orthodox Christians prostrate themselves in church, bowing down and rising up until they get tired. The main religious service takes place with thePaschal Vigil on Saturday night. It is a somber, sacred occasion with music and dancing until the early hours of the morning. At 3:00 a.m. everyone returns home to break their fast, and a chicken is slaughtered at midnight for the symbolic occasion. In the morning, after a rest, a sheep is slaughtered to start the feasting on Easter Sunday. While Catholics and Protestant denominations have special Easter Services/Masses bringing in people from various smaller community churches together to participate in an Easter sermon and celebration.
InEthiopian-Eritrean Orthodox Christianity or theTewahedo faith, it is believed the near-sacrifice ofAbraham's loved son Isaac (Genesis 22), which was a test of faith from God to Abraham, was interrupted by a voice of an angel from the heavens, and the sending of a Lamb for the sacrifice instead. ThisOld Testament story is said to be aprophetic foreshadowing of God sending his only beloved son for the world as a sacrifice and the fulfilling of Abraham's promise.
Easter in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and its diaspora communities, is a day when people celebrate; there is a release of enjoyment after the long build-up of suffering which has taken place, to representChrist's fasting for forty days and forty nights. People often have food and for most Orthodox Christians locally brewed alcohol from fresh honey (tej,tella andkatikalla), while to a certain extent Ethiopian-Eritrean Protestantism generally discourages heavy alcohol.
Ethiopians and Eritreans in the West especially those of the Catholic and Protestant denominations celebrate Easter on both the Eastern and Western days. While most Ethiopian-Eritrean Orthodox Christians in the West refrain from doing so because celebrating the Western Easter celebration would interfere with the Orthodox Eastern Fasting Season. In most cases the Catholic Western Fasting Season ends earlier than the Orthodox Eastern Fasting Season as can be seen in the difference between the when the Eastern and Western Churches celebrate Easter (Fasika).
Since the arrival of Christianity in Nigeria with the missionaries that came to the country from the early 1800s, Easter has been observed among the Christian population.[26]
Despite Malaysia being aMuslim majority country, Easter is celebrated in the states ofSabah andSarawak inEast Malaysia as there is a significant Christian indigenous population in both states.[27]
In theBritish Overseas Territory ofBermuda, historically famous for growing and exporting theEaster lily, the most notable feature of the Easter celebration is the flying of kites to symbolize Christ's ascent.[28] TraditionalBermuda kites 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.
In Jamaica, eating bun and cheese is a highly anticipated custom by Jamaican nationals all over the world. The Jamaica Easter Buns are spiced and have raisins, and baked in a loaf tin. The buns are sliced and eaten with a slice of cheese. It is a common practice for employers to make gifts of bun and cheese or a single loaf of bun to staff members. According to theJamaica Gleaner, "The basic Easter bun recipe requires wheat flour, brown sugar, molasses, baking powder or yeast and dried fruits."[29] Easter egg traditions and the Easter Bunny activities are not widespread in Jamaica. Also, Jamaican traditions sometimes include throwing garlic onto the floor as a sign of good luck during Easter dinner.
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 a participant's egg shell cracks they have to forfeit it, a process that continues until just one egg remains.[30] Venetia Newall describes egg eating competitions inWestern Germany and amongGerman emigrants toPennsylvania,United States.[31]
As well as the common painted easter egg hunt, in Cyprus it is customary for people to light great fires[32] (Greek: λαμπρατζια) in schools or church yards. The fires are made up of scrap wood, gathered usually by enthusiastic young boys which scour their neighbourhoods for them, in order to make their fire as great as it can be (and bigger than the neighbouring one). More than often this competition leads to fights happening over scraps of wood and the police or fire department being called to put out the fires that have gone out of control. It is customary for a small doll representingJudas Iscariot to be burnt. The same thing happens on Crete, but it is non-competitive, and the fire is called "founara" which means "big fire" inCretan Greek. The founara burns coupled with the detonation of small dynamites called "plakatzikia" in plural, and with gunshots in the air.
Many central and eastern European ethnic groups, including theAlbanians,Armenians,Belarusians,Bulgarians,Croats,Czechs,Estonians,Georgians,Hungarians,Latvians,Lithuanians,Macedonians,Poles,Romanians,Russians,Serbs,Slovaks,Slovenes, andUkrainians, decorate eggs for Easter.
In Bulgaria, the Easter eggs are decorated on Thursday or Saturday before Easter. Widespread tradition is to fight with eggs by pair, and the one whose egg is the last surviving is calledborak (Bulgarian:борак or борец,fighter). The tradition is to display the decorated eggs on the Easter table together with the Easter dinner consisting of roastedlamb, a salad calledEaster salad (lettuce withcucumbers), and a sweet bread calledkozunak.
In the Czech Republic,Slovakia, and some parts of Hungary, a tradition of spanking or whipping is carried out onEaster Monday. In the morning, men spank women with a special handmade whip called "Easter switches"[33] called apomlázka (in Czech) orkorbáč (in Slovak); in eastern regions of former CzechoslovakiaMoravia and Slovakia they also pour cold water on them. The pomlázka/korbáč consists of eight, 12 or even 24 withies (willow rods), is usually from half a metre to two meters long and decorated with coloured ribbons at the end. In some regions it might be replaced by a stick of a juniper tree. The spanking may be painful, but it's not intended to cause suffering. A legend says that women should be spanked with a whip in order to keep their health, beauty, and fertility during the whole next year.[34]
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 colouredegg (kraslice) they've prepared by themselves as invitations to eat and drink and as a sign of her thanks to the man. If the visitor is a small boy, he is usually provided with sweets and a small amount of money.
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 calledDyngus Day), but it is now little more than an all-daywater fight.
InBosnia and Herzegovina,Croatia, andSlovenia, a basket of food is prepared, covered with a handmade cloth, and brought to the church to be blessed. A typical Easter basket includes bread, colored eggs,ham,horseradish, and a type of nut cake called "potica".[35]
InBosnia and Herzegovina,Montenegro,Serbia andKosovo, jumping over flames (Serbian Cyrillic:Крљавештице,romanized: Krljaveštice) is a customary requirement to jump over fire.[36]
In northern Germany,Easter Fires (in German:Osterfeuer,listenⓘ) are lit aroundsunset onHoly Saturday. Each of thefederal states have their own regulations for allowing and/or the way of staging Easter Fires: While in the city and state ofHamburg, private persons are allowed to have an Easter Fire of any size on their own premises, inSchleswig-Holstein, for example, only the widespreadvoluntary fire brigades are allowed to organize and stage them on open fields. Over the past years, Easter Fires themselves have become larger and developed to smaller versions ofVolksfests with some snack stands sellingBratwurst,steak inbread rolls, beer, wine, andsoft drinks as well as maybe one or two rides for the children. Usually, Easter Fires are kept burning over hours untildawn (roughly around 6 o'clock) and cause therefore a special atmosphere during the whole Easter Night with their bright lights in the dark and the omnipresent smell of smoke.
During the weeks before Easter, specialEaster bread is sold (in German:Osterbrot). This is made withyeast dough,raisins, andalmond splinters. Usually, it is cut in slices and spread with butter. People enjoy it either for breakfast or for tea time (in German:Kaffee und Kuchen, literally ″coffee and cake″).
In many parts of Germany a popular Easter pastime isegg throwing. In this "game" there are no winners or losers, nor any apparent aim. Participants throw a painted and decorated hard boiled egg as far as they can across the fields. This is repeated until eventually the egg bursts apart, an event that takes a sometimes surprising number of throws. In other versions it is a competitive event when pairs throw a raw egg to each other while moving further and further apart.
In Hungary,Transylvania, SouthernSlovakia,Kárpátalja, NorthernSerbia -Vojvodina, and other territories with Hungarian-speaking communities, the day following Easter is calledLocsoló Hétfő, "Watering Monday". Men usually visit families with girls and women. Water,perfume or perfumed water is sprinkled on the women and girls of the house by the visiting men, who are given in exchange anEaster egg. Traditionally Easter ham, colored boiled eggs and horseradish sauce are consumed on Sunday morning. In the Eastern part of the country, an Easter specialty known assárgatúró (literally "yellow curd cheese") is made for the occasion.[37]
Easter was traditionally the most important date in the Christian calendar in Ireland, with a large feast marking the end of lent on Easter Sunday. Among the food commonly eaten werelamb,veal, andchicken, with a meal ofcorned beef,cabbage, and floury potatoes was a popular meal. It was traditional for farmers to share the meat from a slaughtered bullock or lamb with neighbours and or the less fortunate. Another tradition was that if a beggar called to a house, they would be given roasted potatoes. At this time of year, eggs were plentiful, and would be eaten at each meal.[38]
Eggs were dyed for good luck, using a variety of methods such as boiling them with certain lichens and plants. The coloured eggshells would be kept to decorate the May bush. A tradition among children was to collect their own food for a feast, including eggs and potatoes, which they would cook outdoors using a fire. They would also eat buttered bread, sweet cakes, with milk of homemade cordial. The place the children's feast was held would be known as aclúdóg. As a game on Easter Sunday, it was a custom to roll hard boiled eggs down a hill. There are records of Easter Sunday being referred to as Easter Egg Day as far back as 1827, recounting the consumption of eggs.[38]
Easter is a day of remembrance for the men and women who died in theEaster Rising which began on Easter Monday 1916. Until 1966, there was a parade of veterans, past the headquarters of theIrish Volunteers at the General Post Office (GPO) on O'Connell Street, Dublin, and a reading of theProclamation of the Irish Republic. It is usually celebrated on Easter Monday.
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Easter in Italy (Italian:Pasqua) is one of thecountry's major holidays.[39] In Italy, there are many traditions related toEaster. Traditional Italian dishes for the Easter period areabbacchio,cappello del prete,casatiello,Colomba di Pasqua,pastiera,penia,pizza di Pasqua andpizzelle. Abbacchio is anItalian preparation oflamb typical of theRoman cuisine.[40][41] It is a product protected by theEuropean Union with thePGI mark.[42] Eating lamb at Easter has a religious meaning.[15] ThePaschal Lamb of theNew Testament is in fact, for Christianity, the son of God Jesus Christ.[43] The Paschal Lamb, in particular, represents the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of humanity.[15] Eating lamb at Easter therefore commemorates theDeath and Resurrection of Jesus.[15]Colomba di Pasqua (English: "Easter Dove") is anItalian traditionalEaster bread, the Easter counterpart of the two well-knownItalianChristmas desserts,panettone andpandoro.
Abbacchio is anItalian preparation oflamb typical of theRoman cuisine.[40][41] It is a product protected by theEuropean Union with thePGI mark.[42] InRomanesco dialect, the offspring of the sheep who is still suckling or recently weaned is calledabbacchio, while the offspring of the sheep almost a year old who has already been shorn twice is calledagnello ("lamb").[44] This distinction exists only in the Romanesco dialect.[44] In Italy at Easter, abbacchio is cooked in different ways, with recipes that vary from region to region.[45] InRome it is roasted, inApulia in the oven, inNaples it is cooked with peas and eggs, inSardinia it is cooked in the oven with potatoes, artichokes and myrtle and inTuscany it is cooked incacciatore style.[45] Other local preparations include frying and stewing.[45] Eating lamb at Easter has a symbolic meaning. ThePaschal Lamb of theNew Testament is in fact, for Christianity, the son of God Jesus Christ.[46] The Paschal Lamb, in particular, represents the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of humanity.[15] Eating lamb at Easter therefore commemorates theDeath and Resurrection of Jesus.[15]
InVersilia, as a sign of forgiveness, but this time towards Jesus, the women of the sailors kiss the earth, saying: "Terra bacio e terra sono - Gesù mio, chiedo perdono" ("I kiss the earth and earth I am - my Jesus, I ask for forgiveness").[47] InAbruzzo, however, it is the custom of farmers during Easter to add holy water to food.[47] Holy water is also used inJulian March, where half a glass is drunk on an empty stomach, before eating two hard-boiled eggs and afocaccia washed down with white wine.[47]
Another symbol used during the Easter period is fire. In particular, inCoriano, in theprovince of Rimini, bonfires are lit on Easter Eve.[47] At the same time, the blessed fire is brought to the countryside in the autonomousprovince of Bolzano.[47] Bonfires are also lit inSan Marco in Lamis, this time lit on a wheeled cart.[47]
InFlorence, the use of sacred fire has changed over time: before the year one thousand candles were in fact brought into the houses which were lit by a candle which was, in turn, lit through a lens or a flint; at the beginning of the 14th century, instead, three pieces of flint were used that according to tradition came from theHoly Sepulcher ofJerusalem.[47] These pieces of flint were donated to the Pazzi family byGodfrey of Bouillon.[47] Later, the use of the sacred fire in Florence materialized in a chariot full offireworks (Scoppio del carro).[47]
TheCavallo di fuoco is an historical reconstruction which takes place in the city ofRipatransone in theProvince of Ascoli Piceno. It is a fireworks show, which traditionally occurs eight days afterEaster.[48] The show goes back to 1682 when, on the occasion of celebrations in honor of theVirgin Mary, the local dwellers hire apyrotechnician who, once the spectacle was over, took all his remaining fireworks and shot riding his horse. This extemporized action struck the citizens who began to recall it yearly. In the 18th century a mock steed replaced the animal and the fireworks were assembled upon it. Originally it was made of wood, and until 1932 it was carried on the shoulders of the most robust of citizens. Later it was considered more convenient to equip it with wheels and a rudder and have it towed by volunteers equipped with protective clothing and accessories. In 1994 a new sheet iron horse, built on the model of the previous one, took the place of the wooden one.[49]
InItaly, duringPalm Sunday, palm leaves are used along with small olive branches, readily available in the Mediterranean climate. These are placed at house entrances (for instance, hanging above the door) to last until the following year's Palm Sunday. For this reason, usually palm leaves are not used whole, due to their size; instead, leaf strips are braided into smaller shapes. Small olive branches are also often used to decorate traditional Easter cakes, along with other symbols of birth, like eggs. In Italy,Easter Monday is an official public holiday and is called “Lunedì dell'Angelo” (“Monday of the Angel”), “Lunedì in Albis” or more commonly “Pasquetta”. It is customary to hold a family picnic in the countryside or barbecues with friends.
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 Dutch-speaking Belgium, many more modern traditions exist alongside the Easter Bell story. The bells ("de Paasklokken") leave for Rome onHoly Saturday, called"Stille Zaterdag" (literally "Silent Saturday") in Dutch. In the northern and eastern parts of the Netherlands (Twente andAchterhoek),Easter Fires (in Dutch:Paasvuur) are lit at sunset on Easter Day.
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 beginningMaundy Thursday, the beginning of thePaschal Triduum.
In Norway, in addition to staying at mountain cabins,cross-country skiing 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 asAgatha Christie's Poirot), magazines print stories where the readers can try to figure out "Whodunnit", 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 Sweden and Finland, traditions include egg painting and small children dressed asEaster witches (påskkärring[50] or in Finlandpåskhäxa, typically dressed as old folks) collecting candy door-to-door, in exchange for decorated hand-made greetings such as cards[51] orpussy willows, calledvirvonta in Finland, which is a result of the mixing of an old Orthodox tradition (blessing houses with willow branches) and the Swedish Easter witch tradition.[52] Brightly coloured feathers and little decorations are also attached to birch branches in a vase. In Finland, it is common to plantryegrass in a pot as a symbol of spring and new life. After the grass has grown, many people put chick decorations on it. Children busy themselves painting eggs and making paper bunnies.
Denmark has thegækkebrev tradition of sending relatives and friends artfulpaper cuttings, often with asnowdrop, and a rhyme with the letters of the sender's name replaced by dots. If the recipient guesses who sent it, the sender owes them a chocolate egg; and vice versa if they can't.[53] The decorated letter custom was originally a means of proposal or courtship, but is now considered mostly for children.
For lunch or dinner onHoly Saturday, families in Sweden and Denmark traditionally feast on asmörgåsbord of herring, salmon, potatoes, eggs, and other kinds of food. In Finland, it is common to eat roasted lamb with potatoes and other vegetables. In Finland, the Lutheran majority enjoysmämmi as another traditional Easter treat, while the Orthodox minority's traditions include eating pasha (also spelledpaskha) instead.
In the western parts of Sweden and in FinnishOstrobothnia,bonfires have at least since the 18th century been lit during Holy Saturday. This tradition is claimed to have its origin in Holland. During the last decades though, the bonfires have in many places been moved toWalpurgis Night, as this is the traditional date for bonfires in many other parts of the country.
In Poland,white sausage andmazurek are typical Easter breakfast dishes.
Thebutter lamb (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 mold.
Preparations for Easter celebration inUkraine begin weeks before the feast day, withGreat Lent being part of it. The Ukrainian Easter eggs includepysanky,[54] krashanky (edible, one-colour dyed eggs), driapanky (a design is scratched on the eggshell) etc. During the Easter Vigil a priest also blesses the parishioners' Easter baskets, which include Easter eggs,paska,[55] butter, cheese,kovbasa, salt and a few other products. With this food, on their return home, people break their fast. The ritual is called'rozhovyny'. People visit their relatives and neighbours exchanging Easter greetings. Celebration of Easter in Ukraine is filled with many other customs and rituals, most of which are centuries-old.[56]
In Scotland, the north of England, and Northern Ireland, the traditions ofrolling decorated eggs down steep hills andpace egging are still adhered to.
Strutt and Hone in their 1867 bookThe Sports and Pastimes of the People of England describe an Easter tradition from theIsles of Scilly calledgoose dancing. For goose dancing the maidens dress up as young men and vice versa. In this disguise they visit neighbours for dancing and making joke stories.[59]
In Australia, Easter is celebrated with hot cross buns andEaster Bilbys. TheSydney Royal Easter Show is also an annual tradition.
In New Zealand, Easter is celebrated with hot cross buns and chocolate eggs. TheAuckland Easter Show is also an annual tradition.
With the creation of Lent, the church brought together many of these preexisting customs and directed them to a common need--not only among those entering the life of the church for the first time, but also among practicing Christians for whom the mystery of Easter might threaten to become a mere commonplace. Lenet became a way for Christians to mindfully prepare for the coming feast, to open themselves to their own spiritual hunger in order to make room for the life and fulfillment offered at Easter.
Easter eggs are used as a Christian symbol to represent the empty tomb. The outside of the egg looks dead but inside there is new life, which is going to break out. The Easter egg is a reminder that Jesus will rise from His tomb and bring new life. Eastern Orthodox Christians dye boiled eggs red to represent the blood of Christ shed for the sins of the world.
Just so, on that first Easter morning, Jesus came to life and walked out of the tomb, and left it, as it were, an empty shell. Just so, too, when the Christian dies, the body is left in the grave, an empty shell, but the soul takes wings and flies away to be with God. Thus you see that though an egg seems to be as dead as a stone, yet it really has life in it; and also it is like Christ's dead body, which was raised to life again. This is the reason we use eggs on Easter. (In olden times they used to color the eggs red, so as to show the kind of death by which Christ died, – abloody death.)
Red eggs are given to Orthodox Christians after the Easter Liturgy. They crack their eggs against each other's. The cracking of the eggs symbolizes a wish to break away from the bonds of sin and misery and enter the new life issuing from Christ's resurrection.
The Easter Lily is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Churches of all denominations, large and small, are filled with floral arrangements of these white flowers with their trumpet-like shape on Easter morning.
We associate the lily with Easter, as pre-eminently the symbol of the Resurrection.
The egg, with its hard shell, was used to represent Jesus' tomb. Outside it looks lifeless. But, after a time, from inside breaks out new life. In some traditions the eggs were painted red to represent the blood of Christ shed for us. Easter egg hunts were organized to represent searching out the risen Jesus. Egg rolling was a game to remember how the stone was rolled away from the entrance of Jesus' tomb. Even Martin Luther is said to have been a fan of Easter Eggs and Easter Egg hunts.
In parts of Europe, the eggs were dyed red and were then cracked together when people exchanged Easter greetings. Many congregations today continue to have Easter egg hunts for the children after the services on Easter Day.
The German church reformer Martin Luther, Larson-Miller said, also appeared to encourage the tradition. "We know that Martin Luther had Easter egg hunts where the men hid the eggs for the women and children went and it probably has this connection back to this idea of eggs being the tomb."
The tradition of Easter eggs dates back to early Christians in Mesopotamia. The Easter egg is a reminder that Jesus rose from the grave, promising an eternal life for believers.
The early Christians of Mesopotamia had the custom of dyeing and decorating eggs at Easter. They were stained red, in memory of the blood of Christ, shed at His crucifixion. The Church adopted the custom, and regarded the eggs as the emblem of the resurrection, as is evinced by the benediction of Pope Paul V., about 1610, which reads thus: 'Bless, O Lord! we beseech thee, this thy creature of eggs, that it may become a wholesome sustenance to thy faithful servants, eating it in thankfulness to thee on account of the resurrection of the Lord.' Thus the custom has come down from ages lost in antiquity.
On Easter, the color white symbolizes purity, grace, and, ultimately, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the joyful culmination of the Easter season. On this holiday, white Easter lilies are displayed in churches and homes, symbolizing the purity of Christ and representing a trumpet sharing the message that Jesus has risen.
The cross is draped in white on Easter Sunday, representing the resurrection of Christ and that He was "...raised again for our justification."
