Annie's
"Easter History" Page
~The information below is taken from
Encyclopedias~
When you read the History of the Holidays remember that just
because it says it is "Christian" that doesn't
necessarily mean it is. Also some of the information is about
different denominations. I do not agree with all of the
information below. I do feel that it is important for people to
know where some of the "special days" around the Easter
holiday came from.
On my main Annie's Easter Page, I have mentioned what "rites" , "ceremony" and "rituals" are. Please keep this in mind when you read this Easter History Page. Also remember that these are not "Christian" friendly encyclopedias.
We
are to: "Prove all things and hold fast that which is
good."
1 Thessalonians 5:21
The information in and of itself is not bad it is what we do or don't do with it that is the problem.
Please
remember:
"For unto whomsoever much is given, of him much is
required."
~Luke 12:48~
From Compton's Interactive
Encyclopedia:
EASTER:
The greatest festival of the Christian church commemorates the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a movable feast; that is, it
is not always held on the same date. In AD 325 the church council
of Nicaea decided that it should be celebrated on the first
Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox
of March 21. Easter can come as early as March 22 or as late as
April 25.
Many Easter customs come from the Old World. The white lily, the symbol of the resurrection, is the special Easter flower. Rabbits and colored eggs have come from pagan antiquity as symbols of new life. Easter Monday egg rolling, a custom of European origin, has become a tradition on the lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
The name Easter comes from Eostre, an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess, originally of the dawn. In pagan times an annual spring festival was held in her honor. Some Easter customs have come from this and other pre-Christian spring festivals. Others come from the Passover feast of the Jews, observed in memory of their deliverance from Egypt
The word paschal comes from a Latin word that means "belonging to Passover or to Easter." Formerly, Easter and the Passover were closely associated. The resurrection of Jesus took place during the Passover. Christians of the Eastern church initially celebrated both holidays together. But the Passover can fall on any day of the week, and Christians of the Western church preferred to celebrate Easter on Sunday--the day of the resurrection. ~Above Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia~
From
Encarta:
Easter,
annual festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
and the principal feast of the Christian year. It is celebrated
on a Sunday on varying dates between March 22 and April 25 and is
therefore called a movable feast. The dates of several other
ecclesiastical festivals, extending over a period between
Septuagesima Sunday (the ninth Sunday before Easter) and the
first Sunday of Advent, are fixed in relation to the date of
Easter.
Connected with the observance of Easter are the 40-day penitential season of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding at midnight on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday; Holy Week, commencing on Palm Sunday, including Good Friday, the day of the crucifixion, and terminating with Holy Saturday; and the Octave of Easter, extending from Easter Sunday through the following Sunday. During the Octave of Easter in early Christian times, the newly baptized wore white garments, white being the liturgical color of Easter and signifying light, purity, and joy.
Pre-Christian
Tradition
Easter,
a Christian festival, embodies many pre-Christian traditions. The
origin of its name is unknown. Scholars, however, accepting the
derivation proposed by the 8th-century English scholar St. Bede,
believe it probably comes from the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic
goddess of spring and fertility, to whom was dedicated a month
corresponding to April. Her festival was celebrated on the day of
the vernal equinox; traditions associated with the festival
survive in the Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in
colored easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to
represent the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling
contests or given as gifts.
Such festivals, and the stories and legends that explain their origin, were common in ancient religions. A Greek legend tells of the return of Persephone, daughter of Demeter, goddess of the earth, from the underworld to the light of day; her return symbolized to the ancient Greeks the resurrection of life in the spring after the desolation of winter. Many ancient peoples shared similar legends. The Phrygians believed that their omnipotent deity went to sleep at the time of the winter solstice, and they performed ceremonies with music and dancing at the spring equinox to awaken him. The Christian festival of Easter probably embodies a number of converging traditions; most scholars emphasize the original relation of Easter to the Jewish festival of Passover, or Pesach, from which is derived Pasch, another name for Easter. The early Christians, many of whom were of Jewish origin, were brought up in the Hebrew tradition and regarded Easter as a new feature of the Passover festival, a commemoration of the advent of the Messiah as foretold by the prophets.
The
Dating of Easter
According
to the New Testament, Christ was crucified on the eve of Passover
and shortly afterward rose from the dead. In consequence, the
Easter festival commemorated Christ's resurrection. In time, a
serious difference over the date of the Easter festival arose
among Christians. Those of Jewish origin celebrated the
resurrection immediately following the Passover festival, which,
according to their Babylonian lunar calendar, fell on the evening
of the full moon (the 14th day in the month of Nisan, the first
month of the year); by their reckoning, Easter, from year to
year, fell on different days of the week.
Christians of Gentile origin, however, wished to commemorate the resurrection on the first day of the week, Sunday; by their method, Easter occurred on the same day of the week, but from year to year it fell on different dates.
An important historical result of the difference in reckoning the date of Easter was that the Christian churches in the East, which were closer to the birthplace of the new religion and in which old traditions were strong, observed Easter according to the date of the Passover festival. The churches of the West, descendants of Greco-Roman civilization, celebrated Easter on a Sunday.
Rulings
of the Council of Nicaea on the Date of Easter
Constantine
the Great, Roman emperor, convoked the Council of Nicaea in that
time. The council unanimously ruled that the Easter festival
should be celebrated throughout the Christian world on the first
Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox; and that
if the full moon should occur on a Sunday and thereby coincide
with the Passover festival, Easter should be commemorated on the
Sunday following. Coincidence of the feasts of Easter and
Passover was thus avoided.
The Council of Nicaea also decided that the calendar date of Easter was to be calculated at Alexandria , then the principal astronomical center of the world. The accurate determination of the date, however, proved an impossible task in view of the limited knowledge of the 4th-century world. The principal astronomical problem involved was the discrepancy, called the epact, between the solar year and the lunar year. The chief calendric problem was a gradually increasing discrepancy between the true astronomical year and the Julian calendar then in use.
Later
Dating Methods
Ways
of fixing the date of the feast tried by the church proved
unsatisfactory, and Easter was celebrated on different dates in
different parts of the world. In 387, for example, the dates of
Easter in France and Egypt were 35 days apart. About 465, the
church adopted a system of calculation proposed by the astronomer
Victorinus (flourished 5th century), who had been commissioned by
Pope Hilarius to reform the calendar and fix the date of Easter.
Elements of his method are still in use, although the Scythian
monk Dionysius Exiguus made significant adjustments to the Easter
cycle in the 6th century. Refusal of the British and Celtic
Christian churches to adopt the proposed changes led to a bitter
dispute between them and Rome in the 7th century. Reform of the
Julian calendar in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, through adoption of
the Gregorian calendar, eliminated much of the difficulty in
fixing the date of Easter and in arranging the ecclesiastical
year; since 1752, when the Gregorian calendar was also adopted in
Great Britain and Ireland, Easter has been celebrated on the same
day in the Western part of the Christian world. The Eastern
churches, however, which did not adopt the Gregorian calendar,
commemorate Easter on a Sunday either preceding or following the
date observed in the West. Occasionally the dates coincide; the
most recent times were in 1865, 1963.
Because the Easter holiday affects a varied number of secular affairs in many countries, it has long been urged as a matter of convenience that the movable dates of the festival be either narrowed in range or replaced by a fixed date in the manner of Christmas. In 1923 the problem was referred to the Holy See, which has found no canonical objection to the proposed reform. In 1928 the British Parliament enacted a measure allowing the Church of England to commemorate Easter on the first Sunday after the second Saturday in April. Despite these steps toward reform, Easter continues to be a movable feast.
Good Friday:
Good
Friday , Friday immediately preceding Easter, celebrated by
Christians as the anniversary of Christ's crucifixion. The name
Good Friday is generally believed to be a corruption of God's
Friday. Since the time of the early church, the day has been
dedicated to penance, fasting, and prayer.In the Roman Catholic
church, the Good Friday liturgy is composed of three distinct
parts: readings and prayers, including the reading of the Passion
according to St. John; the veneration of the cross; and a general
communion service (formerly called the Mass of the
Presanctified), involving the reception of preconsecrated hosts
by the priest and faithful. From the 16th century on, the Good
Friday service took place in the morning; in 1955 Pope Pius XII
decreed that it be held in the afternoon or evening. As a result,
such traditional afternoon devotions as the Tre Ore (Italian,
three hours), consisting of sermons, meditations, and prayers
centering on the three-hour agony of Christ on the cross, were
almost entirely discontinued in the Roman Catholic church. In
most of Europe, in South America, in Great Britain and many parts
of the Commonwealth, and in several states of the U.S., Good
Friday is a legal holiday.
Ascension:
Ascension
(religion) , in Christian belief, the departure of Jesus Christ
from the earth 40 days after his resurrection from the dead. The
event is described as occurring in the presence of the apostles;
Christ was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. In
some New Testament passages (see Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-51;
Acts 1:1-14) the ascension is represented as an observed
historical fact. Other passages (see 1 Peter 3:22; 1 Timothy
3:16, Hebrews 4:14) stress its theological dimension. Its
significance seems to center on the glorification of Christ and
its service as a sign that his earthly mission had been
fulfilled. The Feast of the Ascension, one of the great festivals
of Christianity, is observed on Thursday, 40 days after Easter.
Artists have often depicted the theme in one of three ways:
Christ ascending upon clouds toward the outstretched hand of God
the Father, Christ being carried by angels, or Christ ascending
by his own power.
Cross
Ancient
symbol found in many cultures, but especially associated with
Christianity.
Symbolism
The
cross, as a basic design motif, appears in the pottery, weaving,
carving, and painting of many cultures. It may be simply
decorative, or it may have symbolic meaning. The tau cross, for
example, was a symbol of life to the ancient
Egyptians; when combined with the circle (as in the crux ansata),
it stood for eternity . For most ancient peoples the Greek cross
was a metaphor for the four indestructible elements of creation
(air, earth, fire, and water), thus symbolizing permanence. The
swastika, with the ends of its cross bars bent to the right, was
common in both the Old World and the New World. It originally
represented the revolving sun, fire, or life and later, by
extension, good luck. To Buddhists, a swastika represented
resignation; to the Jains, it symbolized their seventh saint. To
Hindus, a swastika with arms bent to the left symbolized night,
magic, and the destructive goddess Kali . In mid-20th-century
Germany, the right-facing swastika was the Nazi party emblem The
cross was also used in the ancient world as a symbol of execution
by crucifixion. In Roman times only the lowest class of criminals
was crucified. In Christianity the cross became not only a symbol
of the shameful death of Jesus Christ as a criminal on a
tau-shaped Roman cross, but also of his subsequent resurrection
to eternal life and of his promise of salvation to Christian
believers. The Greek letters C (chi) and R (rho), the first two
letters of the Greek word CRISTOS (Christos ), were superimposed
to form the chi-rho, which, as the monogram of Christ, became a
pervasive decorative element in Early Christian and Byzantine Art
The Cross in Christian Usage
The cross became an important part of Christian liturgy and art. Christians make a sign of the cross with the right hand both to profess their faith and to bestow a blessing. Early Christian clergy used small hand-held crosses to bestow blessings. Larger crosses were carried in processions; these took spectacular forms in later centuries. In time, crosses were placed on altars in churches and erected outdoors in markets and along roads. Small crosses were worn by clergy and laity as tokens of piety, marks of ecclesiastical office (pectoral crosses), reliquaries, good-luck charms, or decoration. Most large medieval churches were built on the plan of a Latin or Greek cross, symbolic of Christ's body.
The cross, as first used in Christian art, generally did not show the body of Jesus, not only because the early church still followed the Jewish prohibition of images as idolatrous, but also because the empty cross symbolized Jesus' resurrection rather than his death. As a result, Christ was sometimes symbolized by a lamb or a bust of a youth above the cross. By the 7th century, however, it had become customary to represent the whole figure of Jesus, alive and robed, as the triumphant Christ, in front of the cross but not attached to it. Gradually, as the church put more emphasis on his suffering and death, Christ was portrayed naturalistically in a loincloth and crown of thorns, nailed to the cross. The wound in his side was visible. Thereafter, most three-dimensional crosses in the Roman Catholic church were crucifixes, and scenes of the crucifixion became popular themes of medieval and Renaissance painting and sculpture . Most non-Lutheran Protestant churches, which tend to follow early church traditions, use the cross alone.
Transfiguration
in
the New Testament, event traditionally understood as the
revelation of the glory of Jesus Christ as the son of God.
Described in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9, it occurs when Jesus
takes his disciples Peter, James, and John to a high mountain
(traditionally, Mount Tabor): And he was transfigured before
them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became
white as light (Matthew 17:2). At the same time, the prophets
Moses and Elijah appeared to the disciples and a voice from the
cloud said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him (Matthew 17:5). The Feast of the Transfiguration
originated in the Eastern church before the 7th century and was
gradually introduced into the Western church. Its general
observance in the Western church was established in 1456 by Pope
Callistus III, who fixed its date as August 6 to commemorate a
Christian victory over the Ottoman Turks at Belgrade. It is a
major feast in the Orthodox and Armenian churches.
From
the World Book Encyclopedia:
Religious observances of Easter
Easter is the center of an entire season of the Christian year.
The first and best-known part of the season is Lent, a period of
about 40 days before Easter Sunday. Some churches exclude
Sundays, and others exclude Saturdays and Sundays, from this
period. During Lent, Christians prepare for Easter. They consider
it a time for penance--that is, a time to show sorrow for sins
and to seek forgiveness. One common form of Lenten penance is
fasting, which limits the kinds or amounts of food eaten.
Christians patterned Lent after the 40 days Jesus prayed and
fasted in the wilderness to prepare for teaching and leading His
people. Easter Sunday is followed by a 50-day period ending on
Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter. Pentecost is a
festival in memory of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the
apostles.
The beginning of Lent. In Western churches, Lent begins
on Ash Wednesday. Many churches, especially Roman Catholic,
Anglican, and Lutheran, hold special services on this day. This
service often includes the blessing of ashes on the foreheads of
worshipers, and words based on Genesis 3: 19, "for dust thou
art, and unto dust shalt thou return." The ceremony reminds
participants that they should begin their Lenten penance in a
humble spirit.
In the Eastern Orthodox Churches, members attend an evening
service on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. This Sunday is
sometimes called Forgiveness Sunday because at the end of the
service worshipers ask the priest and one another for forgiveness
for their sins. Lent officially begins in the Eastern Orthodox
Churches on the next day, called Pure Monday.
Holy Week is the final week of Lent.
Some churches hold special services every day of the week. Holy
Week recalls the events leading to Jesus' death and Resurrection.
For more information about these events.
Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy
Week. It celebrates the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into
Jerusalem, where people spread palm branches and clothing before
Him. During Palm Sunday services, many churches distribute cut
palm leaves, sometimes woven into the shape of a cross. Greek
Orthodox Christians receive branches of fragrant bay leaves. The
leaves are then used in cooking during the year.
Maundy Thursday, also called Holy
Thursday, recalls Jesus' last meal and His arrest and
imprisonment. Many Protestant churches hold Communion services on
this day. During Maundy Thursday Mass, Roman Catholic priests
often wash the feet of 12 church members or poor people in
remembrance of how Jesus washed the feet of His 12 disciples at
the time of the final meal. A priest takes the Host (the wafer of
bread regarded as Jesus' body) from the main altar to a shrine on
the side. The shrine symbolizes the place where Jesus was held
prisoner after His arrest. All decorations are removed from the
main altar as a symbol of the stripping of Jesus' garments before
the Crucifixion.
Good Friday observes the death of
Jesus on the cross. Most churches hold mourning services. Some
services last from noon until 3 p.m. to symbolize the last three
hours of darkness while Jesus suffered on the cross. The Eastern
Orthodox Churches follow services with ceremonies recalling how
Jesus was taken from the cross and placed inside a tomb. In many
Spanish-speaking countries, Christians hold processions in which
people carry statues of the dying Jesus and His mother, Mary.
Many Christians eat little or no food on Good Friday.
Holy Saturday is chiefly a day of solemn
vigil (watch). The major activity of the day comes at nightfall
as observance of the Resurrection approaches. Roman Catholic and
Eastern Orthodox churches hold vigil services that often include
the baptism of new members. The vigil service leads up to a
dramatic moment. The lights in each church are put out, leaving
everyone in darkness. Then, the priest lights one tall candle,
representing the risen Jesus. The flame from this candle is used
to light other candles held by worshipers, which symbolizes the
spreading of Jesus' light throughout the world. In Eastern
Orthodox Churches, the ceremony is timed so that the priest
lights his candle exactly at midnight. After all the candles have
been lit, the service becomes an Easter celebration, with joyous
music and the reading of the Easter story from the Bible.
Traditionally, newly converted Christians were baptized on this
day, after having received religious instruction during Lent.
Easter Sunday celebrates the Resurrection
of Jesus. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches hold
Saturday evening services, but most Protestant churches wait
until Sunday morning to hold their main Easter services. Many
churches and communities, particularly in the United States, have
additional outdoor Easter services at sunrise. At that time, the
light of the rising sun recalls the light that comes back to the
world with the newly risen Jesus. Catholic and Orthodox churches
also hold additional services on Easter Sunday, especially for
those who missed the long services of the preceding night. For
many Christians, Easter Sunday is set aside for feasting and
celebration.
The end of the Easter season. During the 40-day period beginning
with Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the time when Jesus
reappeared to some of His followers. This period ends on
Ascension Day, or Ascension Thursday. On this day, the story of
Jesus' rise to heaven is read in churches. In Catholic churches,
the Easter paschal candle is put out on Ascension Day. The Easter
season concludes 10 days later with the feast of Pentecost, when
the apostles reported that the Holy Spirit had entered into them.
Christians believe that the church began at that time.
From
the World Book Encyclopedia:
Easter is the most important Christian
festival of the year. Easter celebrates the return to life of
Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, after His Crucifixion.
Jesus' return to life is called the Resurrection. The Gospels
tell that on the morning two days after Jesus' death His tomb was
found empty. Soon, Jesus' followers began to see Him and talk
with Him. Christians believe Jesus' Resurrection means that they,
too, can receive new life after death. The Easter festival
celebrates this belief.
Most Christians observe Easter on the first Sunday after the
first full moon following the first day of spring in the Northern
Hemisphere. Thus, the festival can occur on any Sunday between
March 22 and April 25. In the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the
celebration of Easter may take place later because these churches
use additional factors in calculating the date of the festival.
The Easter festival is closely associated with spring. The new
plant life that appears in spring symbolizes the new life
Christians gain because of Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection.
The word Easter may have come from an early English word, Eastre.
Some scholars say Eastre was the name of a pagan goddess of
spring, the name of a spring festival, or the name of the season
itself. Other scholars believe the word Easter comes from the
early German word eostarun, which means dawn. This word may be an
incorrect translation of the Latin word albae, meaning both dawn
and white. Easter was considered a day of "white"
because newly baptized church members wore white clothes at
Easter observances.
Related
Pages: Annie's Easter Symbols and Their
Meanings Page
Annie's "Why do you have
Bunnies & Eggs on your Easter Pages? Page
Return
to: Annie's Easter Page
Annie's
Featured Holiday Page |
Annie's
Featured Page |
Copyright
1998 - 2009 Annie's Home Page. All Rights Reserved.
I thank the Lord for graphics artists without them these pages
would not be the same.
Please visit Annie's List of Great
Graphics Spots for a list of their links.
This site hosted by: Christian Web Host. Some Graphics from Cute Colors Graphics.
Silent
No Right Click Script from Dynamic Drive. For Instructions on how
to add the no
right click script visit: Annie's "How to Add
Silent No Right Click Script" Page.
For a Listing of the Rest of my Pages: