Happy Easter, everyone! Easter is a special holiday celebrated in many parts of the world, especially during springtime in the northern hemisphere. It’s a holiday that can be both religious and non-religious, and there are lots of fun ways to celebrate it!
For Christians, Easter Sunday is a very important day. It marks the time when Jesus Christ, according to the New Testament, came back to life after being dead. This event is called the Resurrection. Easter is known as a “Movable Feast,” which means the date changes each year. It usually happens on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the start of spring. This means Easter can be any Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th.
Some Christians follow a different calendar called the Julian calendar, where Easter can be celebrated between April 4th and May 8th. Easter Sunday is the highlight of a series of events that start with Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a time for reflection and giving up something for 40 days. This period represents the 40 days Jesus spent praying in the wilderness.
Lent ends with Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday. This day remembers when Jesus entered Jerusalem, and people laid palm leaves on the ground to honor him. During Holy Week, Jesus spent time with his friends, healed people, and had a special meal called the Last Supper. He was later arrested and crucified, but on the third day, he rose from the dead. This miracle is celebrated on Easter Sunday.
For many people, Easter is also a time to celebrate the end of winter and the start of spring. Flowers bloom, and everyone enjoys spending more time outside. Easter egg hunts are popular, where kids search for hidden eggs filled with treats. Chocolate eggs, marshmallow candies, and chocolate bunnies are also favorites. Some people like solid chocolate bunnies, while others prefer hollow ones.
Easter is also a time for new clothes, family dinners, and coloring hard-boiled eggs. Remember, don’t color raw eggs because it can get messy! Everyone has their own way of celebrating Easter, whether it’s as a religious holiday, a fun spring event, or both.
The traditions we follow during Easter help us remember our history and bring people together. Whether you celebrate Easter for religious reasons or just for fun, it’s a wonderful time to enjoy with family and friends. Happy Easter, and enjoy learning and celebrating!
For more fun learning resources, visit learnbrite.org, where you can find thousands of free resources for teachers and homeschoolers.
Easter Egg Observation: Go on a mini Easter egg hunt in your backyard or local park. Once you find some eggs, take a closer look at them. What colors do you see? Are they solid or patterned? Discuss with a friend or family member why you think these colors and patterns are used for Easter eggs. How do they remind you of spring?
Springtime Nature Walk: Take a walk outside and observe the changes that come with spring. Look for blooming flowers, new leaves on trees, or animals that you haven’t seen during winter. Draw or write about three things you notice that show spring is here. How do these changes make you feel? Share your observations with your class or family.
Create Your Own Easter Tradition: Think of a new tradition you could start with your family or friends to celebrate Easter. It could be a special meal, a craft project, or a game. Write down your idea and explain why it’s meaningful to you. Try it out this Easter and see if it becomes a new tradition!
**Sanitized Transcript:**
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Laughs and learning celebrates Easter. Happy Easter, everybody! Easter is our favorite spring holiday—well, spring in the northern hemisphere, anyway. Easter is celebrated around the world in many ways. It is recognized as both a Christian holiday and a non-religious holiday.
Let’s talk about the ways Easter is celebrated. This will be good!
Starting with Christian celebrations associated with Easter, Easter Sunday is significant to Christians as it commemorates the day when, according to the New Testament, Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead. Easter is considered a Movable Feast, meaning the date can change according to the Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar that most of the world follows.
Easter is generally held on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the first day of spring. It can fall on any Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th. For example, Easter in 2019 was on Sunday, April 21st, and in 2020, it was on Sunday, April 12th.
According to the Julian calendar, which some Christian denominations follow, Easter can be celebrated anywhere between April 4th and May 8th. For many, Easter Sunday marks the peak of a series of celebrations that begin with Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is a day for reflection and is the first day of Lent.
During Lent, which lasts for 40 days, many Christians sacrifice something or try to break a bad habit. This period signifies the 40 days that Jesus spent praying and fasting in the wilderness before his public ministry. The term “Lent” comes from an Old English word meaning “lengthen,” referring to the longer days of spring.
Lent ends with Holy Week, starting with Palm Sunday, which honors the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time. His disciples laid palm fronds on the ground before him as a sign of respect. During this week, Jesus spent time with his friends, healed the sick, had a last supper with his apostles, and prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus was arrested, falsely accused, and convicted of crimes he did not commit, leading to his crucifixion. He was buried in a nearby tomb, and on the third day, his friends discovered the tomb was empty. At that moment, Jesus appeared to them, having risen from the dead. This day is celebrated as Easter Sunday, and Jesus Christ is the central figure for Christians worldwide.
Now, let’s talk about the non-religious aspects of Easter. For many, Easter represents the end of winter, with flowers blooming and more time spent outdoors. It’s a time for Easter egg hunts, chocolate eggs, marshmallow treats, and chocolate bunnies. Some prefer solid chocolate over hollow.
Easter may also involve new clothes, Easter dinner, and coloring hard-boiled eggs—just a tip: don’t color raw eggs, as it can get messy! Everyone celebrates Easter a little differently. You may observe it as a Christian holy day, a secular holiday, or perhaps both.
The traditions we keep help us maintain our history and bring people together. Please check out the Clarendon Learning pages about Easter, and happy Easter, everyone! Hope you had fun learning with us. Visit us at learnbrite.org for thousands of free resources and turnkey solutions for teachers and homeschoolers.
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