Zarafshan Shiraz, Delhi
The Christian festival of Easter is a day of feasting and celebration during which people attend prayer services, decorate and distribute Easter eggs and play traditional Easter games such as egg rolling, egg tapping and egg decorating. The eating of chocolate eggs, however, is a fairly recent tradition, which started in France and Germany in the 19th century.
Like Father Christmas, who brings gifts for children who behave, the Easter bunny too brings chocolates for boys and girls who have been good. There are several non-religious celebrations too including Easter eggs where eggs represent birth and fertility and it is believed they are used during Easter festivities to symbolise Jesus’ rebirth.
The Easter egg like the Easter lily (that is used for decoration in Churches) represents new life and fertility. Non–religious celebrations include the tradition of Easter eggs, which represent fertility and birth and Easter bunny which delivers chocolates and sweets to kids on Sunday morning.
The now-famous Easter bunny originated in Germany and was first referred to in German literature of the 17th century. Apart from the solid chocolate eggs, there are a lot of foods traditionally associated with Easter that vary across the world – such as the Hot Cross Buns where the cross on these yeast-dough buns filled with raisins symbolises the cross Christ died on.
Simnel cake (fruit cake with marzipan) is another delicacy, popular mostly in the UK. In Italy, people eat salty pretzels and in Russia, tiny pancakes covered with soft cream and orange peels. Easter Sunday and related celebrations, such as Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Palm Sunday, are considered “moveable feasts”.
Although Easter has a lot of religious significance in Christianity, several traditions date to pre-Christian, pagan times. This Christian celebration is also closely associated with the Jewish festival of Passover as well as the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, as described in the Old Testament.
This year, Easter will be celebrated by the Christian community across the world on Sunday, April 9.
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Festivals and Events News Click Here
