By Alisha Gomez

What do you think about when Easter comes to mind? Do you think about jelly beans, the

Easter Bunny, or Christ’s resurrection? There are many things that comprise Easter in our culture

today, but the history of Easter has seen some very interesting changes.

For Christians, Easter is one of the most important holidays because it is when we

celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Easter is also, however, a very commercial holiday.

Instead of Christ, most people associate Easter with Easter eggs, rabbits, and candy. Why is this?

The word Easter comes from the Greek name, “Eostre,” who is the goddess of spring.

Easter was originally a pagan holiday where people welcomed Eostre’s light and warmth after a

cold winter. People held festivals that consisted of feasts to celebrate new flowers, sunshine,

birds, and a general feeling of new life.

In 325 A.D, the Christian church changed the pagan festival to the celebration of Jesus

rising from the dead.

Easter is called a moveable holiday because it doesn’t have a set date on which it is

celebrated. It can fall on different dates each year.

In America, giving and eating candy is one way we celebrate the holiday. Did you know

that over 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies are made each year? Family dinners, church, Easter

egg decorating and egg hunts make up the way most people celebrate the day.

Here’s how other countries celebrate Easter:

England: Easter is celebrated by exchanging Easter eggs, wearing new clothes, eating

chocolate, or giving other packages such as bonnets or baskets that are filled with daffodils.

Easter in England is often a celebration of new life. Many businesses hold Easter egg hunts and

have competitions to see who can find the most eggs.

European counties: People celebrate Easter by lighting giant bonfires on hilltops and in

churchyards on the eve of Easter.

Germany: Easter holidays last for about three weeks for children. Families will often eat

Easter lunch and dinner after attending church services. On Easter morning, parents hide eggs for

their children to find.

France: Easter is known as Paques and the main celebration kicks off on Good Friday.

They mourn the crucifixion of Christ by not ringing the church bells for three days. On the

morning of Easter, children run to the garden to hear the bells ring.

India: Christians make up only 2.5 percent of India, but Easter is celebrated anyway with

festivals.

Israel: Many tourists travel to Israel from all over the world to celebrate the holy festival

of Easter in the Holy Land of Jerusalem. The resurrection of Jesus is celebrated by fire lights and

candles.

Mexico: Mexico places a great religious importance on Easter, so the Easter week is

filled with many religious processions and plays, such as a presentation showing Jesus being sent

to be crucified. The holiday is not commercial in Mexico, so one will not hear any mention of

Easter eggs or the Easter bunny. On Easter Sunday, people go to Mass and celebrate with their

families, and some places have festivities with fireworks.