The spirit of Easter

Schools have shut down for the second term holiday which means that the kids do not have to open another school book for the next three weeks and if they are anything like me when I was a student, they must be bubbling with excitement. Parents have their hands full during this period, lining up activities for the children because as we all know, ‘an idle mind is the devil’s workshop’. So there’s the family visit to the mall, movie dates, visits to amusement and leisure parks and so on. We must not forget the urgency to purchase the Easter Sunday outfits for the children. All this coupled with the already busy schedules the parents have can get really overwhelming that we are all in danger of forgetting the significance and relevance of the season that we as Christians are celebrating.

You may say to yourself, ‘I know that Jesus Christ was crucified around this period and he rose again.’ This is absolutely correct however to us Christians, there is more to Easter than just knowing about the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour.

Firstly, are you aware that Easter is the most important celebration on the Christian calendar? It called the Movable Feast for reason that it does not fall on a set date every year as other holidays do so it is observed anywhere between March 22 and April 25 every year.

Secondly, Easter is really an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to a single-day observance. Lent which is the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time of reflection and penance and represents the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness where he was tempted three times by the devil before starting his ministry. The day before Lent, known as Mardi gras is a last hurrah of food and fun before the fasting begins.

Thirdly, the week preceding Easter is called Holy Week and includes Maundy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his disciples; Good Friday which honours the day of his crucifixion and Holy Saturday which focuses on the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection. The 50-day period following Easter Sunday is called Eastertide and includes a celebration of Jesus’ ascension into heaven.

The Resurrection of Jesus attests that there is an eternal life beyond our earthly life and this is essentially the spirit of Easter.

Apart from going to church, you many choose to celebrate by participating in other Easter traditions like decorating Easter eggs. Although the symbol of the egg is rooted in a pagan springtime fertility feast, Christians have adopted the egg as an Easter symbol that represents new life. In many areas of the world, people colour and decorate hard-boiled eggs as part of their Easter celebrations.

Have an Easter egg hunt. Once the eggs are decorated, children search for eggs hidden throughout their homes or gardens. In some traditions, the Easter Bunny hides the eggs on Easter morning for the children to find later that day.

Celebrate with an Easter basket from the Easter Bunny. Like the egg, the rabbit was a symbol of fertility associated with the pagan festival of ‘Eastre’. In the 1500s, the Germans began using the Easter Hare as a symbol of rebirth at Easter. On the night before Easter, children would make nests from their bonnets and caps and leave them outside, where the Easter Hare would leave colourful eggs for them. Today, a common tradition is that the Easter Bunny brings baskets filled with candy to children on Easter morning.

 Enjoy Easter chocolate bunnies and candy. The Germans are credited with inventing the chocolate Easter bunny in the 1800s. The chocolate bunny is now a traditional symbol of Easter. Other traditional types of Easter candy include chocolate eggs, marshmallow chicks and jelly beans.

 Attend an Easter parade. The tradition of the Easter parade began in the 1800s as people walked down 5th Avenue in New York City after Easter Sunday church services. Now many cities offer Easter parades on Easter Sunday or the day before Easter.

 You can also enjoy your Easter Sunday by having a hearty family dinner that would make everyone’s buttons pop.

Whatever your celebration may include be it chocolate bunnies, Easter eggs or a fantastic dinner do not forget to spread the love, give and be happy. The Son of God laid his life down for you because you are special.

Happy Easter!!!

Oluwaseyi Lawal