Egg-celent
Questions We're Hoppy to Answer—When is Easter 2021 and What is the True
Meaning of Easter?March
18, 2021 – 9:28 AM By Kelsey Pelzer @kelseypelzer
Source: https://parade.com/1147042/kelseypelzer/when-is-easter/
As spring rolls around each year, you
know that Easter celebrations are just around the corner. It’s a time to
(hopefully) forget about the winter woes, focus on new life, pastels, and
getting together with family. And even though we’re all used to seeing the
ubiquitous chocolates resting on store shelves for months ahead of time, and a
lot of us have grown up seeing (or sitting on the lap of) the Easter Bunny at a
local mall, it’s likely that many people might question exactly how this
holiday came to be: What is the true
meaning of Easter? And also, when is Easter 2021?
This traditionally religious holiday is
part of a bigger Christian celebration involving Lent and “Holy Week,” and
falls specifically on the beloved weekend that begins with “Good Friday.” The
purpose of celebrating Easter in the church is acknowledging Jesus’ death, as
well as His resurrection, and what that means for anyone who chooses to believe
in Him.
However, for
religious and non-religious people alike, Easter is also associated with Easter
baskets, eggs, hot cross buns, bunnies, and candy, candy, candy! Some children
wake up the morning of Easter and have to find their Easter baskets that have
been hidden in the house. Many families decorate the shells of hard boiled eggs
with dye, and conduct Easter egg hunts outside. It’s common to break out a
colorful Easter dress on this day as well!
But what is the true meaning behind
Easter? And is there a real, legitimate meaning behind the Easter Bunny? We’re
here to hoppily answer all of your Easter questions!
When is Easter 2021?
Easter 2021 lands on Sunday, April 4,
2021.
What is the true meaning of “Good Friday?”
“Good Friday” is the Friday before
Easter (Friday, April 2, 2021), and it signifies the day that Jesus was
crucified. That, in and of itself, does not sound very “good.” But as Pope
Francis shared in his 2019 Lenten message, the period of time leading up to
Easter is when Christians are “welcoming Christ’s victory over sin and death
into our lives.”
What is the true meaning of Easter?
Easter, also known as “Resurrection
Sunday,” is a holiday that commemorates Jesus being raised from the dead after
His crucifixion. For Christians, this event is of especially great significance
because by acknowledging and believing in Jesus’ death and resurrection, they
know that their faith (as opposed to works/actions) is what allows them to
enter Heaven/spend eternity with Jesus when they die.
Where
does the name “Easter” come from?
It is generally believed that the
actual name of “Easter” comes from a pagan holiday celebrating the goddess
“Eostre,” who represented spring and fertility.
What is the meaning of the Easter Bunny?
While the exact meaning of the Easter
Bunny is unclear, rabbits correspond with the theme of fertility (AKA new
life). Additionally, some sources believe that the tradition of the Easter
Bunny came to America from German immigrants in the 1700s. It is said that
children would leave out carrots for the bunny and make nests for it to lay its
colorful eggs.
What is the meaning of the Easter egg?
An egg itself is also associated with new
life and rebirth, and has been said to represent Jesus’ death and resurrection.
During Easter celebrations, it is common to dye eggs and create beautiful
displays!
