It is a Christian celebration commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ after his Crucifixion. Easter is actually an English word which many believe was derived from the name of the Anglo-Saxon goddess of Spring Eostre.
At first there was confusion as to when Easter should be celebrated, that is until 325 when the Council of Nicaea decreed that it should be observed the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. This gives us a date from March 22 to April 25.
Based on the Christian calendar, Lent is observed first, this is a period of 40 days when the faithful do acts of penance and fasting. After that comes the Holy Week which includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday, followed by Easter Sunday.
Easter Eggs and Easter Bunny
The Easter egg is a symbol of fertility and new life which dates back to the 13th century. Easter eggs are decorated differently throughout the world. A common game kids love to play on Easter is go egg-hunting. The brightly colored eggs are hidden and the children have to find them and collect as many eggs as they can.
It is believed that the symbol of the Easter Bunny was brought into America by Germany. The Easter bunny came from a Pagan festival in honor of the goddess Eastre whose earthly symbol is a rabbit. The Easter bunny is also a symbol of rebirth and fertility.
Easter Songs
- Songs4Teachers.Com - Offers free downloads of Easter songs and poems.
- The Activity Idea Place - Scroll down and you will see a bunch of Easter songs and fingerplays.
- Easter Bunny's.Net - This site has several carols for Easter.
- Free Liturgical Music and Hymns - A collection of Songs for Easter and Pentecost.
- Free Scores.Com - Has a downloadable pdf file of an Easter Hymn.
