Happy Easter!!!


Easter, also known as Resurrection Sunday, celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus was crucified on Good Friday, and rose from the dead after three days on Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday marks the end of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer and penance, and is followed by a 50-day period called Eastertide, which ends with Pentecost Sunday.
The celebration of the resurrection of Jesus is observed as an Easter Vigil (also known as Paschal Vigil) in Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran and some Anglican churches, and “Sunrise Service” in many Protestant churches. Borrowing from the Jewish tradition, a liturgical day begins at sunset, and thus the Easter Vigil begins between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Sunday. The Easter Vigil service moves from darkness to light, symbolically re-enacting the Easter story of Jesus rising from the dead. The service begins outside the church where the priest lights and blesses a fire. A Paschal candle, representing the Risen Christ, is lit from that fire. The candle is processed through the church, and the Exsultet, Easter proclamation, is sung. Passages from the Bible are read, the Gloria and Alleluia are sung, and the Eucharist (or Holy Communion) is celebrated. In many churches, this is also a time when new members are baptized into the Church in accordance with ancient tradition. The “Sunrise Service” is similar, but held outside early in the morning on Easter Sunday, so that attendants can see the sun rise.


And it is celebrated across many faiths in many countries…  Enjoy the day, regardless of your religious preference!

Comments

Happy Easter!!! — 17 Comments

  1. Hi Jim, Thanks for the theological lesson. Although a non-believer myself, I respect everyone else’s rights to believe as they wish.
    Also Madeline Murray O’hare and her newer minions need to keep their hands and petty minds out of anyones religion! I still find it hard to believe that 97% of the folks of this country who are true believers have let the 3% athiests and the ACLU dictate to them when and where they can practice their beliefs!! I say tell them to get screwed!

    OBTW, I’m here every day at least once to find out what you have been up to! How much longer are you going to keeping up with this grind? I’d be completely brain and body dead trying to keep your schedule!

    Have a happy Easter my man!

  2. My Easter is more of a family breakfast, followed by a pagan egg hunt, followed by a big lunch and a bigger dinner.

    And it’s not as though I’m not religious. I just don’t spend the holiday in a church with people that I’m not close to.

  3. Well, I’m from sweden. We have the pagan egg hunt… and it’s traditional for the kids to dress up as witches and go around asking for candy, it’s kind of like our halloween in that respect(it’s supposed to be the yearly gathering of witches).

  4. Ev- Thanks for the comment, and I’m probably going to hang on for another two years… maybe…

    All- Thanks and same to y’all!