The festival of Easter, celebrated by the Christian community around the globe, marks the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity, who was crucified at the Roman Cavalry, which results in his death on Good Friday.
According to the Bible, Jesus sacrificed his life on Good Friday for his children, the people, so that their sins could be forgiven and they could be freed from all the pain and suffering, and his sacrifice established him as the Son of God.
The resurrection of Christ, after a very painful death, is the symbol of a new beginning and new hopes, and it is believed that those who have faith in him and follow him will walk in a new way of life.
Easter 2023 Date
The date of Easter is not fixed and is calculated on the basis of the luni-solar calendar; therefore, the dates keep varying each year. In 2022, the festival of Easter will be celebrated on Sunday, April 9, 2023, two days after Good Friday.
In Western countries, Easter Monday is celebrated as a public holiday. It is celebrated the day after Easter Sunday and is also called the Octave of Easter and Bright Week in Western and Eastern Christianity, respectively.
The Western Christians use the Gregorian Calendar, or the modern calendar, and according to them, Easter falls on the Sunday after the full moon following March 21, while the Eastern churches, like the Eastern Orthodox Church, use the Julian Calendar. Due to this, the date of Easter is different for these two types of churches, even though their method of calculating the date is similar.
Easter History
As per the holy Bible, on this day Jesus was raised by God on the third day after his death on Good Friday due to crucifixion, the highest form of criminal punishment at that time.
For the Christian tradition, the bodily resurrection was the restoration to life of a transformed body powered by spirit, and it guaranteed that all the Christian dead will be resurrected at Christ’s Parousia or Second Coming.
In Christian theology, the death and resurrection of Jesus are the most important events and the foundation of the Christian faith, as commemorated by Easter.
Easter 2023 Significance
Most Christians refer to the week before Easter as Holy Week, which as per Western Christianity comprises the days of the Easter Triduum, also known as the Paschal Triduum, Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum, or the Three Days.
The Easter Triduum includes Maundy Thursday, the day to commemorate the washing of the feet and Last Supper of Christ with the Apostles, as well as Good Friday, the day that commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus, and Holi Saturday, which commemorates the Harrowing of Hell while Jesus’s body lay in the tomb.
According to Eastern Christianity, the Three Days are commemorated with the names of days all starting with holy or holy and great, so that Great and Holy Easter might be called Great and Holy Pascha, Easter Sunday, Easter Sunday, Pascha, or Sunday of Pascha.
Easter is celebrated not only by Christians but also by some non-Christians who also love to be part of some non-traditional Easter festivities such as the Easter Parade, Egg Hunting, etc. The festival of Easter connects people and gives the message of new hopes, new beginnings, love, peace, and co-existing.
Easter Celebration 2023
Easter is celebrated with fervour and full enthusiasm around the world. Various activities are done to mark the day, like churches being decorated and religious processions being held. Many churches hold special services on the day of Easter. People visit churches and offer their prayers to Jesus.
The day brings happiness for children too, as they are given baskets filled with candies. Eggs are also hidden for the children to find. Easter Eggs and the Easter Bunny are also crucial parts of the celebration.
As per Christianity, the egg is an ancient symbol of new life and rebirth as it is associated with Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection. As a custom, Easter eggs are commonly used as gifts on the occasion; they are painted red to represent the blood of Christ. Many people also view the cracking of the eggs as symbolic of Jesus breaking out of his tomb.
Easter Sunday is also regarded as Family Day as people enjoy together and organise a feast including many sweet dishes like cake, cookies, and pastries when family members get together.