E-a-S-t-E-r

Everyone ready for the day I just don't understand? haha,no, i know why we have easter- but why do we have a BUNNY that hides EGGS()!? Who figured that? I mean- maybe a platapus or soemthing, becuase they lay eggs and they're mammals!! *cough* r-right sorry about that. Anyhow, share your plans and excitment and evne Easter knowledge! I'm gonig ot psot up some random info I'm about to research and share to you what i rmeeber doing last time when i was really young (like a little over 8 years ago, so i was 8, proably younger thoguh) anyhow, this is back when we (part of the family) still had the farm. they'd have all the ltitle kids outsdie, while (i think it was Aunt Sherry) toldus the story of the Easter bunny while soemone dressed up in this full bodied bunny costume hide eggs full of coins, candy and little toys all over the place. then we'd search for them while the adults set up a big potluck (rmeeber that my moms side is REALLY-REALLY big, so there were alot of us. my fathers theres lik 8 of us, ha. mom's side certianly compensated for that) anyhow there is this challenge-u try to get as many eggs as u can b/c they count as points. at the veyr end u return the plastic eggs (keepnig the contents) and dependsing on how many u have, u can get itmes the family bouhgt. if u have lets say 20 eggs- u praobly can trade it in for a col0oring book-some of it goes up to even a little bike! and nbot to mention the prized egg we all search for. The 'golden egg' which holds a large sum of money ($25!) and its worth abotuy that many plastic eggs- but its the hardest to find. i rmeeber that last time i was with the family donig this my father was helping me out and we getitng frustrated b/c my eyes were stuck on the skies (the trees) and i was too small to get them and he has a broken back, so he was trying to encourage me to search the ground mroe for eggs. Me being me, was stubborn and enjoyed the challege, but with so many people, i had to compensate ha. anyhow, as he was tellnig me to ssearch like this- using his foot to feel around in this little groove of earth we heard a crunching sound. he lifted up his foot and i dug through the grass and there was the golden egg! smashed to bits, its contents spilled in the hole. i scooped it up yellnig exitedly that we found it, and handing the brokn egg to my father tellnig on him that he broke it. ha- its been liek i said 8 years ,and we still havent replaced it! (they have a new one obviously but i find it funny. he was soemwaht embaressed) but i found it! ha, sort of. so okay, how abotu you guys? Easter secret tips-fav. gifts? memories? or even future ideas? let us know!

As with almost all "Christian" holidays, Easter has a secular side as well. The dichotomous nature of Easter and its symbols, however, is not necessarily a modern fabrication.

Easter has always had its non-religious side. In fact, Easter was originally a pagan festival. It was co-opted by Christian missionaries starting in the second century CE.

The ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with an uproarious festival commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime, Eastre. When the second-century Christian missionaries encountered the tribes of the north with their pagan celebrations, they do what Christian missionaries have always done; they attempted to convert them to Christianity. They did so, however, in a clandestine manner.

It would have been dangerous for the very early Christian converts to celebrate their holy days with observances that did not coincide with celebrations that already existed. To save lives, the missionaries decided to spread their dogma slowly throughout the populations by allowing them to continue to celebrate pagan feasts, but to do so in a Christian manner.

As it happened, the pagan festival of Eastre occurred at the same time of year as the Christian observance of the Resurrection of Christ. It made sense, therefore, to alter the festival itself, to make it a Christian observance as pagans were slowly indoctrinated. The early name, Eastre, was eventually changed to its modern spelling, Easter.
The Date of Easter
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Prior to A.D. 325, Easter was variously celebrated on different days of the week, including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In that year, the Council of Nicaea was convened by emperor Constantine. It issued the Easter Rule which states that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. The "full moon" in the rule is the ecclesiastical full moon, which is defined as the fourteenth day of a tabular lunation, where day 1 corresponds to the ecclesiastical New Moon. It does not always occur on the same date as the astronomical full moon. The ecclesiastical "vernal equinox" is always on March 21. Therefore, Easter must be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25.
The Lenten Season

Lent is the forty-six day period just prior to Easter Sunday. It begins on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") is a celebration, sometimes called "Carnival," practiced around the world, on the Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday. It was designed as a way to "get it all out" before the sacrifices of Lent began. New Orleans is the focal point of Mardi Gras celebrations in the U.S. Read about the religious meanings of the Lenten Season.
The Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny is not a modern invention. The symbol originated with the pagan festival of Eastre. The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit.

The Germans brought the symbol of the Easter rabbit to America. It was widely ignored by other Christians until shortly after the Civil War. In fact, Easter itself was not widely celebrated in America until after that time.
The Easter Egg

As with the Easter Bunny and the holiday itself, the Easter Egg predates the Christian holiday of Easter. The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries old when Easter was first celebrated by Christians.

From the earliest times, the egg was a symbol of birth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or, if you were a peasant, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers.

Today, children hunt colored eggs and place them in Easter baskets along with the modern version of real Easter eggs -- those made of plastic or chocolate candy.

Norway's Criminal Habit Uncovered

In Norway, reading detective novels and crime thrillers has become a popular Easter pastime. Paaskekrim (Easter crime) refers to the new crime novels available at Easter. The period from Holy Thursday through East Monday is a public holiday, and many Norwegians take vacations to the mountains, or to the coast at this time. According to folklore professors at the Institute for Cultural Studies at the University of Oslo, the tradition of reading about crime at Easter may stem from the violent nature of Christ's death.

Latvians Break an Egg

Latvians play an Easter egg game in which each person takes a hard boiled, colored egg. Players make pairs and then tap the ends of their eggs together. First the wide ends of the two eggs are tapped together, then the narrow ends, and finally one wide and one narrow end. When a player's egg breaks, he or she leaves the game, which continues until one player is left with an unbroken egg.

Bermuda Lilies Bloom Abroad

Lilies were a symbol of purity for early Christians. The white trumpet lily, known in the United States as "Easter Lilies," were brought from Bermuda around 1900. The trumpet lily blooms in the spring and rapidly became a popular for Easter decorations.

Mexican Village Produces Mega-Play

The passion play in the town of Iztapalapa, near Mexico City, is one of the most famous Easter events in Mexico, drawing one million visitors each year. Following a devastating cholera epidemic in the winter of 1833, the handful of survivors decided to hold the play to give thanks. The productions have become increasingly more elaborate. Everyone in town participates, but leading roles are awarded to those meeting strict height and appearance requirements, and of undisputed good character.

Easter Witches Haunt Sweden

In Sweden, witches were thought to fly their broomsticks to church bell towers on Easter Eve. Especially in western Sweden, children often dress up as hags and visit neighbors, often with an Easter card, hoping for a coin or a piece of candy in return.

In Africa, Easter is celebrated as a main function of the Christian communities. In the Easter Vigil hundreds of people assemble in the church building.

In most parish churches the Easter Vigil is anticipated, because there are no lights, usually beginning at 3pm and finishing at dark, around 6pm.

The church is decorated by Vitenge and Kanga, clothes made up in the form of butterflies, [color:611c=blue !important][color:611c=blue !important]flowers, banana trees etc.

Christian hymns are accompanied by the beating of drums and Kigelegele, the high-pitched sounds made by women.

After the Mass, traditional dances are held outside of the church. Then people return home to continue their celebrations with local [color:611c=blue !important][color:611c=blue !important]food and drinks.

In some parishes the people remain around the church after Mass and sit in their small Christian communities to continue the celebration of [color:611c=blue !important][color:611c=blue !important]eating and drinking, as ceremonial dances and entertainments continue around them.

In Africa, Easter has a social dimension as well as a spiritual one. At Easter families come together. They share special food with Christians and non-Christians indulging in boiled or roasted rice with [color:611c=blue !important][color:611c=blue !important]meat or chicken.

Meat being very scarce and expensive in Africa, the laws of abstinence (not eating meat) does not hold good.

In many parts of Europe, huge bonfires are lighted on hilltops and in churchyards on Easter Eve. They are sometimes called Judas fires, because effigies of Judas Iscariot are frequently burned in them. The Easter bonfires predate Christianity and were originally intended to celebrate the arrival of spring. The burning effigy once symbolized winter.


England :
Easter is celebrated by exchange of [color:3d73=blue !important][color:3d73=blue !important]Easter [color:3d73=blue !important]Eggs and other nifty gifts. Gift range may vary from anything between money, clothes, chocolate or go on holidays together. Some people make Easter bonnets or baskets, which have things like daffodils in them or
mini eggs. Children sometimes go to a local community center to enter an Easter bonnet competition to see whose bonnet is the best and the winner gets an Easter egg.

The Easter bunny is very much a part of the Easter tradition in England. The shops are filled with thousands which people buy to give to each other. The Easter bunny 'hides' the eggs in the houses and children on [color:3d73=blue !important][color:3d73=blue !important]Easter [color:3d73=blue !important]Sunday search to find these treats.

Hot-cross buns are popular foods on Good Friday. These are sweet fruit buns with crosses on top. Some people still make these with yeast, but shops now sell dozens in the week before Easter.


France :
The French call it Paques.
The main celebration sets off on Good Friday with a solemn note. Church bells do not ring for three days starting from Good Friday till the Easter Sunday. This is a token of mourning for the crucified Christ.
Early on Easter morning the children rush into the garden to watch the bells "Fly back from Rome". As the small folk scan the sky for a glimpse of the returning bells their elders hide chocolate eggs.

Italy :
Italians call it La Pasqua.
The Easter is celebrated with a real big feast in this Mediterranean country. The Paschal feast is celebrated with Agnellino, Italy's special popular dish for the Easter. This is a roasted baby lamb. Children enjoy a rich bread made specially for the Easter. It is shaped like a crown and studded with colored Easter egg candies.

Germany :
The German call it Ostern, possibly by the name of the Anglo Saxon goddess of spring, Eostre. School children have about three weeks holiday at Easter. No one works on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday. Many people eat fish on Good Friday and on Easter Saturday evening there is often a big Easter bonfire. This is very popular and lots of people gather to watch. These Easter fires are burnt as symbols of the end of the winter and any bad feelings.

On Easter Sunday families have nice breakfasts together. Parents then hide [color:3d73=blue !important][color:3d73=blue !important]Easter [color:3d73=blue !important]baskets with sweets, eggs and small presents. Hand-painted eggs decorated with traditional designs are exchanged among friends. Earlier, it was customary in many regions for the village girls to present their suitors with a red egg.Many eat fish on Good Friday.

The Netherlands :
The Dutch call it Pasen or Pasen Zondag.
Throughout the country Easter is celebrated as a great spring holiday. People lay tables for [color:3d73=blue !important][color:3d73=blue !important]Easter [color:3d73=blue !important]dinner with charming decoration of colored eggs and early [color:3d73=blue !important][color:3d73=blue !important]flowers. Sweet bread stuffed with raisins and currant, is one of the favorite dishes of the Easter feast.

Sweden :
The Swedish call it Påskdagen.
Throughout the country the egg, symbol of life and resurrection, is featured in all Easter food and Easter games. Every household has egg coloring [color:3d73=blue !important][color:3d73=blue !important]parties. Egg rolling contests are the favorite Easter activity of younger boys and girls.
Palm Sunday is observed with palm fronds. The Easter Eve is celebrated with bonfires. Shooting of fireworks lives on as the tradition.

Easter celebration in Mexico is held as a combination of two separate big observances - Semana Santa and Pascua. The former means the whole of the Holy Week - [color:8bbe=blue !important][color:8bbe=blue !important]Palm [color:8bbe=blue !important]Sunday to Easter Saturday. And the Pascua is the observance for the period from the [color:8bbe=blue !important][color:8bbe=blue !important]Resurrection Sunday to the following Saturday.

For most Mexicans, this two-week period is the time for a great vacation. People enjoy this time with the community of their choice.

Semana Santa celebrates the last days of the [color:8bbe=blue !important][color:8bbe=blue !important]Christ's life. Pascua is the celebration of the Christ's Resurrection. It is also the release from the sacrifices of [color:8bbe=blue !important][color:8bbe=blue !important]Lent.

In many communities, the full [color:8bbe=blue !important][color:8bbe=blue !important]Passion [color:8bbe=blue !important]Play is enacted from the Last Supper, the Betrayal, the Judgement, the Procession of the 12 Stations of the Cross, the Crucifixion and, finally, the Resurrection. In some communities, real crucifixion is included. The enactments are often nicely staged, costumed and acted, with participants preparing for their roles for nearly the full year leading up to Semana Santa

Australia is a wonderful country with people from different parts of the world. So, Easter is celebrated in a variety of ways.

The main day of celebration of families of Anglo-Irish backgrounds is [color:7d21=blue !important][color:7d21=blue !important]Easter [color:7d21=blue !important]Sunday</FONT></FONT></FONT>. Some people go to church services and have hot cross buns for [color:7d21=blue !important][color:7d21=blue !important]breakfast</FONT></FONT>. These are a sweet fruit bun, which may have a cross on top. Children exchange [color:7d21=blue !important][color:7d21=blue !important]Easter [color:7d21=blue !important]eggs</FONT></FONT></FONT>, which are usually made of [color:7d21=blue !important][color:7d21=blue !important]chocolate</FONT></FONT>. Some are now made from sugar and have little toys inside. The chocolate eggs are available in an egg shape, from tiny little ones to [color:7d21=blue !important][color:7d21=blue !important]giant</FONT></FONT> ones. Some chocolate eggs are also in the shape of cheeky looking rabbits.

In recent years Easter bilbies have also been made. The bilby is a native animal in Australia. It is an endangered species. Chocolate manufacturers decided to make Easter bilbies and give some of their profits to help protect these animals from extinction. Children don't worry about the shape. They just love the chocolate!

Many families arrange for an Easter hunt in their homes or gardens to see who can find the most eggs on Easter Sunday morning. They then share a [color:7d21=blue !important][color:7d21=blue !important]meal</FONT></FONT> with their relatives. Traditionally this has consisted of roast lamb, beef or chicken with roasted vegetables like potatoes, carrots, pumpkin

thanks to these sites:
http://www.theholidayspot.com/easter/worldeaster/
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/easter2.html
And i forget a few other sites- but remweber that this isall copied! To save our skins from legal stuff we are just sharing not taking! yeesh.

Woah, I didn't know how other places celebrated. I just thought they all went to Church and ate dinner with their families. Lol. Thank you for posting this all Hit! I specifically like how they call it "Paques" in France.

Happy Easter to everyone!!!

*grins and rubs back of head* heh- neither id i till i played some Runsecape and the event talked aobut didfrent ways or celebration in othrplace,s os i did some research and here's what i got on quick notice! i'm glad u enjoyed it! Small world afterall! small world indeed, haha.