Easter

Easter marks the start of spring and is a sacred holiday for Christians throughout the world as it signifies when Jesus Christ was resurrected. The egg was thought of as a symbol of eternal life. The Easter Egg tradition is thought to go back to the beginning of Christianity when Mary Magdalene gave the Roman emperor Tuberous an egg as an Easter present. Surprised by Mary's story of Christ's resurrection, the emperor said: "Resurrection is as impossible as this egg's turning red". At that moment, the egg he was holding turned red to prove Mary's words.

The Easter Egg tradition began with the exchange of real eggs as symbols of eternal life. From that tradition came the desire to give lasting gifts. Painted eggs of wood, papier-mâché, porcelain, and other materials appeared and developed. The ultimate Easter Egg art form was brought to life by Carl Faberge for the great Czars of Russia. The Imperial Eggs he created are more then just the gold, gems, and jewelry they contain. Each creation is a separate work of art that took up to a year to design and create.

Easter is generally accounted the most important holiday of the Christian year, observed each spring to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (after his death by crucifixion, which Christians believe happened at about this time of year, almost two thousand years ago. (Easter can also refer to the season of the church year, lasting for nearly two months, which follows this holiday.)

The festival's name in Easter (and other Germanic Languages) is said to derive from Eostre, a pagan goddess, whose primary festival fell in the spring and in whose month, 'Eostremonat,' Easter generally fell. (The etymology is contested.) However, in most other languages (see list at bottom of page), the holiday's name is derived from Pesach, the Hebrew name of Passover, a Jewish holiday to which it is intimately linked. Easter depends on Passover not only for much of its symbolic meaning but also for its position in the calendar; the Last Supper shared by Jesus and his disciples before his crucifixion is generally thought of as a Passover seder.

In Western Christianity Easter Day always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. The following day, Easter Monday, is recognized as a legal holiday in most countries with a significant Christian tradition (with the notable exception of the United States)