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Season of Easter |
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The Meaning of Easter:
The Easter season of the church year is the celebration of the risen Lord. Christ
said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days." (John 2:19) (John
explains in verse 21, "But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised
from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.")
So what does that mean for us today? Romans 6:4,5 tells us,
"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as
Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new
life. If we have been united with him like this in death, we will certainly also be united
with him in his resurrection." |
| Therefore we
rejoice in the new life that we have here and now and the promise of the resurrection and
life eternal with our Lord. This is such good news that all of history hinges on the life,
death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the same way, the liturgical calendar
of the church year hinges on the Easter celebration.
A Movable Holiday
Easter is a movable holiday, meaning that the date is calculated according to a formula
and is not a set date. The entire church year with the exception of the six weeks from the
First Sunday in Advent to the
Epiphany, and the fixed date festivals, depends upon the date
of Easter, which may occur between March 22 and April 25. |
| WHAT IS THE
LITURGICAL COLORS FOR EASTER?
White is the color of Easter. What color,
other than white, represents purity, innocence, absolute perfection, joy in its purest
form and triumph over darkness as well as white does? None; only white does. White is the
color of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world; He is snow-white, without
blemish, perfect. |
| WHAT ARE THE
ORIGINS OF EASTER EGGS AND THE EASTER RABBIT?
In many ancient cultures, eggs were a common symbol new life and immortality. In
medieval times, Christians adapted the egg to their own religious devotions by giving up
the eating of eggs during Lent and resuming it after Easter.
Eggs came to represent the Lord's resurrection -- just as Christ broke out of the tomb on
Easter morning, the yolk of the egg breaks out of its shell when cracked. The
decoration of eggs for Easter is part of the folk traditions of many cultures, although it
has little or no religious significance any more.
The Easter rabbit is a popular secular symbol for Easter
that has never taken on a Christian interpretation. It seems to have originated from
the hare, a symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt and later on in parts of Europe. It
is not altogether clear how the Easter rabbit became associated with the laying of eggs.
The
Christianity Today Web Site
has several resources that explain the meaning and origin of many Easter symbols.
The articles
Where'd the Eggs and Bunnies Come From? and
Why "Easter"? are particularly useful. |
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Liturgical Colors
Liturgical Calendar
Next Season |
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