Easter is one of the most important Christian religious holidays. The history of its origin is closely connected with the ancient biblical legends about the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Easter is the main religious holiday in Christianity, when believers celebrate the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Easter
According to the Bible, the son of God Jesus Christ was martyred on the cross to atone for the sins of mankind. He was crucified on a cross on a mountain called Golgotha on Friday, which is called Passionate in the Christian calendar. After Jesus Christ died in terrible agony along with other condemned to death on the cross, he was transferred to a cave, where he left his body.
On the night from Saturday to Sunday, the repentant sinner Mary Magdalene and her henchmen, who, like her, accepted the Christian faith, came to this cave to say goodbye to Jesus and pay him the last tribute of love and respect. However, upon entering there, they found out that the tomb where his body was located was empty, and two angels announced to them that Jesus Christ had risen.
The name of this holiday comes from the Hebrew word "Passover", which means "deliverance", "exodus", "mercy". It is connected with the events described in the Torah and the Old Testament - with the tenth, most terrible of the Egyptian executions that God unleashed on the Egyptian people. As the legend tells, this time the punishment was that all first-borns, born to both humans and animals, died a sudden death.
The only exceptions were the houses of those people who were marked with a special sign applied by the blood of a lamb - an innocent lamb. Researchers argue that the borrowing of this name to designate the holiday of the resurrection of Christ was associated with the belief of Christians that he was innocent like this lamb.
Celebrating Easter
In the Christian tradition, Easter is celebrated according to the lunisolar calendar, so the date of its celebration differs from year to year. This date is calculated so that it falls on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. At the same time, emphasizing the essence of this holiday, Easter is always celebrated only on Sunday.
There are many traditions associated with the celebration of Easter. So, it is preceded by Great Lent - the longest and most severe period of abstinence from many types of food and entertainment throughout the year. It is customary to celebrate the onset of Easter by putting painted cakes and Easter itself on the table - this is the name of a curd dish in the form of a pyramid with a truncated top.
In addition, painted boiled eggs are a symbol of the holiday: they are considered a reflection of the legend of how Mary Magdalene presented an egg to Emperor Tiberius as a sign that Jesus Christ was resurrected. He said that it was impossible, just as an egg cannot suddenly turn red from white, and the egg blushed instantly. Since then, believers have painted eggs red for Easter. It is customary to greet each other on this day with the phrase "Christ is Risen!"
