Is Easter The Same Around The World?

Yes or No

Why Do We Have Easter?• Origin of the name Easter

is unknown• Probably comes from the

goddess Eastre• Her month was April and

her festival was celebrated on spring equinox

• Celebration to awaken the sleeping Gods (Greeks)

• Related to the Jewish festival of Passover

• Taken from the name Pasch, another name for Easter

• celebration of the coming of the Messiah

Why does the date change?• Easter is celebrated the first

Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox (March 21)

• Easter can occur as early as March 22 or as late as April 25

• There are as many as 5 weeks difference between the celebration of the Western Church and the Orthodox Church

• The Western Church and the Orthodox Church follow different calendars

• The Western Church set a strict date of March 21st being spring

• The Orthodox Church using the stars and moon to determine Easter

Easter Traditions Around The World

Russia• Roll eggs down a hill trying to

crack others people eggs without cracking their own

• Go to church at midnight• After Church they return

home to a big feast of Easter Bread, Cake, sausage, bacon, cheese and milk

• Go to their friends homes and give them painted eggs and Easter Bread

Greece• Start preparing on Thursday• Candle lighting ceremony• A family feast of Lamb and

dyed eggs• All eggs are dyed red• Egg cracking tradition, hit

your egg against someone else egg, the egg that did not break is the winner and thought to be lucky

Bulgaria• The people have egg fights,

at the end of the fight however still has an unbroken egg is thought to have success during the year

• The oldest woman in the family rubs the cheeks of the children with the first red egg she has dyed to symbolize her wish that they have rosy cheeks and good health

Mexico• Children smash eggs over

each others heads, luckily these eggs are filled with small pieces of paper instead of raw egg

United States

• Eggs are hardboiled and dyed

• Chocolate candies are bought

• In many homes families gather for a big Easter Dinner

• Children participate in Easter egg hunts

• The Easter bunny visits children at night and leaves a basket

Germany• The yolk is removed from an

egg and the eggs are then decorated a hung from trees during the Easter week

Easter Eggs And Bunnies

• The Easter bunny started in Germany

• Children believed that “Oschter Haws” would lay a nest of colored eggs

• Children would build a nest out of their caps (boys) and bonnets (girls)

• Eggs were dyed in ancient times by the Egyptians

• People gave decorated eggs as presents to their friends and servants

• Rabbits are a symbol of new life

• The hare was an important part of a pagan festival of Eastre

• At some point the hare was replaced by the rabbit

ReferencesInformation• http://www.holidays.net/easter/• http://www.history.com/minisites/easter• http://www.howstuffworks.com/easter.htm• Pictures• http://www.thaliatook.com/AMGG/eostre.html (greek goddess)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/12057715@N00/418423598/ (snowflake eggs)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/8302459@N07/533097241/ (Easter bread)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/llsjclark/455586573/ (Mexican Eggs)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/khuasi/539445896/ (bunny)• http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rounite/~3/276187620 (egg cracking)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabulousminge/1827460883/ (egg rolling)• http://www.surfindia.com/festivals/pesach-passover.html (passover)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/married_in_toronto/445558028/ (passover meal)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/nevilzaveri/3270357099 (March calendar)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/20451498@N00/2043693391/ (April calendar)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiddharma/2347319670/ (spring moon)• http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010906.html (moon and stars)• http://blog.couponmountain.com/archives/760 (Easter basket and candy)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/mhoffart/2309495916/ (Easter nest w/eggs)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/44458147@N00/450056544/ (Easter bunny)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/renagrisa/2349851321/ (Ancient eggs)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/49007409@N00/2394439582/ (boy giving away egg)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnfrisch/2055756056/ (hare)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/22658121@N00/133157562/ (cross)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlonas/2353733282/ (bunny with basket of eggs)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/tanyazivkovic/2303213964/ (decorated eggs in bowl)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/22658121@N00/133156454/ (candle)• http://www.flickr.com/photos/47027799@N00/440174273/ (tulips)