Happy Easter Sunday to you all. We are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and this always happens on the third day after Good Friday [his crucifixion by the Romans].
The Sunday after his death Mary Magdalene visited the tomb, and found that not only had the stone been moved, but the body of Jesus had gone.
Jesus was seen later that day by Mary, and other disciples and for forty days by many others.
The actual word “Easter” does not appear in the Bible, and there aren’t any early church celebrations mentioned. It appears that Easter, like Christmas developed later in church history.
How is it celebrated?
Many Christians and non-Christians exchange Easter eggs, and a lamb roast is common on Easter Sunday.
Eggs symbolize new life, and Jesus began his new life after his resurrection on Easter Sunday, and cracked eggs are symbolic of an empty tomb.
Even before the birth of Christianity, the egg was seen as a symbol of Spring, a celebration of the rebirth and reinvigoration after the harshness of winter.
That’s why the Mesopotamians – an ancient Christian community living in an area roughly covered today by Iraq, Syria and Kuwait – used to stain eggs red to symbolise the blood of Christ.
Eggs would then be cracked against one another, leaving just empty shells – a symbol of the empty tomb Jesus left behind.
It wasn’t until the 19th century that the first chocolate eggs appeared in France and Germany, and this tradition has now carried on.
Yes, am sure you have been seeing a number of Facebook Images and banners with Easter greetings, incorporating eggs on them. Well, I now do hope that you have an understanding of what it clearly means.
editor@ugchristiannews.com
