Celebrations

__Easter Questions __  What is the history behind Easter? - Who started Easter and why? Why is it called Easter? Why do we have Easter eggs, Easter bunny? When is it? What do different people round the world do for Easter? - Does every one celebrate it?

__Easte ____r __ Easter is one of the most celebrated festivals in the Christen church. The pagans (people with religious beliefs) started the celebration. It is celebrated because people believe that Jesus Christ arose from the ground, after he was crucified(We celebrate his death as good Friday and when he came alive it is Easter). His followers carried him away and put him in a cave with a big rock in front it then he came back to life. This is when the tradition started.

The name Easter came from the word Eostre. Eostre is a ancient Greek name meaning goddess of spring. They say that after a long cold winter Eostre would return to earth with light and warmth of spring.

They use Easter eggs as a symbol because the eggs represent new life, like when Jesus appeared from the cave when he was dead. The bunny represents Easter because they are so fertile, so they are a symbol of new life in spring.

The day Easter falls varies from year to year. This year Easter Sunday is on 4th of April, Easter Monday is on the 5th of April and Easter Tuesday is on the 6th of April. You get your Easter eggs on the Easter Sunday.

The English like to buy new clothes for Easter Sunday. In Ireland they dance to win "price cakes". Also they eat eggs to break to long lent festival. The French church bells usually do not ring on good Friday or Easter Sunday. Mexico have a interesting tradition, the day before Easter they all come out into the streets and burn pictures of Judas Iscariot (some one who supposedly betrayed Jesus). Not every one celebrates Easter (especially non-christens) but most of them still get Easter eggs.

 __Resources__  . www.historyofeaster.info/ . www.ers.dol.govt.nz/holidays_act_2003/dates/2006_9.html . www.rochedalss.eq.edu.au/easter/Easter3.htm . www.holidays.net/easter/bunny1.htm . I put in some things I know as well . I also used the Oxford American Dictionary