Easter
Origin of Easter
OTHER WORDS FROM Easter
post-Easter, adjectivepre-Easter, nounWords nearby Easter
VOCAB BUILDER
What is Easter?
Easter is the holiday on which Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus following his crucifixion and death (observed on Good Friday). It is considered the most important Christian holiday.
Easter is also widely observed in secular (nonreligious) ways and is often associated with rebirth and the start of springtime.
Easter always occurs on a Sunday, and the day is sometimes called Easter Sunday.
In religious contexts, Easter can also refer to the Easter season. Sometimes, this is considered to consist of Easter Sunday and the week after. Some branches of Christianity consider the Easter season to last for 50 days, until the day of Pentecost.
When is Easter?
Easter always falls on a Sunday, but its date moves every year. That’s because Easter is observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
In 2021, Easter will fall on April 4. In 2022, it will fall on April 17.
In the Orthodox Church, the date of Easter is determined using the Julian calendar (as opposed to the Gregorian calendar, which is used in Western Christianity).
In 2021, the Orthodox Church will observe Easter on May 2. In 2022, the Orthodox Church will observe Easter on April 24.
Why is it called Easter?
The first records of the word Easter come from before the year 900. The word comes from the name of the Germanic goddess Eostre, who was honored with a spring festival. The word east is related.
How is Easter celebrated?
Easter is considered the most important Christian holiday due to the central importance of the resurrection in the Christian faith. It follows what is sometimes called Holy Week, which commemorates the events that led up to Jesus’s resurrection, including the Last Supper (on Holy Thursday) and his crucifixion and death (on Good Friday). For Christians, it is a time of celebration following the fasting and somber reflection that takes place in the days before Easter and during the season of Lent. Church attendance is known for being especially high on Easter (with some Christians attending church only on the major feasts of Christmas and Easter).
Many people who celebrate Easter, including Christians, also take part in Easter activities that are nonreligious or that have a basis in Pagan rituals. Popular activities include the decoration of Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts, and giving children Easter baskets filled with candy (which are sometimes said to be delivered by the Easter Bunny—a symbol of springtime and new life).
What are some terms that often get used in discussing Easter?
How is Easter discussed in real life?
For Christians, Easter is the most important holiday and a time of celebration. It is also commonly observed in nonreligious ways as a celebration of springtime.
Attended Good Friday service at FBC Jonesville and Easter Sunday service at Union Grove Baptist!!! Rejoice, the Lord is Risen!!!!
— Yadkin Baptist Assn. (@YadkinBaptist) March 31, 2013
Can’t wait to see all the lil kids dressed up for Easter
— AP (@a_petrey21) March 31, 2018
I figure if I hide a bunch of Easter eggs today there is no way I will remember where I put them at by the time Easter actually gets here.
— Hank Wade (@Henry68157) March 14, 2021
Try using Easter!
True or False?
Easter always takes place on the same date.
How to use Easter in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for Easter
Other words from Easter
Related adjective: paschalWord Origin for Easter
Cultural definitions for Easter
An important religious festival among Christians (see also Christian); it commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus after his Crucifixion. Easter is celebrated on a Sunday in spring, and the season of Easter, a time of rejoicing, continues for several weeks. The penitential season of Lent is a time of preparation for Easter.