This year, Easter falls on April 1.
''He is risen!'' Easter is the day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. The day is celebrated by Christians all over the world as it marks the resurrection of the Lord. Christ was crucified on Good Friday and was buried, however, when on the third day his disciples visited the grave, they found it empty.
After a day of mourning, Easter is celebrated as a Christian feast day. Easter has no fixed date and is decided by the lunar calendar. This year, Easter falls on April 1.
HISTORY
In the beginning, Easter was not connected with Christ's resurrection from the dead. It was originally a pagan celebration of rebirth that used to happen in early spring. It honoured the pagan Saxon goddess Eastre. After the missionaries converted the Saxons to Christianity, the celebration fell during the same time as that of Christ's resurrection from the dead. Hence, it was merged with the pagan celebration and it came to be known as Easter.
SIGNIFICANCE
Easter marks the victory of Christ over death. Christ sacrificed his life for mankind. As per Gospel, Christ was found guilty of blasphemy, he proclaimed himself to be the King of Jews. Jesus was betrayed by one of his 12 disciples Judas Iscariot and he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. When interrogated, Jesus answered nothing. He was sentenced to death by a Roman prefect, Pontius Pilate at the behest of the Isreali priests.
His resurrection is a proof of his divinity. All the four gospels in the New Testament say that those who believe in Jesus's resurrection are blessed with ''the gift of eternal life''.
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