EASTER

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prof leodécio

During the whole year, we celebrate events, festivals and stuffs like that. In December we celebrated Christmas and New Year`s Day and, just after them, Carnival and followed by it Easter which we are about to live on Sunday.  For some people, it´s a time for holidays, for the weekend, for spare time, to go out with friends or to go on a trip. For other people, it´s time to spend moments together with family or relatives or, just a time to pray, for penance or fasting. But what does this event really mean for us? I don´t have to be a smart person to talk about it. I don´t want to be or it´s not my intention to be an expert on this subject, but we certainly have already heard of it, somehow, one day told by someone or by members from our family or by friends. Whichever this Event means, we really want to celebrate Easter! 

Searching on google in english (what is easter) this is a link that I found out:  (http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/easter.html)

  

You may find out about it in looots of links (sites) with different definitions. But ...

What is Easter?

Easter is the oldest and the most important Christian Festival, the celebration of the death and coming to life again of Jesus Christ. For Christians, the dawn of Easter Sunday with its message of new life is the high point of the Christian year.

What is the Easter story ?

Easter is the story of Jesus' last days in Jerusalem before his death.The Easter story includes Maundy Thursday (the Last supper leading to the Eucharist), Good Friday (the day on which Jesus was crucified) and Easter Day (the day on which Jesus came back to life).

It is a sad story because Jesus was killed. But the story has a very happy ending, because Jesus came back to life and visited his friends and followers once more. He did not die at all, but went back up to Heaven to be with God, his father.

Where does the name 'Easter' come from?

Pagan traditions give us the English word "Easter" which comes from the word "Eostre". The Anglo-Saxon word for April was "Eostre-monath" (the month of openings). However, it should be remembered that Christians celebrated the resurrection of Christ long before the word "Easter" was used, and the word they used for the celebration was "Pascha", which is derived from and linked to the Jewish festival of Passover.

According to Bede, the English monastic historian, the English word Easter comes from the Anglo-Saxon name for the month of April, which was known as "Eostremonath" in the AngloSaxon tongue and since Pascha was most often celebrated in Eostremonath, the English Christians began calling it "Easter". Bede also notes that the month was named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess Esostre.

Rituals related to the goddess Eostre focus on new beginnings, symbolized by the Easter egg, and fertility, which is symbolized by the hare (or Easter bunny).

Another link: (http://christianity.about.com/od/holidaytips/qt/whatiseaster.htm) took me to the follwoing text:

On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ. It is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches.

Christians believe, according to Scripture, that Jesus came back to life, or was raised from the dead, three days after his death on the cross. As part of the Easter season, the death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion is commemorated on Good Friday, always the Friday just before Easter. Through his death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for sin, thus purchasing for all who believe in him, eternal life in Christ Jesus.

(For a more detailed explanation about his death and resurrection, see Why Did Jesus Have to Die? and Timeline of Jesus' Final Hours.) 

My comments before yours: 

Whatever Easter means for us, certainly we are going to think of it or have something to say about it according to our religious thought/traditions, or even though, we do not have a religious belief, we, by all means, have something to say about it.  

Taking part in events in my city or visiting some places these days, I tried to associate things that I could see with the meaning of Easter explained in the text above.  

1. I could see people not drinking or eating during the Holy Week;

2. I could  see people carrying a cross "like that" Jesus carried for us;

3. I could see people getting together in churches singing and praying;

4. I could see people singing and praying in the streets;

5. I could see people acting out Jesus`s crucifixion;

6. I could see myself watching this

and Easter?

1. If we feel hunger only/during this day, we have to remember there are people starving every day. So, let´s bring people to life by making this world (our home, city, country) a better place;

2. To have a better place, city, country and our children having (enjoying) benefits from Education, Housing and Health Systems, we have to struggle, or even give our own "blood/sweat" for them. In this sense, we are really carrying our own "cross".

3. "Union is strength".  Remember: divided we are not going far. We need each other.

4. The place you live (environment) it is an extension of your house. So, take care of it as you take care of your own house.

5. Love your parents, brothers, sisters, friends, classmates, your work place, your job as it is the last thing of your life. Tell them: "I love you." You pay nothing for it! 

6. God bless US in this Easter! 

prof leodécio