EASTER is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ three days after his death, and is the oldest Christian holiday.
90 million chocolate bunnies, 91.4 billion eggs and 700 million peeps are produced each year in the United States alone
Christians consider Easter eggs to symbolize joy and celebration, new life and resurrection, so let’s look at eleven of the more interesting facts we found on Easter, the delight in sharing chocolate bunnies, and the meaning of this holiday.
The Easter Bunny tradition is believed to have originated in Europe, where it was actually the Easter Hare. Other Easter traditions include wearing Easter bonnets, making Easter baskets and having Easter egg hunts
In medieval times, a festival of ‘egg-throwing’ was held in church. The priest would throw a hard-boiled egg to one of the choir boys, and then tossed from one choir boy to the next. When the clock struck 12, whoever held the egg, was the winner and got to keep the egg
For instance, did you know that Easter falls on a different day every year due to the Vernal Equinox?
In 2007, an egg covered in diamonds (pictured) sold for almost £9 million
The tallest chocolate Easter egg ever was made in Italy in 2011. It was 10.39m in height and weighed 7 200kg!
You can blame the moon for that. Christ’s death coincides with the Jewish Passover, which is celebrated during the first full moon after the vernal equinox, better known as the first day of spring.
The traditional act of painting eggs is called Pysanka.
The exchange of eggs for Easter dates back to a springtime custom older than Easter itself in which eggs were given as a symbol of rebirth in many cultures
The rule was set for the Christian church by the Council of Nicaea, stating that Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox.
The white lily, the symbol of the resurrection, is the special Easter flower
In the old days pretzels were associated with Easter because the twists of the pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossing in prayer
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