Easter definition - What it is, Meaning and Concept

The concept of Easter has an extensive etymological path: from the Hebrew to the Greek language, and from there to Latin until it becomes Easter .It is the denomination of a holiday that had a Hebrew origin and is currently the most important celebration of Catholicism.

During Easter, which is the end of the Holy Week , the resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated.The date of Easter is variable and between March 22 and April 25 .

The various stages that culminate in Easter begin with Lent , which is forty days of penance in preparation for Holy Week .This week, meanwhile, begins with Palm Sunday (commemorates the entry of Christ to the city of Jerusalem ), the Holy Monday , the Holy Tuesday ( Christ announces the imminent betrayal of Judas ), Holy Wednesday (this betrayal is specified) , Holy Thursday ( Last Supper takes place), Good Friday (crucifixion and burial of Jesus ) , Holy Saturday (the Easter vigil) and, finally, the Easter Sunday (the resurrection).

Beyond the religion , Easter brings other traditions linked to the pagan.How the Easter date coincides with the spring, fertility is celebrated through eggs that symbolize such fertility.In many countries, therefore, people eat chocolate eggs that include, inside, candies and toys for the children.

Chocolate seems to be the food par excellence during Easter, regardless of the religion prevailing in each country and the personal beliefs of each individual.as Spain, Brazil, Argentina and the United States are celebrated in a similar way, in Malaysia, for example, Easter does not occupy an important place since the majority of the population is Muslim; however, it is known that they consume large amounts of chocolate on this date.

Catalan children receive from their godparents the mona de pascua , which, far from being a figure of an ape, can be an egg or a chocolate sculpture (it can be a structure such as a castle, or the image of some fashionable character from children's films).Their godmothers, on the other hand, give palms to their nieces and palmons to their nephews to lead them to bless the church and then they can eat the treats that decorate them (palms and palm trees are decorated rods that are carried like scepters).

A curious custom associated with Easter is the prohibition of eating beef or beef bird during Good Friday, given that in some regions if the consumption of fish is allowed, the idea of ​​abstinence is based on making a sacrifice to respect the delivery of Jesus Christ, rejecting delicacies, such as symbol of thanks for all their suffering in pursuit of our salvation.The main point of the restriction is not that food should not be eaten, but that delicious dishes are not prepared.

It is important to remember that in the countries of the Northern Hemisphere Easter comes along with the first days of heat, so the activities that are carried out around it are very different from those of the hemisphere South.One of the activities of the former consists of hiding decorated eggs between plants and trees, so that children can look for them later.In the South, on the other hand, the most normal is to spend time at home with the family., although many take the opportunity to vacation in warm places.

It should be noted that, according to the Spanish Royal Academy (RAE) , Easter is written with an initial capital letter when referring to the period that begins with the nativity of Christ and even reaches Kings .