In memory of the resurrection of Jesus – that’s why we celebrate Easter

Egg hunts with the little ones, a sumptuous feast at the grandparents’ and we’re just waiting for an Easter bunny to hop by. With all the holiday stress, we often forget what Easter is actually about: In Christianity, Easter stands for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Easter is the highest festival in the Christian calendar – and therefore far more important than Christmas. After all, it is about the foundation of the church: belief in the resurrection of Jesus.

Easter at a glance: The most important facts about Easter

Maundy Thursday: This day commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. After the meal, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus.

Good Friday: According to the Bible, Jesus was condemned and crucified on this day in Jerusalem. Good Friday is therefore marked by mourning, penance and fasting. By the way: The word “Kar” comes from the Old High German “chara”. It means something like lamentation or grief.

Easter Sunday: On this day, Mary Magdalene was the first to discover that Jesus’ tomb was empty. He even appears to her, but she doesn’t recognize him at first. Only then do the apostles Peter and John also see the empty tomb, but still resist the thought that Jesus could have risen from the dead. The Jewish Passover festival is considered to be the forerunner of Easter (Latin pascha, from Hebrew pessach). It commemorates the exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt. In 325, the Council of Nicaea set the date to always fall on the Sunday after the first full moon in spring.

Easter Monday: On the third day after the crucifixion, we celebrate the rapid spread of the news of Christ’s resurrection. Two disciples are said to have met him on the way to Emmaus and to have announced the resurrection of the Son of God.

And what do the eggs have to do with Easter?

Eggs are considered a symbol of life and fertility. In addition, a newly hatched chick represents the resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, eggs have always been a sacred food. Lent from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday already existed in the 16th century. Even then, people did not eat meat, eggs, etc. Since the hens laid eggs anyway, they were cooked to preserve them and color-coded so that they could not be confused with fresh eggs. At Easter, the sacred eggs laid during Holy Week were given away in honor of the goddess Ostara. When the Church banned this ritual, the eggs continued to be secretly given away and simply hidden.