| Easter | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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Icon of the Resurrection
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| Observed by | most Christians, although many non-Christians observe secular practices, especially in the Western world | ||
| Type | Christian | ||
| Significance | Celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus as the basis for the salvation of mankind. | ||
| Date | the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring | ||
| Celebrations | Religious (church) services, Easter egg hunts, gifts (USA) | ||
| Observances | Prayer | ||
| Related to | Passover, a Jewish holiday which Christians related to the events now commemorated at Easter; Christmas, which honors the birth of Jesus; Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday which lead up to Easter; and Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi which follow it. | ||
Easter, the Sunday of the Resurrection, or Resurrection Day, is the most important religious feast of the Christian liturgical year, observed at some point between late March and late April each year (early April to early May in Eastern Christianity). It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, which his followers believe occurred on the third day after his death by crucifixion some time in the period AD 27 to 33 (see Good Friday).
Easter also refers to the season of the church year, lasting for fifty days, from Easter Sunday through Pentecost; and, in the Roman Catholic Church, to the eight-day feast beginning on Easter Day called the Octave of Easter.