A Brief History of Easter by SETH GUTHRIE, PASTOR


Christians are well aware that Easter is the time when we cel- ebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Though today it often comes in second to Christmas


in terms of celebration, this holiday helps us to honor the most important moment in history. The history of Easter traditions still in use today date back nearly to the time of Christ.


When is Easter Celebrated? The Gospels present a rather clear picture of the final


week of Jesus’ life, beginning with the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Pass- over feast on Thursday of that week, two days before the Sabbath. The following day, Jesus was crucified and rose again on Sunday, the third day from his crucifixion.


Due to the clear timeline outlined in Scripture, Easter


was originally celebrated in direct conjunction to the Jewish Passover. It seems that the day after the Passover feast would be a remembrance of Jesus’ death, with a


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celebration of His resurrection two days later. Since the Passover is a floating holiday not connected to days of the week, this resulted in “Easter Tuesdays” or “Easter Saturdays.”


In AD 325, the


Council of Nicea met during the reign of Constantine, who supported Christianity. While the council discussed a number of theological issues, they also formalized the date of Easter. The council determined that the resurrec- tion should be celebrated on the the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls on or after the spring equinox. This is the method still in use today, which means Easter can fall anywhere from March 22 to April 8, depending on the year.


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