why is Easter important and why is it special?
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Easter is important because, it's the Resurrection of \n\nJesus Christ from the dead. \n\nAccording to the Bible, He walked the Earth for three days \n\nand three nights.\n\nEaster is special because, we can believe in miracles.
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Easter it's not mention in the Bible.
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Only with great difficulty.\n\nSee http://www.davros.org/misc/easter.html
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Christ was of the tribe of Judah and Levi, hence king and high priest.\n\nEASTER A BRIEF HISTORY\n\nThe name “Easter” comes to America from Ostera or Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. The origin goes back to 2000 BC in Babylonia honoring the goddess of spring Ishtar. Ishtar the mother/wife of their god Tammuz brought him back from the underworld. In Phoenecia she became Astarte, in Greece Eostre, and in Germany Ostara. Consider also a Phrygian honoring Attis and Cybele or a heretic Israelite honoring the Canaanite Baal and Ashtoreth. All of these are fertility celebrations of death and resurrection.\n\nEASTER IN THE KING JAMES\n\nThe word “Easter” occurs in the King James Bible ONE TIME and is mistranslated. It should be translated PASSOVER.\n\nActs 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. \n\nEaster G3957 pascha (pas'-khah) Of Chaldee origin (compare [H6453]); the Passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it): - Easter, Passover.\n\nH6453  pesach (peh'-sakh) From H6452; a pretermission, that is, exemption; used only technically of the Jewish Passover (the festival or the victim): - passover (offering).\n\nH6452 pasach (paw-sakh') A primitive root; to hop, that is, (figuratively) skip over (or spare); by implication to hesitate; also (literally) to limp, to dance: - halt, become lame, leap, pass over.\n\nTHE ORIGINAL PASSOVER A SHADOW\n\nExo.12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. Exo.12:24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. Exo.12:25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as He hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. Exo.12:26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? Exo.12:27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. \n\nWhat did it say in Exo.12:26? What mean ye by this service?\n\nWhat did it say in Exo.12:27? It is the SACRIFICE of the LORD'S Passover.\n\nThis was a shadow, that is a silhouette or likeness, of Christ’s crucifixion. Israel was in bondage to the Egyptians. We were in bondage to sin.\n\nCHRIST OUR PASSOVER\n\nI Cor.5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? I Cor.5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: I Cor.5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. \n\nChrist our Passover is SACRIFICED for us.\n\nIT IS PROBABLY TRULY DISGUSTING TO FATHER \n\nAs with most Christian holidays, Easter has been secularized and commercialized. We have Easter bunnies, eggs, baskets, bonnets, parades and etc. \n\nKnowing now the origins of Easter, the fallacy of Easter and the sacrifice Christ made for us; I am truly ashamed of myself. We should not be celebrating Easter. We should be celebrating Christ our Passover with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. \n\nWhat is your answer to a child who asks, “What mean ye by this service?” I pray your answer is not Easter.\n\nWhat does God think, about what He sees and hears during this special time of year?
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Easter is the day Christ left for heaven after completing his mission on earth.that day i went church.
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Easter is derived from an ancient Germanic name for the month of April, Eostremonat--or rather Eostre Month, in dedication to the goddess Eostre. Eostre, or Ostara was a German goddess of fertility and her return was marked by the coming of spring and the sun. The Ost in her name refers to the East--the rising of the sun. The rebirth of the day and the rebirth of the spring were her specialties, and her celebrations occured during the vernal equinox--the first day of spring. Of course calendar dates have gotten juggled about for quite a few different reasons over time and now April is no longer where it once was on the calendar at what is now March 21st.\n\nThe rabbit was a traditional symbol of the goddess because of its great fertility, and the fact that the coming of spring marked the time when all of the little bunnies were seen starting to be born.\n\nWhen Christianity became the predominant religion it was an easy transition to introduce the rebirth of the Christ figure into the already extant birth and rebirth tradition. Old ways die hard, and the bunny stuck around. \n\nAlthough there are several explanations for the eggs the Easter bunny brings, (other than eggs are another traditional symbol of birth/rebirth) the most likely is that eggs were forbidden during the fast of lent, and were decorated and eaten in abundance to mark the end of the fast.\n\nGerman protestants, although breaking with Roman Catholocism and the tradition of the lent fast, liked the egg tradition and kept it. And when German immigrants came to America, they brought with them the traditions of the Osterhase (Easter hare) and his eggs.\n\nInasmuch as Christianity has stolen the ancient goddess' name for their own holiday, it seems only fitting that its original mascot still puts in an appearance each year.
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Easter was stolen from the Pagans.  We had it first.  I hope you all enjoy the following article.\n\n===================\n\nThe Old Ways: Spring\nby Doug and Sandy Kopf\n\nSpring (Earrach) or Vernal Equinox, on approximately March 21, is the mid-point of the Waxing Year. The spark of light that was born at Winter Solstice has reached maturity, and from this point forward, the days grow longer than the nights. This is the time of full Dawn, 6:00 a.m. on the Year Clock, and so was the time of the festivals of the Grecian Goddess, Eostre, and the Germanic Ostara, both Goddesses of Dawn. (It is from these Bright Ladies that the modern Easter holiday takes its name). This is the time that is often seen as the time of Kore’s return from the Underworld, where She (as Persephone) has ruled throughout the Winter. It is also the time of the celebration of the rebirth of Adonis the Beautiful.\n\nSpring is the time for a celebration of planting and of the greening of the Earth. The supermarket is a sign in itself, as the produce department begins to fill with fresh fruits and vegetables. People start to talk about having ‘Spring Fever’ and doing ‘Spring cleaning’, as the brighter sunshine provides a needed morale boost.\n\nNon-Pagans start to shop for Easter finery (putting on new clothes, just like the Earth Mother), or Passover foods, unaware that we are all truly celebrating the same thing: the Revitalization of the Earth, as She warms to the waxing rays of the Sun. We have survived another Winter and are\nonce more surrounded by the delights of Spring. Some authorities say that this was probably the time that the Christian Church should have chosen to celebrate as the birth date of Jesus, since this would have been the time for paying taxes in ancient Jerusalem and, according to the myth, Mary and Joseph were traveling to fulfill that obligation. It is also the season of lambing, the only time shepherds would ‘watch by night’.\n\nMany traditions associated with Spring Equinox have been retained over the years and grafted onto the Easter celebration. Even today, people arise early on Easter morning to attend ‘Sunrise Service’. (Remember Eostre, the Dawn Goddess?) If your group is not opposed to getting up early, a Dawn Circle to greet the Sun on the morning of the Equinox can be wonderful!  Legend says the Sun Dances and, if it is reflected in a bowl of clear water, you can see it for yourself! However, we would not recommend this if you are night-owls. It’s hard to put your whole heart into ritual when you are bleary-eyed and groggy. Festivals should be FUN, not tests of your determination!\n\nDecorated eggs have always been symbols of fertility. In 17th century France, gifts of decorated eggs were given to new brides, in hopes they would bear many children. In Germany, bowls full of eggs were given to the field-workers by the farmer’s wife, to insure a rich harvest. Many\ncultures see the egg as a symbol of Life, or the actual home of the soul.  The egg is the symbol of all good fortune in Russia and decorated eggs are still given as gifts to loved ones and buried in graves to insure rebirth.  These elaborate and ornate treasures are sometimes even set with precious stones. (Note: Faberge’ and Tiffany eggs)\nThe Old Ways: Spring\nby Doug and Sandy Kopf\n\nSpring (Earrach) or Vernal Equinox, on approximately March 21, is the mid-point of the Waxing Year. The spark of light that was born at Winter Solstice has reached maturity, and from this point forward, the days grow longer than the nights. This is the time of full Dawn, 6:00 a.m. on the Year Clock, and so was the time of the festivals of the Grecian Goddess, Eostre, and the Germanic Ostara, both Goddesses of Dawn. (It is from these Bright Ladies that the modern Easter holiday takes its name). This is the time that is often seen as the time of Kore’s return from the Underworld, where She (as Persephone) has ruled throughout the Winter. It is also the time o
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Easter Sunday is April 16 this year.
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I'll tell you what i was taught\n\nan egg represents birth and is tied into jesus ressurection\n\na rabbit symbolizes fertility and thus more life\n\nnow i read that easter was actually a pagan holiday to begin with (much like christmas) and christians changed it around to be apart of the bible.\n\nso I'm sure the rabbit and the eggs may stem from that, but that's what i was taught and what i teach
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Rabbits and Easter eggs have about as much to do with easter as christmas and easter have to do with christianity. Absolutely nothing.On December 25 Tammuz was born, the son of Nimrod (who I believe to be Satan)& Semiramis the sun goddess. Tammuz was killed by a wild boar thats why people eat their easter ham.The sun worshipers would weep over his death every year it was celabrated the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. Eggs and rabbits were used to celibrate new life. Christmas and Easter never were Christian holidays to begin with neither is Sunday a sabbathday. Saturday is the Sabbathday.Most of the world will follow after the beast.
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If you are referring to the Easter Bunny,  the answer is, Easter isn't all about Christ!  Only to Christians is Easter all about Jesus's resurrection.  Here is an article.\n\nQuite a few pagan cultures hold celebrations in the spring. It's the time of year when plants return to life after being dormant all winter and when animals mate and procreate. These festivities celebrate the renewal of life and promote the fertility of crops, animals, and even people, which was important in these agrarian communities. The Saxons believed in a maiden goddess of fertility named Eastre or Eostre (Oestre in Latin) and honored her with a spring festival. Hares and rabbits were considered sacred to Eastre because they are notoriously fertile animals. \n\nIn the second century A.D., Christian missionaries tried to convert northern European tribes. To help make Christianity attractive, the missionaries turned pagan festivals into Christian holidays. The pagan Eastre festival occurred around the same time as the Christian celebration marking Christ's resurrection so the two celebrations blended into one, rabbit and all. \n\nOver time, Eastre became Easter, and the symbolism changed as well. Instead of the Easter rabbit symbolizing fertility, the rabbit may symbolize an innocent, vulnerable creature that can be sacrificed, similar to the lamb. To Christians, these innocents are tokens of Christ and the sacrifice he made. \n\nThe Easter bunny we know today was influenced by German traditions dating back to the 1500s. German children believed that the Oschter Haws (a magical rabbit) would leave them a nest of colored eggs at Eastertime if they were good. Pennsylvania Dutch settlers brought this tradition to America in the 1700s. \n\nOn a related note, eggs have long been a symbol of rebirth and thus associated with spring celebrations. In the 600s, Pope Gregory the Great forbade the eating of eggs during Lent (the 40 days proceeding Easter), and this helped make eggs a special treat at Easter. Many European cultures also have old customs of decorating eggs and giving them as gifts.
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Please find below details about Pesach (passover). You just say: 'Happy Easter' or 'Have a nice Easter'.\nHope this will answer your questions!\nTiff\n\nSHALOM & WELCOME\nto a celebration of the Jewish holiday of Pesach (Passover) \nPassover is the 8 day observance commemorating the freedom and exodus of the Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II. \nA time of family gatherings and lavish meals called Seders, the story of Passover is retold through the reading of the Haggadah. With its special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the focal point of the Passover celebration. Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. As the Jewish day begins at sundown the night before, for the year 2006, the first night of Passover will be April 12th.
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Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, If Jesus has not resurrected our faith would be vain.
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The association of eggs with the Easter Bunny is actually a recent one. It seems to be the result of an ad campaign by European candy makers who wanted to advertise their product. The egg, long a symbol of fertility, had long been a traditional staple of Easter celebrations. The pairing of the Easter Egg and the Easter Bunny at the end of the nineteenth century was not only a stroke of marketing genius, but also well-founded in the traditions of the past.
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I think that some of the people answering this question would benefit greatly from an elementary history lesson. Easter, in it's original form, was very much a Pagan holiday.  You can deny it until you're blue in the face, that doesn't change history.\n\nWhen Christians were forcing people to convert, they took over the Pagan holidays because it was easier to manipulate those holidays than it was to get Pagans to celebrate new ones.  So, they took over our holidays, built their churches on our sacred space and called it a day.  That's history, not opinion.  It's fact, look it up.
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Sunday.\n\n"In Western Christianity, Easter always falls on a Sunday from March 22 to April 25 inclusive. The following day, Easter Monday, is a legal holiday in many countries with predominantly Christian traditions. In Eastern Christianity, Easter always falls between April 4 and May 8 based on the Gregorian date."
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Easter is an annual festival observed throughout the Christian world. The date for Easter shifts every year within the Gregorian Calendar. The Gregorian Calendar is the standard international calendar for civil use. In addition, it regulates the ceremonial cycle of the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. The current Gregorian ecclesiastical rules that determine the date of Easter trace back to 325 CE at the First Council of Nicaea convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine. At that time the Roman world used the Julian Calendar (put in place by Julius Caesar). \n\nThe Council decided to keep Easter on a Sunday, the same Sunday throughout the world. To fix incontrovertibly the date for Easter, and to make it determinable indefinitely in advance, the Council constructed special tables to compute the date. These tables were revised in the following few centuries resulting eventually in the tables constructed by the 6th century Abbot of Scythia, Dionysis Exiguus. Nonetheless, different means of calculations continued in use throughout the Christian world. \n\nIn 1582 Gregory XIII (Pope of the Roman Catholic Church) completed a reconstruction of the Julian calendar and produced new Easter tables. One major difference between the Julian and Gregorian Calendar is the "leap year rule". See our FAQ on Calendars for a description of the difference. Universal adoption of this Gregorian calendar occurred slowly. By the 1700's, though, most of western Europe had adopted the Gregorian Calendar. The Eastern Christian churches still determine the Easter dates using the older Julian Calendar method. \n\nThe usual statement, that Easter Day is the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs next after the vernal equinox, is not a precise statement of the actual ecclesiastical rules. The full moon involved is not the astronomical Full Moon but an ecclesiastical moon (determined from tables) that keeps, more or less, in step with the astronomical Moon. \n\nThe ecclesiastical rules are: \n\nEaster falls on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox; \nthis particular ecclesiastical full moon is the 14th day of a tabular lunation (new moon); and \nthe vernal equinox is fixed as March 21. \nresulting in that Easter can never occur before March 22 or later than April 25. The Gregorian dates for the ecclesiastical full moon come from the Gregorian tables. Therefore, the civil date of Easter depends upon which tables - Gregorian or pre-Gregorian - are used. The western (Roman Catholic and Protestant) Christian churches use the Gregorian tables; many eastern (Orthodox) Christian churches use the older tables based on the Julian Calendar. \nIn a congress held in 1923, the eastern churches adopted a modified Gregorian Calendar and decided to set the date of Easter according to the astronomical Full Moon for the meridian of Jerusalem. However, a variety of practices remain among the eastern churches. \n\nThere are three major differences between the ecclesiastical system and the astronomical system. \n\nThe times of the ecclesiastical full moons are not necessarily identical to the times of astronomical Full Moons. The ecclesiastical tables did not account for the full complexity of the lunar motion. \nThe vernal equinox has a precise astronomical definition determined by the actual apparent motion of the Sun as seen from the Earth. It is the precise time at which the apparent ecliptic longitude of the Sun is zero. (Yes, the Sun's ecliptic longitude, not its declination, is used for the astronomical definition.) This precise time shifts within the civil calendar very slightly from year to year. In the ecclesiastical system the vernal equinox does not shift; it is fixed at March 21 regardless of the actual motion of the Sun. \nThe date of Easter is a specific calendar date. Easter starts when that date starts for your local time zone. The vernal equinox occurs at a