All About Easter (Pascha)

Easter History, Information, Prayers, Resources, Traditions, & More

Easter Definition and Summary

Easter, also called Pascha, is the feast of Christ's resurrection from the dead. It is celebrated on the Sunday following Holy Week. Easter is also a 50-day season, often called Eastertide. In 2010, in the Western Calendar, Easter falls on April 4 (dates in other years). Prayers: Easter Prayers

Basic Facts About Easter

Liturgical Color(s): White
Type of Holiday: Feast
Time of Year: Varies; follows Holy Week and Lent
Duration: Fifty Days; Easter Sunday up to Pentecost, inclusive
Celebrates/Symbolizes: The Resurrection of Christ
Alternate Names: Pascha (Easter is the Anglo-Saxon name)
Scriptural References: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20

Introduction

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said (Matthew 28:5-6b, RSV).

Every gospel provides an account of the resurrection, which makes perfect sense, because the bodily resurrection of Jesus is and has been the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Saint Paul makes this clear when he reminds us that our faith is in vain without Christ's resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:14). Easter (also called "Pascha" or some variant by most non-English speaking Christians) celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, and it is the greatest and oldest feast of the Church. Even the term "Pascha" is borrowed from the Jewish word for "Passover," and Easter is calculated based on the lunar calendar (all other feasts are on the solar calendar). These facts show the ancient, probably Apostolic, origins of Easter. We even possess a baptismal liturgy of Easter dating to the mid-third century. Traditionally, the Pascha celebration began with a lengthy vigil, the "mother of all vigils" according to St. Augustine. The whole history of salvation is retold during the vigil, through scripture and liturgy. At the Easter Vigil (in the West) three traditions developed: the baptism of new converts, lighting of the paschal candle, and the blessing of the new fire (taken from the Jewish blessing of the lamp on the eve of the Sabbath). The new fire is often processed into the Church to light the Paschal candle. Eucharist is then celebrated in the morning hours, being also the first Eucharist of new converts. In general, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican Vigil services consist of variants of this ancient model. The West also celebrates the octave of Easter. These eight days are all solemnities in the Western liturgical calendar. Actually, these days even take precedence over other solemnities that can fall within the Octave of Easter, including the Annunciation.

Easter follows Holy Week, and is the third and final day of the Paschal Triduum, the three day period which began on the evening of Holy Thursday. The evening prayer of Easter Day officially ends the Triduum. The Triduum contains the heart of the Christian faith: Jesus' death and resurrection. Easter is not just a day, but an entire fifty day season, called Eastertide, marked by joyful festivities and liturgical fullness. You might hear "Christ is Risen!" and "Alleluia!" frequently during the Easter season, because we are joyfully celebrating Christ's bodily resurrection. The Feast of the Ascension falls within Easter season. The 50-day season of Easter runs up to, and includes, the Feast of Pentecost.

Of note, Western and Orthodox celebrations of Easter (Pascha) vary in certain ways. Usually Orthodox and Western Christians celebrate Easter on two different Sundays. The reason is that Orthodox churches still base their calculation of Easter's day on the Julian calendar, whereas Western churches follow the Gregorian calendar. In order to keep the date of Easter on a Sunday, the date changes yearly based on the Paschal full moon. The possible date range for Western Easter day is March 21st-April 25th. So what is the rule for finding the date of Easter? Put simply, Easter is observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the day of the vernal equinox. The vernal equinox is the beginning of astronomical spring. However, ecclesiastical rules are slightly more complicated than this formula.

History

As mentioned above, in the ancient Church the feast of Christ's resurrection was the pinnacle of the Christian year. Following a three year process of training and education, converts were baptized and received their first communion at Easter. Saturday night (Holy Saturday) began with candlelight, and anticipated the return of Jesus Christ. As dawn came, Christians joyfully celebrated Christ's resurrection and victory over evil.

Easter was not entirely without controversy in the early Church. Different Church regions were celebrating Easter at different times, and all claimed Apostolic authority. This controversy is called the Quartodeciman (Latin for "fourteenism") controversy. In Asia Minor, many churches, including the church at Smyrna under the pastoral care of St. Polycarp, were celebrating Easter on the 14th of Nisan, following Jewish Passover customs. However, Church historian Eusebius tells us that the Church in Rome and most other Catholic dioceses always celebrated Easter on a Sunday. Both customs may have derived from Apostolic authority, but by the time of Origen (230 AD), the numbers of Quartodecimans were few. Also, differences arose between the Churches of Antioch and Alexandria as to the computation of the Paschal Moon. The Council of Nicaea settled the date of Easter (for the time being), in favor of the Alexandrians, putting Easter on the Sunday after the vernal equinox. However, as discussed above, Eastern Orthodox and Western/Eastern Catholic Easter falls on different dates because of differing calendars.

The English word for the feast of the resurrection, Easter, differs from the feast's name in other regions. In other regions the term is "Pascha," which is derived from the word for "Passover." The word "Easter" might come from an Anglo-Saxon spring goddess. This is probably because the festival of Easter overlapped some pagan holiday in ancient England. While some have used this fact to say celebrating Easter is pagan, the fact is that only the name comes from a pagan source, probably stemming from popular usage (see FAQ below).

Today Easter is celebrated in a variety of ways. Usually (in liturgical Churches) Easter follows a week of busy Holy Week services (Good Friday, Maundy Thursday, etc). Often the first service of Easter is the Great Vigil. Many times the service is shortened from the earlier all-night celebrations. Some modern ones go from 10PM-1AM, with Eucharist occurring at 12:00AM or so. Unfortunately, in many churches the festival of the resurrection is simply another day of the year, while to the early Christians, it was the most important day.

Worship And Prayer Resources

Easter (Pascha) Prayers
Sermon on the Resurrection I by Pope St. Leo
Paschal Sermon by St. John Chrysostom
Sermon for Easter Three: Called in Our Weakness
Sermon for Easter Six: The Struggle of the Early Church
Sermon for Easter Seven: Full Participation in the Life of God
Catholic Hymns for the Easter Season (MIDI format)

Easter and Church Year Books

Catechism of the Catholic Church
Holy Bible: New Jerusalem Bible
Christian Prayer: Liturgy of the Hours
The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Cross and Livingstone, eds.)
New St. Joseph People's Prayer Book
The Study of Liturgy (Jones, ed.)
Spirit of the Liturgy (Ratzinger)
More Christian & Church Year Books

Traditions, Symbols, & Typology

Traditions
White Vestments and Linens
Ringing Bells in Celebration
Baptizing New Converts
Lighting of the Paschal Candle
Having Lamb for Easter dinner

Symbols
Lambs (Christ as lamb)
Lily (symbolizes the resurrection)
Colored Eggs
Empty Crosses

Old Testament Typology Foreshadowing the Resurrection
Samson Carrying Off the Gates of Gaza
Daniel Coming Forth from the Lion's Den
The Three Youths Emerging from the Furnace
Jonah Coming Forth From the Whale

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Easter a Pagan Holiday?
No. Easter is the feast of the resurrection of Jesus. As such it has its origins in a purely Christian and Jewish setting. Christians have used universal symbols to celebrate Easter that are not specifically Jewish, but that does not mean they are pagan. Also, some object that the name "Easter" comes from the name of a pagan goddess. This is true. However, only the name is derived from the pagan celebration. This probably happened because when whole towns converted to Christianity from paganism, out of habit most common folk simply referred to the new Christian festival by the name of the old festival that happened at the same time before the town became Christian. In our little town we had a "Cardinal Market" for years. Even after the Cardinal Market closed down, people still called the new market by that name. The same is true of "Easter." Another possibility is that missionaries replaced the former festivals with the Christian ones gradually over time, so as to be able to convert the pagans without immediately turning them off. Also, the festival of the Resurrection is not even called Easter in other languages, but is a derivation of the word "Pascha."

2. Why Make So Much of a Fuss at Easter?
Easter is a big deal...a VERY big deal. The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christian doctrine and experience. Without the resurrection, Jesus would just have been another rabbi and failed Messiah. A good case can be made that the belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus caused the rapid spread of Christianity, because the resurrection vindicated Jesus' teachings and personal claims. If Christ is not alive and risen today, Christianity is just another philosophy, and our worship is in vain. These and others are reasons why we celebrate the resurrection specifically for 50 days with such gusto. Remember that every Sunday is a feast of the resurrection, and a kind of "mini-Easter." However, we specifically celebrate the resurrection during the 50 days of Easter.

3. What Are Some of the Sundays and Weeks Within Eastertide Called?
The Easter Octave (Easter Sunday through the Second Sunday of Easter, 8 days total) is called Bright Week, and the custom is to wear new clothes. The name probably comes from the bright white clothes the newly baptized wore to Mass during the Easter Octave. The Second Sunday of Easter is known as Low Sunday, to distinguish it from the "high" feast of Easter. However, the name could come from the fact that attendance was usually low the Sunday following Easter. Finally, the days between Ascension and Pentecost (which includes one Sunday) are referred to as Expectation Week, because the Apostles prayed with expectant faith for the coming of the Holy Spirit during this week.

4. Is Friday Penance / Abstinence Still Obligatory During the Easter Season?
As far as we can tell, yes, Fridays within the Easter Season are still days of penance / abstinence in the Catholic Western Rite, unless a solemnity falls on a Friday. Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches may have differing disciplines, so it is always wise to check the canon laws of each Church. While some sources have suggested that the Fridays of the Easter season are not days of penance and/or abstinence in the West, canon law and most sources make it clear that every Friday of the year (unless a solemnity falls on that Friday) is a day of penance. However, the Octave of Easter is an exception. According to the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar (14 February 1969), every day within the octave of Easter is considered a solemnity. Thus, the requirement of Friday abstinence is lifted during the Easter Octave. So while the Easter season is certainly a time of joyful Christian feasting, this is not to say there is no place for Friday penance. Penance is something we should do all the time, even in times of great rejoicing.

5. What is the Paschal Triduum?
The Paschal Triduum, often called the Easter Triduum or simply the Triduum, consists of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. This includes the Great Easter Vigil, the high point of the Triduum. The word Triduum comes from the Latin word meaning "three days." It begins the evening of Maundy Thursday and ends at Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday. Thus the Triduum consists of three full days which begin and end in the evening. The Triduum technically is not part of Lent (at least liturgically), but Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are still reckoned as part of the traditional forty day Lenten fast. The Triduum celebrates the heart of our faith and salvation: the death and resurrection of Christ, and is thus the high point of the liturgical year. For more information, visit our page, All About the Paschal Triduum.

6. Why Does the Church Celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus on a Sunday?
It is long-held Tradition, based on the Biblical texts, that Jesus died on a Friday and rose from the dead on a Sunday, which would place the Last Supper on a Thursday night. Scripture tells us that Jesus rose from the dead "early on the first day of the week" (Mark 16:2, RSV). It was on the same day (the first day of the week) that Jesus met his apostles on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:1). John also confirms that Jesus rose on a Sunday (John 20:1). The early Church Fathers universally held that Jesus rose from the dead on a Sunday, and worshiped on Sunday, "The Lord's Day." The Fathers also testify to the Institution of the Eucharist on a Thursday and a Friday crucifixion of Jesus. Even though Jesus tells us that he was to be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights, in ancient Jewish reckoning, this included partial days. Thus, Jesus was saying that his time in the earth would span three days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). Saint Justin Martyr (writing in 150 AD) testifies to both Sunday worship and a Friday crucifixion of Jesus:

But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples... (First Apology 67)

The Didache (70-90 AD) also mentions Sunday worship, and fasting on Fridays (likely connected to Jesus' crucifixion that day):

Let not your fasts be with the hypocrites... but fast on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday)...But every Lord's day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure (8, 14).

The Apostolic Constitutions (late 4th century) verifies the same chronology. Note that, based on Scripture, this document provides the rationale for the dates of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.

And on the fifth day of the week (Thursday), when we had eaten the Passover with Him, and when Judas had dipped his hand into the dish, and received the sop, and was gone out by night, the Lord said to us: "The hour is come that ye shall be dispersed, and shall leave me alone" (V:3:XIV).

...it being the day of the preparation (Friday), they delivered Him to Pilate the Roman governor, accusing Him of many and great things, none of which they could prove...[Jesus] commanded us to fast on the fourth and sixth (Friday) days of the week; the former on account of His being betrayed, and the latter on account of His passion (V:3:XIV, XV).

But when the first day of the week (Sunday) dawned He arose from the dead, and fulfilled those things which before His passion He foretold to us, saying: "The Son of man must continue in the heart of the earth three days and three nights" (V:3:XIV).

Virtually every Church Father who addresses the issue agrees with the traditional dating of a Thursday Last Supper, Friday Crucifixion, and Sunday resurrection. This includes those Church Fathers and writings mentioned above, but also Ignatius (105 AD), Pseudo-Barnabas (120 AD), Clement of Alexandria (195 AD), and many others. This chronology is firmly based on Scripture, and universally verified by Tradition.

Art and Poetry

Icon of the Resurrection (Obermeyer)
Icon of the Resurrection (Traditional)
He is Risen! The First Easter (Arthur Hughes)
The Morning of the Resurrection (Burne-Jones)
Resurrection (Albrecht Altdorfer)
Noli Me Tangere (Correggio)
Easter Procession at St. Mark's (Prendergast)
More Christian and Liturgical Artwork

General Links

"Easter" from the Catholic Encyclopedia
On The Resurrection of Jesus Christ: A Catholic View
Jump Into the Mystery of Christ: Easter and an Ex-Girlfriend
Christian Holy Days and Paganism (Are Christmas and Easter Pagan?)
Easter Holidays, Poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Table of Movable Major Catholic Seasons and Holidays

About ChurchYear.Net

In the course of a year, the Church celebrates the unfolding of the mystery of Christ, beginning with Advent, anticipating his first coming, and reaching a high point at Easter, the feast of feasts, celebrating Christ's resurrection. Through the Church Year, which includes the seasonal, daily, and yearly cycles of Christian time, we commemorate, and participate in, events in the lives of Jesus and his followers, through sanctified time. Thus, we experience in symbol what Jesus and his followers did in reality. We do this through daily prayer (The Liturgy of the Hours), worship, the Eucharist, the sacraments, art, changing colors, canticles, psalms, antiphons, symbols, and other means.

The Church Year, including all liturgical celebrations and times of prayer, is one of the most meaningful dimensions of the Catholic faith. Many Christians of all traditions feel drawn to this system of holy time, and prefer to orient their lives around the Christian calendar instead of the secular calendar. Postmodern men and women feel especially drawn to many elements of Sanctified Time: mystery, connection to the past, and a multitude of religious symbols and experiential elements. Thus the Church Year is a postmodern Catholic evangelism tool, and a means of spiritual growth for all who use it.

We now have All About...! pages for every season of the Church Year, and have many All About...! pages for various feasts, fasts, and holy days of the Church Year. Each All About...! page has a history, general facts, scriptural references, traditions, symbols, links, worship resources, sermons, an FAQ, and more material related to the particular season or holy day. We also have a helpful Church Year and Liturgy Dictionary, to define certain unfamiliar terms and practices. We are expanding our resources to include general prayers, language resources, and other tools peripherally related to celebrating the Church Year, but still important to its celebration. Enjoy!

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This page written by David Bennett. Last updated 03-24-2009.