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Back around 325 CE at the First Council of
Nicaea convened by the Roman Emperor
Constantine, it was decided to keep Easter on a
Sunday, ending the observances of Holy Week.
Holy Week or Semana Santa (the Spanish name for
it) is the last week in the season of Lent and
begins with the observance of Palm
Sunday-commemorating Jesus' triumphant entry
into Jerusalem where the crowds laid palms at
his feet. Friday in Holy Week is the anniversary
of the Crucifixion, the day that Christ died on
the cross.
Why the name 'Easter' ?
It's believed by scholars that the name 'Easter'
stems from two mythological pagan Goddesses-the
Scandinavian 'Ostra' and the Teutonic 'Ostern'
or 'Eastre'. Both were Goddesses of fertility,
spring and abundance and their festival was
celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox.
Rightly then, the festival of Spring, when the
spirit of a new beginning captures all, gets the
name Easter. On the religious level, as with
most Christian countries, the 'rebirth' of
Christ was reason enough to rejoice and here
too, it's a new beginning ! So the attribution
of the name 'Easter' to a festival which
celebrates renewal in all forms-in the nature
and in religion-is quite apt and pertinent. The
8th-century English historian St. Bede believed
that the name Easter was derived from the names
of these Goddesses and that 'Eastre' was later
modified to 'Easter'. Easter celebrations
therefore included the traditions from those
pagan times since those who were converted found
it difficult to let go of them.
Since time immemorial, people have rejoiced at
the coming of Spring, when nature (and man)
chucks off the dreariness of winter and breaks
out in bright, rejuvenating, awesome colors.
Celebrated by different cultures and in
different ways, the season of Spring signifies a
rebirth and the beginning of new life.
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