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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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