Easter facts for kids

A fresco (wall painting) of the resurrection by Fra Angelico in Florence, Italy

Easter, also known as Resurrection Day, is a special holiday celebrated each spring. For Christians, it's a time to remember Jesus Christ being raised from the dead. Christians believe this is the most important day of their year. Some people who are not Christians also celebrate Easter as a way to welcome spring. Many people go to church on Easter, even if they don't go regularly.

Easter doesn't happen on the same date every year. This is called a moveable feast. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that happens on or after March 21st. This means it can be in March or April. The earliest it can be is March 22, and the latest is April 25. Western churches, like the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian groups, use the Gregorian calendar. Eastern churches, like the Eastern Orthodox Church, use the Julian calendar. Because of this, the date of Easter can be different for these two groups, even though they calculate it in a similar way. In 2015, Easter was on April 5 for both calendars.

The English word "Easter" comes from Eostre. She was an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. Her festival happened around the vernal equinox, which is when spring officially begins. The French word for Easter, Pâcques, comes from the Greek word for Passover. Passover is a Jewish holiday celebrated around the same time of year.

Why Easter is Important to Christians

A traditional outdoor procession during Bright Week by the Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church.

About 2,000 years ago, Jesus died on the cross in a city called Jerusalem. Most of Jerusalem is now in the country of Israel. The people who caused His death believed He was causing trouble for the government. They also didn't like that He claimed to be the Messiah. When they crucified Him (nailed Him to a cross to die), they put a sign above His head that said, "King of the Jews." The day He was crucified is known by Christians as Good Friday.

The New Testament says that on the third day after Jesus was killed, He was raised from the tomb where He had been laid. Later, Jesus appeared to more than 500 people and taught them. The New Testament teaches that Jesus's resurrection is the main idea that Christianity is built on. His resurrection made people believe that Jesus is the powerful Son of God. It also shows that God will judge the world fairly. Christians believe that God has given them "a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Christians believe that by having faith in God, they are spiritually made alive with Jesus. This allows them to live a new life.

Easter Customs and Traditions

Easter eggs

Easter is celebrated in many ways in northern Europe and the United States. Most of these celebrations are not directly linked to the Christian meaning of the holiday. These traditions are more connected to old pagan festivals from ancient Germany. Children often receive baskets filled with candy. People decorate eggs and hide them for children to find. Many people wear new clothes and go to church. Greeting cards are also exchanged. An Easter Egg Roll is held on the lawn of the White House the day after Easter. Small trees or branches without leaves are brought inside and decorated with colored eggs, paper, and lights. Some shopping malls let children visit with an adult dressed as the Easter Bunny. Tulips, hyacinths, and lilies are given as gifts. Many families take week-long vacations after Easter Day to visit relatives. In America, many families travel from cold northern states to visit amusement parks or sunny beaches in the south. Spring break for American students usually happens around Easter time.

Easter Egg Hunts with Social Distancing

Windows decorated by families to celebrate Easter in 2020

Many people around the world could not celebrate Easter in 2020 in their usual ways. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, they had to stay away from other people. The phrase "social distancing" became very common during this time.

Some online groups created "virtual Easter Egg Hunts." In these, children could decorate their windows and doors with Easter crafts for neighbors to see.

Jacinda Ardern's Easter Egg hunt message to the kids of New Zealand

Fun Facts About Easter

• Pretzels are connected to Easter. A pretzel looks like arms folded in prayer.
• Many people used to eat lamb on Easter because it was near Passover. But Americans started eating ham because it could be cured over the winter and be ready to eat by spring.
• The tradition of wearing new clothes on Easter came from an old superstition. It said that if someone wore new clothes, they would have good luck for the rest of the year.
• The first chocolate egg was made in Bristol, England, in 1873.
• Cadbury started making chocolate eggs in 1875. Today, Cadbury makes 1.5 million creme eggs every day.
• Decorating eggs has been a custom in Ukraine for centuries. It was a way to ask the gods and goddesses for health and good crops.
• Every year, Americans spend $1.5 billion on Easter candy. About 70% of this is chocolate.
• Vegreville, Alberta, Canada, has the world's largest Easter egg. It weighs 1,500 pounds!
• Since 1878, the President of the United States and their family have held a "White House Easter Egg Roll."

Related Pages

• Advent
• Epiphany (holiday)
• Carnival
• Computus
• Ash Wednesday
• Lent
• Pentecost
• Trinity
• Sacred Heart
• Easter crafts for kids

Images for kids

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  The Last Supper celebrated by Jesus and his disciples. Early Christians also celebrated this meal to remember Jesus's death and resurrection.

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  A stained-glass window showing the Passover Lamb, an important idea for Easter.

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  People lighting their candles from the new flame, after the priest has brought it from the altar. All electric lights are off, and only the oil lamps in front of the Iconostasis are lit. (St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Adelaide).

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  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, a fresco by Piero della Francesca, 1463.

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  An icon of the Resurrection by an unknown 17th-century Bulgarian artist.

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  Traditional red Easter eggs ready to be blessed by a priest.

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  A priest blessing baskets with Easter eggs and other foods not eaten during Great Lent.

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  A priest giving out blessed Easter eggs after blessing the Soyuz rocket.

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  Easter eggs, a symbol of the empty tomb, are a popular cultural symbol of Easter.

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  Marshmallow rabbits, candy eggs, and other treats in an Easter basket.

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  An Easter egg decorated with the Easter Bunny.

See also

In Spanish: Pascua para niños