why is  easter so imporane?
147093
Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, If Jesus has not resurrected our faith would be vain.
412388
Because there is no "True meaning".  The celebration of xmas is supposed to represent the birth of jesus, but no one knows when that actually happened (some even question the existence of the man, but that is another subject).\n\n"Easter" is actually the "goddess of fetility" and she represented "life returning" in the spring (after the cold dark winter 'death').\n\nBoth xmas and Easter started as pagan rites/rituals and traditions to celebrate "the return of the sun" after darkness of winters.  xmas was the birthday of a pagan god (I do not recall the name presently), and when the pagan leaders switched to christianity, they kept the rites and holidays, only switched the meaning to match their 'new god' (jesus).\n\nXmas was actully the "yule time" when they went out and got the largest log they could find and burned it for days to bring light back.  It was a HUGE celebration with lots of sex, drinking and partying.  In fact in early American history (when the Puritans were still in charge) xmas was BANNED - because it was such a huge drinking/sex/party.\n\nHow it is celebrated now has only been around for less than 100 years - not really much of a tradition in the sense of its "true meaning".  Its not a celebration of spring, not a celebration of light, not a big party (though there is still drinking by a few).  Easter, also is not celebrated by honoring the goddess whose name it holds, but the symbols of rabbits and eggs (symbols of fertility and new life) are still in the picture.\n\nThe problem, again, is the "real" meaning has been skewed by christians (xians) and so you don't even know that you don't know the true meaning yourself.
414536
Mostly the same way becuase everyone who celebrates easter in celebrating a christian holiday.  The only difference could be is food.  But most people do about the same thing.  Boil eggs, color them, eat the, eat candy, get new clothes, dress up easter sunday, go to church, be with the family.
337977
Eggs are associated with Easter for a very simple reason - the egg is seen as the symbol of life (a young chick, duckling etc will grow from it). Then, it also represents Jesus's grave. So when we break the eggs we are remembering what Jesus did when he resurrected and came to life from the dead and got out from his grave (so breaking the egg is similar to Jesus opening his grave).\n\nThe Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the Spring season. (more about this one at the website below:)
452139
:}\nIsn't it interesting that many of these same Correspondences have been retained in the Christian celebration of easter. Not only have they been retained, but they have taken on new and meaningful symbolism. \nEven the name of the Holiday:  Eostre's Day and Easter Day \nEaster bunnies and colored eggs including the Pastel Colours:\nPink, Yellow, Grass Green, Robin's Egg Blue\n\nI for one am thankful that pagan holiday which was as lust oriented as was the Vernal Equinox could have been apropiated to such an important spiritual purpose.
853152
We celebrate it because it is the birth of Jesus Christ. We (Christians) also celebrate Easter because it was then that Jesus awoke from the dead, three days after He was crucified.
88564
it depends on the theme - thansgiving or easter etc...
234205
because Christianity has been chopped/ cut/ shredded/ and packaged for convenience\n\nhow does chocolate bunnies and Resurrection go together?
353731
The day Easter is is determined this way.  Easter always falls on the first Sunday following the First full moon after the spring equinox.
1045743
Only with great difficulty.\n\nSee http://www.davros.org/misc/easter.html
591472
Easter comes from a Babylonian celebration of Ishtar the goddess of fertility in mesopotamia. That is also where the bunny and eggs come from the idea of fertility new life etc... This was related to the Resurrection of Jesus when Consantine made Christianity the state religion in Rome (ca 300ad) and pagan holidays began being adopted by the church. So I don't really celebrate Easter I celebrate the Resurrection of my Lord. No baskets eggs or bunnies in my home. Just Jesus and He is all we need.
322402
You can just ask what Easter means for them, and then tell them what it means for you (take and give). They might be more opened if they see you are really interested in what they say.
301096
In the Western churches, the date of Easter is set (more or less) as the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs next after the vernal equinox.  The vernal equinox, of course, is the event that begins spring, on or around March 21 each year.\n\nI say "more or less" because there are some other minor considerations for which church officials over the centuries have actually spent a great deal of time and effort in drawing up rules, tables, pronouncements, etc.  For most years, however, the above statement is the rule.
324788
Easter Sunday's date is loosely based on the Jewish calendar. That is the reason it is so complicated. And the reason it is based on the Jewish calendar is that the historical event occurred on the Jewish holiday of Passover. (Note, however, that some years, the computation of Easter does *not* bring it to a date on or near Passover, as the computation is different for 2 or 3--I don't remember any more--of the 19 year cycle.)\n\nThere are 2 different ways to calculate the date in any given year. One is based on a list of 19 dates (when you get to the bottom of the list, you start over at the beginning), where Easter is the Sunday following the corresponding date on the list.\n\nThe other method requires computing full moons after the (northern hemisphere) spring equinox, then adding days, again to bring it to a Sunday.\n\nThis is somewhat simplified. It is the basic information, not the detail. See below if you want to do the math yourself. Note, also, that the Eastern churches celebrate Easter on different dates in most years.
301068
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 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.
394307
Easter is the celebration of Jesus Christ's Resurrection from the dead.
296732
EASTER 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?