Easter: Origins and Significance

“The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here. He has risen, just as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead!” (Mt. 28:5-7b)

Easter is the oldest and most important festival in the Christian calendar. It commemorates the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is a central teaching of the Christian faith. The holiday marks the culmination of Holy Week underscoring the foundational role of the resurrection in Christianity.

The origins of Easter trace back to the earliest Christian communities of the 1st century. Over time, a variety of traditions emerged as the festival was observed. Originally, Easter was celebrated around the same time each year, but because the resurrection of Jesus did not have a fixed calendar date, there was considerable variation in determining when Easter should occur.

Easter became a moveable feast, celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, which occurs around March 21. This method for calculating the date was formalized at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., which marks its 1,700^th anniversary this year.

The timing of Easter is closely connected to the Jewish Passover, as both are determined by lunar cycles. The Council of Nicaea formalized the date for Easter to highlight the historical link between those Old Testament Christians who anticipated the coming of Christ and those New Testament Christians who still reflect on His incarnation, death, and resurrection even today.

By standardizing the date of Easter, the Holy Christian Church promoted a unified celebration among Christians across the Roman Empire—a practice that continues in dating Easter still today.

Defining the date of Easter allowed the early church to emphasize its importance, solidify the teaching surrounding the resurrection, and reinforce the beliefs that serve as the foundation of authentic Christianity throughout the ages. He is risen!