By Klaus Döring
Each year, Easter falls on a different day – and this year it’s coming a little early. In 2024, Easter falls on Sunday, March 31. But why is the holiday coming earlier than usual, and how is it determined? According to experts, it has to do with a full moon.
Easter Monday is a Christian holiday celebrated the day after Easter Sunday.
In many countries in Europe and South America, this day is known as “Little Easter”. The Catholic Church calls it “Monday of the Angel”.
Formerly, it was celebrated as Easter Week in many places but this was reduced to a one-day celebration in the 19th century.
Emperor Constantine (272-337 AD) imposed eight consecutive public holidays in Rome, a period called the “Octave of Easter”. Monday, like other days, was a public holiday. Masses were held every day to celebrate the Easter feast. During this period, pilgrims could also take the opportunity to travel to Rome. This Easter octave, however, came to an end under Napoleon Bonaparte.
From 1801 and the signing of the Concordat with the Pope, the then-First Consul undertook to reorganize the practices of the Catholic Church of France. He also removed public holidays, which numbered 50 at the time. Napoleon chose to keep Assumption, Ascension, Christmas and All Saints. On the other hand, it abolished the public holiday week following Easter, keeping only one day exempt from work: Monday.
To die is to live! We are always shocked when in the middle of our surroundings, somebody passes away. Our usual questions are: “Why die so young? Why he, why she? A natural reaction, indeed.
When Jesus finally gave up His spirit on the cross after three hours of bitter agony, the Pharisees said: “Finally, that impostor has gone. He deserved to die that kind of death!”
Let’s remember: After the waving of the tree branches by the Jewish crowd and Hosannas of Palm Sunday, the arrest of Jesus betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Olives, the imprisonment and humiliation of Holy Thursday night, the carrying of the cross, crucifixion, and death at Good Friday, – Jesus Christ rose from the tomb on Easter Sunday – glorious and will never and die again!
For Jesus, dying was not the end of everything. It was the beginning of a new life. Symbolically we see the Easter Resurrection of our Lord depicted in various ways, which always point to life after death. Especially in parts of the world where deep winter lets all plants and trees “sleep” for a couple of months, people enjoy the spirit of the new shoots that come out of a big trunk of a tree.
Eggs were usually symbols used in springtime long before Christianity came into existence. The eggs symbolize life, which its causing it to grow. Since Easter usually occurs at spring time (March or April), which is already summer in the Philippines, this egg-symbol was still in use among the pagans of early times when Christian were celebrating Easter.
A blessed Easter to all of you, my dear readers. Walk this day with great confidence in your heart, mind and soul.
And, enjoy your egg hunting with your loved ones!
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