Happy Easter!
The oldest, most important festival in the Christian Church is Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Easter falls between March 21 and April 25 every year. How is the date chosen?
It takes place on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the northern spring equinox.
But how did Easter become what it is today? People all over the world, who are not necessarily Christian, join in the celebration in many different ways.
Take the Easter bunny for instance… The first Easter Bunny legend was documented in the 1500s. The bunny is related to a German goddess of fertility whose symbol was the rabbit. Another Easter recurrence? Eggs. Just like spring itself, which symbolizes new life and rebirth, eggs too are an ancient symbol of fertility.
My favorite Easter story, which isn't religious, is from Haux, France. Each year in Haux, a giant omelet is served up in the town's main square for Easter. The omelet uses more than 4,500 eggs and feeds over 1,000 people. As the story goes, in the early 19th century, Napoleon and his army were traveling through the south of France. Famished from their travels, they stopped in the small town of Haux and ate omelets. Napoleon liked his so much that he ordered the townspeople to gather their eggs and make a giant omelet for his army the next day. Believe it or not, the people of Haux doing this ever since on Easter Sunday unless interrupted by war.
Whatever your traditions are this holiday - roasting lamb, eating hot cross buns, dyeing eggs, picnicking, decorating baskets - BuDhaGirl wishes everyone a very happy Easter.
