Easter Mass can just as easily represent the symbolic traditions that people have come to accept as fact as it can be an emotional and spiritual awakening. However, it is impossible to have an awakening without at least a question. How can one awake if they were never “asleep,” so to speak, or off center about their spiritual beliefs.

When experiencing Easter or Easter Mass in the face of tragedy or in the wake of a loved one’s death, it can also be a stirring time when the soul asks questions about their relevance to the process and the Spirit’s true indignation toward them. Few people like to readily admit when they are experiencing a time of spiritual crisis or a place of religious questioning. That’s a shame, since almost all of us go through it regardless of our denomination or lack thereof.

A spiritual crisis can lead a person back to Easter Mass or lead them away. What is important is that the spiritual journey not ever concludes. Just like with every other aspect of our lives, the instant we stop learning and growing is the instant we stop truly experiencing life.

As children we are taught many version of a basic truth. Good things do happen to bad people and bad things do happen to good people. It just is, and we are not truly in control of such things, which is why we have faith in a higher power. Our faith can be so strong and yet it can seem so fragile. Yet even as adults, when our crisis of spirit and our crisis of life seems so incredibly overpowering and wrong, can Easter Mass really bring us to spiritual enlightenment?

Well, yes it can and no, it can’t. Spiritual enlightenment is not one single mind blowing flash of light that changes our perceptions forever and then we can close the book because we now know everything there is to know. Spiritual enlightenment is a perpetual journey that guides us both closer and farther from God. In much the same way we segregated ourselves from our parents I our delightful adolescence in order to form our own identity, so too must we struggle with our beliefs in order to call them our own. In most cases, we are handed our beliefs by our parents, and it is often much later in life that we truly question the basis of those beliefs. What does this have to do with Easter Mass? Everything.

Easter Mass always has been and always will be considered one of the most spiritual events known to man. Even non-Catholics get a sense of energy from Easter Mass, an energy that can only be described as spiritual in nature. It is always a little more likely to have moments of spiritual growth during the most intense spiritual traditions, although they can happen while taking a shower or brushing your teeth, the stage is set more or less for awakenings of spiritual proportions on Easter Sunday.

The choir is just a little more in tune, the lighting of the candles takes just a moments longer with just a little more thought, people who have been showing up in jeans dress in their actual Sunday best, and of course, the sermon is ignited with papal flair. Whether wandering back from a spiritual journey that sparked a thirst for greater knowledge or conflicted with questions that reflect the very essence of whom and what we are, spiritual knowledge can be gained by simply opening yourself up to the possibilities that are present right in front of you. Be kind to yourself, recognize your spirit’s desire, and allow it to be guided, and perhaps this upcoming Easter Mass will provide you with the right motivation to hear the answers you seek.

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According to a poll by Western Union for Forbes Magazine, the most returned gift of the season is apparel. That ugly sweater your aunt gave you, the dumb overalls your brother bought you, and the two sizes too small nightgown that your friend gave you? Yep, all going back to the store. In fact, around 75% of the gifts returned to major departments stores after the holidays are shoes and apparel, and most people return without receipts.

According to Consumer Reports, only 1 in 5 gift recipients who don’t like their gift will actually confess to the giver that they wish to take the item back to the store. In fact, most simply look at the tag, don’t ask for the receipt, take a chance that they will get a store credit for the now ‘sale price’ and shop on their own. Not only do they not want to hurt someone’s feelings by admitting that they don’t like the gift, but they don’t simply want to keep it with the assumption that it is ‘the thought that counts!’

So what should you do if you get a gift that you absolutely have no use for? Should you return it to the store, should you tell the giver that you abhor the gift, or should you hold your feelings close to the vest and keep the gift – hoping to re-gift at a later date?

Essentially, whether to return or not, is a personal decision.

If you just cannot be honest that you hate the gift without hurting someone’s feelings – then your best bet is to either keep it and say ‘thank you’ as honestly as possible, or try to figure out a way to return the item to the original store secretly. Since most stores will take back items without a receipt as long as it is still tagged, you shouldn’t have a problem. If not, then you can consider donating the gift to a worthy cause, or stuffing it in a random drawer to be taken out when you need a good laugh. Obviously, if the gift was given to you by someone who will see and visit you often, then they will eventually realize that it is missing – and you should probably fess up and tell them you don’t like it. Or you could pull out the reindeer sweater to wear every time they come in effort to show your appreciation for the gift. (Unfortunately, then they will think you REALLY loved it, and will probably get you a similar gift the following year)

Additionally, consider yourself in the givers shoes. If you gave someone a gift that you hand picked, spent your hard-earned money – and then realized it would never be used, wouldn’t you WANT your money to be more wisely spent? Most people, while mildly offended at first, want you to have a gift that you love (or at least like!) And buying for other people is not always as easy as it looks. (This is precisely why gift cards are so awesome!) And according to Miss Manners, telling someone you don’t really like a gift, or admitting that it doesn’t fit (your body or your lifestyle) is not considered rude behavior. In fact, it’s considered honest.

Obviously, there is absolutely NO use in hurting someone’s feelings over a $10 bottle of perfume. Or a $10 nightgown. But on items where it is obvious that a decent amount of money was spent, it is important to be honest if possible. Returning the gift does not make you a rude, obnoxious evil doer who never deserves a gift again.

The best way to ensure that you can return gifts is to be a GOOD GIVER yourself, in the first place.

For instance, one rule of thumb is to never buy someone a gift that cannot be taken back. (Yes this means no hand knit sweaters or monogrammed underwear)

And, with all the gifts that YOU give, be sure to include a gift receipt so that the person can take it back themselves if they don’t like it. Also, when exchanging gifts, be sure to tell those around you that you want them to be happy – and if they don’t like it, you won’t be offended. When you act like a responsible gift giver, you open up the dialogue for others to do the same. And then, you have an opportunity to be honest. Sometimes this will work and sometimes it will not. Also, if you absolutely do not know what to get someone, then consider gift cards or cash gifts. This way, you know that they recipient will get a gift they truly like and it will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

And look, if old Aunt Matilda gives you yet another hand crocheted sweater that you absolutely hate as she has done for the past 30 years, swallow your pride, wink at those around you, give her a kiss and tell her you love it. After all, she may not be with you for very much longer. In other words, use your judgment.

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No one ever really did and eventually I stopped being so curious about it anyway. Perhaps it sounds a bit dysfunctional to you, but it was just one of those things that just was. Time went on and eventually my curiosity piqued again, and so I did a little digging now that I was a little older.

As it turns out I was a little embarrassed to find out that the palms we were given were a symbol of many important things and all I could see in it was a new weapon in the perpetual whacking tournament I had going on with my beloved sibling. Palm leaves and Palm trees are really quite important in both Jewish and Christian traditions. Depending on exact denomination, Palm leaves can mean good fortune, health, wealth, intelligence. Blessing, and in some cases even represent Jesus himself.

In Christianity, Palm Sunday is always held the Sunday before Easter. The Christian calendar allows for Easter Sunday to fall on any given Sunday between March 15th and April 18th. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the 2007 date of April 1st. Either way, Palm Sunday is the week before that and some denominations choose to hold a feast that day, a celebration to commemorate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. As he made his entrance, some stories relate that the people of Jerusalem welcomed and heralded him by throwing clothing, food, and Palm leaves at his feet. He was, of course, crucified a week later.

The Sunday prior to Easter is earmarked as “Passion Sunday,” although most refer to it as Palm Sunday as it was referenced by the Roman Catholic Church. Passion Sunday is meant to represent the beginning of a very holy week, one that was led by Jesus and one that culminated with his death and resurrection. His time in Jerusalem as well spent, for no matter where he was or what scrutiny he was under, Jesus was always at peace with the heart and determined to touch the lives of those around him.

We can not explore the meaning of Palm Sunday without digressing to the misinterpreted meaning of Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is not historically the beginning of Christianity. Christianity did become an actual denomination until several hundred years later. Jesus was in fact, a Jew and his followers were in fact, Jewish. For several hundred years after the death of Christ, the original “Christians” were an offset denomination of Judaism. Unfortunately, despite historical facts several hundred years after his death, Palm Sunday marked the beginning of anti-Semitism. The anti-Semites of the past as well as the anti- Semites of the present neglect to realize, understand, or give credence the fact that it was the Roman authorities were gave the order and carried out the execution.

Palm Sunday is naturally celebrated differently by each denomination, but the basic meaning is universal. In reverence to Jesus’ teachings and in honorarium of his incredible life here on Earth, we gather with Palm fronds, Olive branches, Fig branches, or whatever basic fauna we agree upon and celebrate the life that was lived just prior to the death.

On behalf of the small children out there who will receive their token symbol of Jesus’ entry into the Holy City, thorough explanations about the meaning of what goes on in church can go a long way toward helping a child grow spiritually. It can be easy to assume that they are hearing the dynamics laid out for them in church, but often the speech used in religious ceremonies are too taxing for a child to listen to intently enough to understand. So when Junior starts whacking someone on the head with his holy symbol, educating him will go a lot farther than taking it away.

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Easter, as with Christmas, is a holiday that is based out of the Christian religion. For people of the Christian faith, the religious faith that our Western culture is based upon and is also the religion of millions around the world, traditional holidays like Christmas and Easter have very special meanings and are a celebration of certain things that have to do with their faith. Christmas, as its name sake would indicate is of course the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the events surrounding his birth. Easter, in a similar fashion, is a celebration of the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ. This event in Christianity is what allows Christians to have the faith in Christ as their personal Saviour. However, when many people in our society think about these two holidays they might not have the same association with them. For most people, I will let you be the judge of whether or not this is sad or not, when they think of Christmas they do not think about Christ at all but rather they think about “SANTA CLAUS” and “PRESENTS” and “CHRISTMAS TREES” and “CANDY CANES”. All of these things did have their start in the Christian realm as well but I do not have time to get into all of these things right now. In a similar way when people think about Easter they do not think about the Christian traditions that it is based on but rather they think about the “EASTER BUNNY” and “EASTER EGGS” and “EASTER EGG HUNTS” and “CHOCOLATE BUNNIES”. The reason for these different associations by people is because of the job of advertising and the commercialization of these holidays, making them less like religious holidays and more like secular pop-culture esc holidays. You see companies and advertisers recognized these holidays to be times when people were getting together and sometimes giving each other gifts and so they began to focus on these elements making people think that this was the whole point of these holidays was, in a sense, and they have technically succeeded. In order to better understand these holidays and how they came to this point where they were no longer about Christian religious traditions it is a good idea to look at what they are best associated with, so in the case of Easter, we should look at the “EASTER BUNNY”.

Let’s take a look at the Easter figure head of the Easter Bunny. Where did this character come from and what does it represent?

History of the EASTER BUNNY: Who is he?

The idea of the Easter Bunny comes from early pagan (these are worldly or secular, no religious association with any particular one deity like Christianity has) traditions. The Easter traditions of the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs do not have any real ties to the Christian celebration of Easter but rather these Easter traditions, that are practiced today, are evolved from pagan symbols. The timing of the Christian celebration of Easter (to Christians this word represents the time frame and the events revolving around Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection) is around the time of the vernal equinox, which is linked historically with a pagan celebration that coincides with the arrival of spring. This pagan celebration also symbolizes the arrival of light and the awakening of the life around us, the idea of spring bringing new life, etc. Even the name “Easter” itself has its basis in pagan traditions. The name is spawned from the Saxon goddess of Eastre (or Oestre or Ostara) who was the goddess of the dawn and the spring. Eastre, was of course, a fertility goddess who brought an end to winter making days longer and brighter with a passion for “new life”. Eastre’s presence could be felt by all in the spring as the newly flowering plants, and the new births of babies both human and animal were happening all around. This is where we start to see the formation of the “EASTER BUNNY” because the animal associated with this goddess as her sacred animal was the RABIT because of this animal’s well known rapid production and fertility prosperity. Easter eggs and “Easter Bunnies” were both featured in the festivals of Ostara or “Eastre” which were initially held during the pagan feasts of the goddess Ishtar. The pagans used eggs in the celebration because these are an obvious symbol of fertility with new born chicks also being a great representation of new life. During these feasts and festivals the pagan’s worshiping would use brightly coloured eggs, chicks, and “bunnies” to express their appreciation of the abundance “Eastre” had provided for them.

When it comes to the actual character that we know as the “Eastre bunny” or “EASTER BUNNY” and the idea of him bringing us chocolate eggs on Easter, there is a very interesting pagan story behind the legend. The legend claims that the goddess “Eastre”, or Ostara as she is also known, felt very bad for arriving late one spring (the season of spring must have actually been late in its coming the year this legend was born) and in order to help make a mends for this she decided to save the life of a poor bird whose wings had frozen in the snow. Eastre made this bird her pet and some versions of the legend even say it made the bird her lover. Feeling compassion for this bird of hers because he no longer had the ability to fly Eastre decided to turn him into a snow hare named “Lepus”. She also gave him the ability to run very fast so he could avoid hunters and she also gave him one more special gift. In remembrance of his life as a bird Eastre gave Lepus the ability to lay “eggs”. Not only could Lepus lay eggs but these eggs would also come out in all the different colours of the rainbow. There was only one downfall to this great ability Lepus had, he could only lay these eggs on one day each year, on the day that the festivial of Eastre was celebrated. From this simple and earliest known pagan legend we get the first stories of the birth of the idea of the “EASTER BUNNY” and also Easter Eggs and where they get their multiple bright colours from.

History of the EASTER BUNNY: Traditions around the World

In terms of more recent traditions the character that we in the West would call the “Easter Bunny”, in our minds, is often a big, almost lifelike, character. A giant loveable and friendly white bunny who is as real as Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. And who also delivers chocolate eggs to the homes of kids by hiding them in their houses or their yards but providing them with baskets to go and hunt the eggs with during the spring celebration of Easter. When you read it like that it sounds kind of silly don’t you think? I mean at least Santa Claus is based on a human being. Anyways when it comes to the Easter Bunny and other Easter traditions it is important to realize that the customs surrounding this season and Holiday are different around the world.

Believe it or not the first actually documented use of the “Bunny” as a symbol of “Easter” occurs in the late 1500’s in Germany of all places. Although if you read the previous article you would know that pagan traditions and legends point the hare or rabbit as often being strongly associated with the time of “Eastre” or “Easter”. Following along with their firsts in terms of the “Easter Bunny” it was the Germans in the 1800’s who were the first ones to also create edible “Easter Bunnies”. However, it was actually the Pennsylvania Dutch who brought the “Easter Bunny” from Europe to the United States in the 1700s. Every spring their children would be spinning with excitement in their wait for the arrival of “Oschter Haws” (their Easter Bunny character) and the gifts that accompanied him; this was a joy for these Dutch children that could only be rivaled by the winter visit of “Sinterklaas” (their name for Saint Nick – the mispronunciation of this name is where Santa Claus comes from).

The character of the rabbit or bunny is revered around the world in different cultures. Many Asian cultures hail the rabbit as a sacred messenger to the divine. Even for Buddhists and Egyptians the rabbit has special meaning. And of course Western Europe has their strong beliefs in the rabbit as a symbol of fertility and new life. It is thought that the knowledge of the Eastern traditions to do with the rabbit must have spread to Europe as communication between these two groups increased. Also the fact that the two groups beliefs about the rabbit blended so well together must have helped keep these traditions alive. Even Native American peoples and the ancient Mayans had their beliefs about the mysticism of rabbits a.k.a. bunnies.

Over time these many different traditions/legends about rabbits/bunnies has moulded this animal from an symbolic ancient bringer of life, etc. into the “Easter Bunny” a symbol of the Holiday which celebrates resurrection. In truth, part of the message remains the same as the Rabbit is still symbolic of a season and time when all things are possible and everything can again be new.

When it comes to the modern day tradition of the Easter Bunny, in North America, we follow the idea that on Easter Sunday children wake up to discover either that the “Easter Bunny” has left them a basket full of candy or that he has hidden eggs (maybe decorated ones or simply chocolate ones) for them to find. There are only a few other countries who follow this same tradition. For example, in Austria, the “Easter Bunny” who is known to them as “Osterhase” hides decorated eggs, for children to find the next day, on the night before Easter Sunday. In New Zealand the stores all carry Hot Cross Buns (with the crosses being symbolic of Christ’s cross) and chocolate eggs that the Easter Bunny fills his basket with and delivers to all the children during his delivery rounds on Easter Sunday morning; usually hiding these treats just like the American “Easter Bunny” so that children have to search for them. In New Zealand’s neighbouring country of Australia, they also believe in the “Easter Bunny”. However, rabbits are considered pests and so there has been a long running campaign to replace the “Easter Bunny” with the Easter Bilby (a native marsupial – there are “Easter Bilbies” made of chocolate and are sold to fund raise for this endangered marsupial) but the “Easter Bunny is still more popular.

Not all countries celebrate the Easter Bunny or have even heard of him. Other countries have their own strange Easter traditions including Sweden, where in its western provinces there are competitions to see who can create the biggest bonfire and fireworks are shot off. In Norway, Easter time brings out the more modern tradition of “Easter-crime” shows which are aired including televising detective novels and crime stories. No one knows where this tradition came from. On the other hand, just as in the West almost all countries that celebrate this Holiday do have some form of “Easter eggs”.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this little look into the history and traditions of the “Easter Bunny”. Perhaps it has sparked your interest and maybe you will include in your life some of these other well-known traditions from other cultures or maybe it will inspire you to twist the “Easter Bunny” idea into some form of new tradition that your family can carry on with from generation to generation and who knows maybe 200 years from know somebody just like myself might be writing about it.

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Naturally, children dressed in their new Easter attire anticipate a two day sugar rush and the highlight of their holiday, the Easter eggs hunt. The Easter bunny that I was acquainted with came in the middle of the night and hid our hand crafted Easter eggs, brought candy with him and placed it throughout the house, and left us each a couple of gifts. His presence was known by the neatly wrapped packages that awaited us somewhere in my grandmother’s home which of course we hoped we could open as soon as humanly possible.

My grandmother had nine grandchildren, and as we each ceremoniously rumbled through her house searching out goodies and that one special Easter egg we had decorated as own very own, we were quite oblivious to the truer aspects of the holiday.

From a Christian standpoint, it was the holiest of holidays, celebrating the resurrection of Christ. For most other individuals it was a time for celebrating the arrival of spring and the new beginnings and fertility that the season was known for. We were obliviously celebrating something and having a wonderful time doing it.

Just like every other holiday, Easter comes with its own universal traditions and its own family traditions, most people creating an easy blend of both. The Easter egg, a simple and logical representation of everything new, has been hidden for children for centuries.

The word Easter most likely originates from the name called out to the spirit of fertility and re-birth, often known as Eostre. Eostre was a god or goddess of Pagan design, and the people celebrated her ceremoniously once every year at the passing of winter. There was a celebration of the power of light that comes to take over the darkness, in all forms. Daylight became longer than the night, babies were born to overshadow the passing of loved ones through the harsh winter, the goddess descended into the underworld for three days, although there are conflicting theories as to why she did this. Some say it was an obligation while others say she went to assure that there were no innocents that were trapped, yet others speculate that she was experiencing a re-birth of her own.

Christians and others now celebrate the same day but not necessarily with the same meaning lingering behind the celebration. Christians and Catholics turn to hear the papal address of the Vatican while Pagan oriented celebration welcome springtime. This cohesive state of celebration should represent a unity amongst diversity. However with research and information, the unity has begun to split into intolerance rather than a warm embrace.

As information becomes more prevalent and accessible and historians are able to gather more fact, the unique world we live in and the origins of some of our basic beliefs have led to a growing intolerance for non- Christian holidays. An increasing number of devout Christians are giving up the cultural and traditional spirit of Easter (and Christmas) and condemning the Easter egg, the Easter bunny, and Easter celebrations that represent the historical past of Easter origins, believing that anything with Pagan originations was in fact, created by the Satan himself.

Easter is, always has been, and hopefully forever shall be, a time of excited celebration regardless of which orientation one chooses to celebrate. The gleaming smiles smeared across the faces of children, meals shared with family members that are only visited on holidays, that special ambiance that everyone feels just as the holiday falls upon us. Whether a family is welcoming the relief of springtime or is sitting honorably in Easter Mass, Easter should be a time of unity and gracious togetherness.

Nearly every country in the world celebrates Easter in their own style with their own traditions. Some we share with them and others are completely unique. From egg cracking games to the customary chocolate bunny to piñatas loaded with firecrackers, Easter brings about a host of celebrations that many consider to be one of the largest festivals of the year.

Easter, much like Christmas, holds the potential to bring forth the best in people. In the spirit of Christ or in the celebratory spirit of new light, Easter has the potential to touch us all on a deep and spiritual level, giving us a day to shed our “dark” to embrace our “light.”

The light of Christ or the light of birth, each individual worldwide has the opportunity to share in a rare and unique celebration that unites us all, regardless of religious beliefs.

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Before there was an Easter, or even Christianity, or even a Christ, there was an “Easter egg.” The Passover Seder revolved around a hard boiled egg that was then saturated in sea water to flavor it with salt as a customary symbol of fertility and servitude to the Temple in Jerusalem.

Some people attribute the Easter traditions that we celebrate to Paganism and their rites of passage and re-birth in the spring while others remark that it was Mary Magdalene that presented the first Easter egg after Christ’s resurrection, painting it red to symbolize the blood of Christ. Either way, the egg represents life, newness, the ability to break from a living death and become a spirit of wholeness and honor. The egg itself has always held a place of honor among Jews, and for as much as we take it for granted, in our modern everyday life as well. All life starts with an egg.

This may all be a little heavy for your three year old as he is running around in search of the elusive twelfth egg, but the tradition itself carries its meaning in children often without needing explanation. Children are naturally inclined to make annual announcements, as in, “next Easter I am going to,” or “by next Christmas,” as methods of estimating time. As one holiday or special event comes to a close, newness opens up to them. They make these assumptions rather quickly and conveniently and often even have the follow through to remember at the next holiday. This is because holidays and birthdays are natural time markers for children.

Of course they are uniquely unaware of their wisdom as they run around hunting down the brightly colored eggs they so delicately (or not so delicately) painted with anticipation. They are simply having fun, whether they are gathering at their own pace at Grandma’s house or participating in a contest, Easter eggs bring children great joy and encourage their imagination.

A creative inventor came up with an Easter egg that emits sounds to allow the visually impaired children of the world to participate in this timeless tradition. In fact, there are Easter egg creations for the visually impaired, the physically disabled, and the mobility challenged, some designs as simple as a Velcro or sticky backing to allow the Easter bunny to hang the eggs up at a higher level.

Easter eggs have naturally developed into more tasty forms of the original version, including chocolate, candy filled plastic, and apparently a deep fried chocolate version for those who simply haven’t consumed enough saturated fat at Easter dinner. Easter egg games encourage tradition and contemporary medium. Easter baskets filled to the brim with colorful eggs, tasty sweets, and the occasional stuffed creature are a universal symbol of childhood Easter Sunday bliss.

So, if you dip a hard boiled egg in vinegar and food coloring in the middle of December, is it still an Easter egg? The representation of life, new beginnings and re-birth is not consolidated to any given day of the year. These emotions, inspirations, and natural occurrences in our daily lives are a gift regardless of the time of year the calendar dictates to us. Thus, an Easter egg is an Easter egg all year long. And if you break out the Easter egg coloring kit two weeks before Christmas, you may get a very unique opportunity to explain to your children what an Easter egg really means. There will come a day that they are too old to run around the back yard in their special little brand new Easter outfits tracking the Easter bunny. They will never be too old for a new beginning, re-birth, or the affirmation of the glory of life.

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Despite the appearance as you flip through several years worth of calendars, there is a method to the madness that determines Easter far beyond simply slapping it on a calendar at random. Once upon a time there was significant debate about the timing of the celebration of Easter. The Western figureheads of leadership desired that it fall on or near the spring equinox, a time when many Pagan rituals and holidays were observed. The Eastern figureheads who had at the very least come from Jewish lineage preferred Easter fall around the time of Passover to maintain something the might resemble continuity. Keeping in mind that this was all taking place during a time where communication was remarkably slow, the great debate began about where to place the holiest holiday on the calendar.

Letters were sent and meetings were held and opinions were aired, but there could be no reasonable agreement reached on when to celebrate the holiest holiday on the Christian calendar. Yet there was still a need throughout the regions of the world to find a uniform date to celebrate under. The council of Nicea attempted to solve the debate by hosting the Bishop’s council time and again only to run into the same great debates time and again.

In 325 A.D. the Bishops set about a great debate arguing and pleading their cases, some vying for a mid winter celebration while others had it nearly into summer. Eastern European and Western Asian Bishops all agreed that Easter and Passover should share space on the calendar, not just for the sake of continuity, but their best mathematical estimations placed Jesus’ death close to Passover. The best that these Bishops were able to come up with in junction with each others requests and demands was that they would at the very least celebrate Easter on a Sunday.

It would take another two hundred years of debate, discussion, pleas, and argument before the Dionysius Exiguous method was agreed upon, which basically stated that Easter would be scheduled on the first Sunday that followed the first full moon of the Spring Equinox.

So it seemed under Venerable Bede’s guidance, the Easter celebrations finally had a schedule. Although over the next several years there was a constant need for minor, and not so minor, adjustments that made it seem to the Bishops that Easter was simply being squeezed in. They took their problem to the best astronomers and what seemed like an insignificant issue turned out to be contorting the holiday all over the calendar. The year was a little bit too long. It overshot the astronomers’ best calculations by somewhere between eleven or twelve minutes. Who knew this would be such a big deal? But it was. Over a 400 year period it added a little over three days to the calendar.

As an adult, I wouldn’t mind my years being slowly extended through my lifetime. However I suppose it is just not right to inconvenience the entirety of humanity just so I can post pone my thirtieth birthday. So to solve this problem the Julian calendar was whacked off by about ten days in October, leaping from the fourth day of the month to the fifteenth day of the month in one night.

Pope Gregory XIII approved several referendums and finally a complete reconstruction of the calendar in order to attempt a more accurate time keeping standard. The calendar would continue to receive adjustments along the way, but eventually the issue had been settled to agreement that Easter would fall on a Sunday between March and April, on any given one of thirty five specified days.

However, this year when the kids start pining for Easter and you now have all this knowledge about how the Easter Sunday chosen date came to be, they may be equally interested to know that in 2007, Easter will be on April first.

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For Catholics, Easter at the Vatican represents the epitome of Catholic leadership and millions of Catholics worldwide strain to hear every word that drips from the mouth of the Pope. As Pope John Paul II waned in health, his addresses were considerably shortened until in his final year, he mustered a hand waved blessing to his flock only days before passing away.

A great number of Catholics and Christians hold fast that Easter is in fact the holiest day of the year, commemorating the day the Jesus rose to the right hand of God. Despite its dwindling momentousness in less religious circles, the devout still hold it higher than Christmas or any other day of the year. There was massive grief when Pope John Paul II died so close to the holiest day of the year that some people even reported feeling a sense of abandonment.

Regardless, tradition continued with a new Pope and once again the state of the world was addressed in massive prayer at the Vatican, after a long Saturday night vigil that the Pope had led well past midnight, his voice once again united a faith as he addressed the political issues of the nation and vehemently argued for peace among men. The mass that held a live audience of over 100,000 faithfuls packed into St. Peter’s square denounced violence, prayed for peace and resolution, and of course, offered the archdiocese’s condolences for the victims of senseless violence.

Naturally a religious event such as this is bound to draw critics and some people focused on the Mass as the Catholic Church’s podium speech on social politics. Some believe that the Catholic Mass should focus on Catholic issues rather than address the nation as a political power. The feeling is not only held in nations where Catholicism is a large minority, but reaches into the United Sates and into the minds of “Progressive Catholics” who condone the separation of church and state. Some people do not feel it is appropriate for any religious figure to spend their holy address commenting on the political state of the world.

Regardless of public opinion in favor of or against the Pope’s Easter address, it is a long held tradition that will not die in the near future, and in fact is beginning to once again increase its popularity with the Catholics of today. With the naming of a new Pope after Pope John Paul II’s passing, many have returned to the Easter service to hear the thoughts of the new Pope and herald him just as they did Pope John Paul II. Some people feel that Pope Benedict XVI has some very large shoes to fill and concern has been expressed about his more controversial statements. The traditional papal address, which is known as the message “to the city and to the world,” is a tradition that has offered people hope, celebration, honor, and grounding since the very first papal address and will continue to do so most likely for centuries to come.

Religious tradition, regardless of denomination, is bound in strong values and ritualized custom. For thousands of years religious tradition can carry a people to new heights of honor or new heights of destruction depending on how the leadership chooses to use that power entrusted to them. Easter at the Vatican is a tradition that creates for the devout a miraculous day of celebration, and a sense of community under strong leadership.

Throughout some of the most deeply devout traditions held throughout the world, Catholics look to the Vatican to honor their holy work and to validate their holy mission. Papal influence can be felt from the largest and most delicate churches to the smallest most humble churches. There is no denying the Pope’s rightful place among the hearts of the Catholic people, and their honor in being just one of one hundred thousand to hear his yearly address. Year after year, Easter at the Vatican represents tradition that the people would truly suffer without.

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Of course, the types of candy available during Easter are glorious. Beautifully, cheerfully pastel-hued eggs, bunnies, chicks, and jelly beans adorn the aisles of the supermarkets waiting to be snatched up and stuffed into a mound of green, plastic “grass” nestled within a basket. And the flavors and ingredients are enough to give you a cavity just thinking about them. Chocolate, marshmallow, peanut butter, caramel, nougat, licorice, coconut, even fake egg yolk! Delicious! It’s no wonder kids love this holiday. Besides the candy, which is admittedly hard to compete with, there are many other fun aspects to Easter that can make it memorable for kids and may even distract them from the sweet stuff for a couple of minutes!

How about a scavenger hunt? Give your kids a test run of the big Easter day hunt by setting one up in your yard or inside your house if it’s too cold outside. Instead of stuffing the plastic eggs with candy, be a bit more creative and stuff them with clues. Perhaps tiny toys or notes that can guide the kids to bigger and better things like an Easter-themed toy or coloring book. Older kids who are over the whole Easter thing can get involved by helping to set this up for their younger siblings.

Commemorate the holiday with the essential picture with the Easter Bunny. You can always find one of these guys at the mall but sometimes small cities, towns, and even neighborhoods hire someone for the job. Really small children might be terrified of a giant, goofy rabbit, but the sweet-toothed kids who can’t wait for his visit will love sitting on his lap for snapshots.

Obviously if your kids are having their picture taken with the Bunny, they’ll need Easter clothes. Granted this doesn’t make Easter more fun for them per se, but parents love to see their children all dressed up like life-sized dolls. Girls luck out as far as Easter attire goes. Beautiful, fancy dresses that make them look like tiny princesses are traditional as is the optional matching bonnet to make things extra fancy. Boys get the short end of the stick with pastel, and often plaid, short-sleeved shirts with a sweater vest, and usually khaki pants or heaven-forbid, shorts. Sometimes they’re even forced to wear a bow tie! Now, every Mother thinks her son is handsome, but are there no clothing designers out there with a little more imagination who can create something other than the typical Easter “uniform” these lads are forced to wear?

Make sure the kids are NOT wearing their Easter clothes when partaking in one of the best, and most traditional Easter activities – dying eggs. This malodorous project involves a dozen or two hard boiled eggs and a lot of messy dye/vinegar solution. These days you can buy the fancy decorating kits at the store, but good old-fashioned food dye can do the trick in a jiffy. A cool effect to show the kids is to color on the egg before dying it. Also stickers, glitter, and anything else one would care to adhere to the egg can make them look like miniature works of art. Just make sure you don’t put anything toxic on the eggs if they’re to be eaten.

While you’re dying the eggs, why not sing some Easter songs? You thought holiday songs were just for Christmas, but you’re wrong. Here are some favorites: Here Comes Peter Cottontail, In Your Easter Bonnet, Hot Cross Buns, Little Bunny Foo Foo, and many more. It doesn’t have to be a popular Easter song, you can make one up yourself! Give your children the tune to a popular song, like I’m A Little Teapot and have each of them write new Easter-y lyrics. Later, have the children perform their original tunes for friends and family, and make sure they wear their new Easter outfits for maximum adorability!

Another Easter adaptation of a Christmas tradition is to bake Easter cookies just as you would make Christmas cookies. Instead of red, green, and gold sprinkles, simply decorate egg-shaped sugar cookies with pastel sprinkles and icing. Get creative and shape the dough into a bunny head, chick, or Easter basket before baking and decorate accordingly. This project is great in case you were worried that your kids weren’t getting enough sugar from all the candy and you thought they needed to supplement their intake with delicious, freshly-baked cookies.

Need more Easter fun? Who can forget that old stand-by: crafts and projects. Kids love doing crafts and projects, especially messy ones, almost as much as they love candy. There are countless crafts and projects one could do around an Easter theme. Some of the more popular ones are construction paper bunny ears for your kids to wear, planting and growing Easter (spring) flowers like hyacinth or tulips or even herbs, buying a plain basket and having kids decorate it themselves for their Easter basket, and making pom-pom Easter chicks with googly eyes and felt beaks. Most kids are happy if you just give them paper, glue, and glitter and can surprise and amaze you with their resourcefulness and creativity.

Easter is a wonderful time of year. The days are getting longer, the snow is finally melting, and the Earth is coming alive again after its long winter slumber. Easter symbolizes rebirth and the beginning of something new. Easter doesn’t have to be just one sugar-filled morning in the spring. Celebrate it with gusto in the weeks leading up to it and show your kids how to get the most out of this glorious holiday!

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A family with little kids has survived the sugar rush, the wall climbing during Easter Mass, and a few outright brawls over some chocolate bunny that wasn’t actually intended to be eaten during one sitting. And if you’re like most families, everyone dashes around that awkward moment that has the potential to blow up into a huge family argument but since it’s Easter, everyone will wait for three days before someone decides they’re still angry about it.

Easter Dinner is another one of those traditions that has lost meaning for a lot of people. Factor in the Easter Bunny, family we see only once or twice a year, and a bit of undue stress, and the honesty in Easter Dinner gets lost in the mix.

Easter, in its most religious meaning, is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some European countries stop the daily ringing of the church bell on Thursday in memoriam of the death of Jesus Christ. The daily tradition begins once again the early morning hours of Easter Sunday in commemoration of the resurrection.

Devout Christians in America celebrate Easter in the spiritual manner, as do devout Christians all over the world. Non-celebratory Christians and borderline Atheists who hold onto the “just in case” belief tend to look at Easter Dinner as just another family gathering. How do people who are marginally religious (as in religious enough to celebrate the holiday but tend to skip the mass part) get a meaningful Easter Dinner out of the experience?

From a more practical standpoint, Easter is really about forgiveness, life, and in a sense everlasting life. For those who carry on Easter for the family camaraderie and the Easter Bunny for the kids, Easter can still be a time of personal reflection and growth. Just as the Jews celebrate a day of forgiveness, Easter represents such a time in an abstract, yet practical manner.

There are people in every one’s life whom we have hurt and we have wronged, whether intentionally or accidentally, we are human and we err. Thus, Easter Dinner is a meal that can easily represent a meal of atonement and forgiveness. This year perhaps instead of lecturing your little sister (we are grown ups now, right) on some basic principle you feel she is missing in her life, why not offer an apology for the last lecture you dished her way and work on accepting her for who she is? Sitting around the Easter Dinner table with the kids happily chatting away at their own little feast, how about shouting out to junior that you forgive him for spilling apple juice all over the laptop last week, and encourage him to forgive someone as well?

Easter does not need to be another empty meaningless holiday for anyone, regardless of beliefs or level of belief. Easter Dinner traditions can be started at any moment with just a good idea and a bold thought. Easter candy and an Easter egg hunt are great fun for the kids, but what can they walk away from dinner this year having learned about growing and loving and forgiving? What traditions can you give them that will mean something as they grow out of the Easter Bunny and searching frantically for eggs?

People without strong family ties or families that have broken beyond repair often do not know how to re-ignite the Easter Dinner traditions from their own childhood because of the pain of family strife. Starting new Easter Dinner traditions can be quite healing to those who need a bit of holiday lift. Even seemingly silly traditions can lead to a lifetime of happy memories for you and your family. Invite your kids to make special Easter plates with a plate making kit or spruce up the house with either Easter decorations or spring decorations if they make you more comfortable.

Being alone at Easter can be remarkably difficult. For those who find themselves alone, or couples and families that want to start a new family tradition, adopting a grandparent can make the spirit of Easter come alive. Nursing homes typically have lists of people who rarely or never receive visitors. Making an Easter dinner and making the life of and elderly individual a little brighter completely exemplifies the Easter spirit, and can make a remarkably wonderful Easter tradition.

Easter Dinner traditions are as personal or universal as we make them. The more we start to understand ourselves and our beliefs, the more we understand our holidays and how we celebrate them. Regardless of personal situation, belief system, or family situation, there is a Happy Easter waiting for everyone.

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