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... f the Son of God. As it is believed that the resurrection took place on a Sunday, the feast too is celebrated on a Sunday on varying dates between March 22 and April 25 and is therefore called a movable feast. In India, Easter is observed on the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox. The origin of the word Easter is unknown. Some link it to Easter; the Anglo-Saxon Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility, to whose worship a month corresponding to April was dedicated.
Her festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox. Past, another name for Easter, suggests a relation with the Peso festival of the Jews. The early Christians, many of whom were of Jewish origin and brought up in that tradition, regarded Easter as a new feature of the Passover festival. They celebrated it to commemorate the advent of the Messiah as foretold by the Prophets. Many popular customs are a part of the festivities of the Easter week. An outdoor sunrise service, to welcome the earlier sunrise of spring, is a ritual.
The night of the Easter vigil was the favoured time for baptisms. The candidates initiated into Christianity were supposed to mirror the new life won by Christ from the darkness of death. During this nocturnal ceremony, their new life was symbolized by light and they lit long candles to symbolize this new beginning. It was called the night of illumination. The custom of lighting candles originated from this. People light long candles in churches and homes on Easter.
Many also light oil lamps, like the Hindus at Diwali. It is also traditional to wear new clothes on Easter Sunday and show them off by walking around town. Called the Easter parade, this custom may have emerged from the newly baptized Christians going up and down, visiting each other in their new white clothes. People visit friends and relatives and exchange-decorated eggs.
The egg symbolizes new life breaking through the captivity of the hard eggshell. Probably a pre-Christian symbol, it was adapted to illustrate the release of Christ from his tomb. Earlier these eggs were painted at home. The designs were remarkably similar to the traditional Hindu alpha motifs. But now these eggs are made of chocolates and filled with sweets. They are readily available at confectioneries during Easter.
The Easter bunny or rabbit is also very popular. The rabbit is an extraordinarily fertile creature and therefore represented spring. Some also distribute and exchange ladders and rasagullas instead of western fare. At home, people come together to participate in the ceremonial Easter feast. The most significant Easter food is lamb. The main dish of the meal, it symbolizes Christ, the Lamb of God.
There may be minor variations in the rituals observed by various peoples. But the spirit of joy and hope is universal. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Marked with prayers, fasts and penance, it is a day of contrition for Christians. Observed on the Friday just before Easter, it is a public holiday in India. Originally known as 'God's Friday', the present expression is believed to have emerged during the 10 th or 11 th century.
According to Christian legend, Jesus Christ hailed from Nazareth, a town in modern Israel. A well-loved and respected citizen, he was considered by many to be the Son of God. Some high officials and Jewish priests however felt that he was trying to usurp their authority and mislead the people. They hatched a plot against Christ with the help of one of his 12 apostles, named Judas. On charges of misleading the people, of instigating them not to pay taxes to the emperor, and of claiming to be the messenger of god, they arrested Christ. The following day, he was produced before a council comprising of priests, the teachers of law and elders, and questioned about the charges against him.
Finding him guilty on all counts, they presented him before the Roman Governor, who saw no reason to condemn him. But the priests were adamant. They insisted that it was his teachings, which were responsible for all the riots in the city of Judea. At the same time, they pleaded for the release of one of their men, who had been imprisoned for the crime.
The Governor appealed to them, reiterating that Christ had done no wrong. When the clergy did not agree, he handed Jesus Christ to them to do as they wished. The crowd asked for his crucifixion. As he was led away by the soldiers, he was made to wear a crown of thorns and mockingly addressed as 'King of the Jews' by the jeering crowd. A huge wooden cross was placed on his shoulders, and he carried it to the place assigned for his crucifixion. A group of his followers marched in a procession behind him, in a show of solidarity.
Two criminals were also led to the same place to be put to death with Jesus. At the assigned place, the three men were nailed to the crosses and left to die. Jesus died after three hours on the Jesus is believed to have died on the cross at 3 o'clock in the afternoon Good Friday A cross, symbolic of the one on which Jesus was crucified, is unveiled in many churches cross. Before he breathed his last he asked god, his father, to forgive those who were responsible for his death, as they were unaware of the magnitude of their sin.
Jesus died at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It is believed that he rose from his grave on the following Sunday, which is celebrated as Easter. The rituals for Good Friday commence on the preceding Thursday. A feast symbolizing the last supper of Christ is held on Thursday night.
The end of this meal marks the beginning of the fast for Easter. Among some sects of the Syrian Orthodox Christians, the Good Friday liturgy begins at midnight on Thursday, but for all other Christians it starts on Friday morning. A plank of wood, representing the cross on which Christ was crucified is displayed in churches for the veneration of believers. One by one, they come and kiss it.
This is followed by a service from noon to 3 o'clock, in which narratives from the four Gospels are read out. Sermons, meditation and prayers form part of the ceremony, in memory of the suffering endured by Jesus Christ for three hours. This is followed by a general communion service at midnight. In some churches, mourners wearing black move in a procession with an image of Christ, and a ceremonial burial takes place. A day of prayer and penance, the bells of the churches remain silent on Good Friday.
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Research essay sample on Son Of God Jesus Christ
