NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Veronique Mukamire Professor Michael Mazzolini English 101. 02 April 25, 2005 Easter and Christmas In the United States all nations and traditions were blended together. According to the Holiday traditions We have carols from England and Australia and trees from Germany. Santa Claus, or St. Nick in a red suit originated in Scandinavia and his arrival through the chimney to fill stockings is reminiscent of the Netherlands.
His sleigh drawn by reindeer began in Switzerland, and our parades may be a carry-over from Latin procession. Everybody, or mostly everybody is fond of festivals. The fondness for celebrations is in the human nature that is so many of them exist. Among different a various holidays I want to outline Christmas and Easter because I think these to holidays are the most widely celebrated. In this paper I will dare to compare Christmas and Easter and will try to find the similarities and differences which they both have.
Lets start from the differences. Christmas has many symbols, which make this holiday especially remarkable. The most famous of them are, of course, Santa Claus and the Christmas tree. However, there is no such thing on Easter. Pity as it is but Santa Claus gives us presents only once a year.
In spite this Easter has such interesting symbol as Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs. These symbols are not a modern invention but have rather long history. For example: The symbol of Easter Bunny originated with the pagan festival of Easter. The goddess, Easter, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit. (The Traditions of Easter) As we know Easter is always celebrated in Sunday. It is a spring holiday and every year the date of celebration change. On the other hand Christmas is celebrated on the 25 th of December each year.
On Christmas people always sing carols conversely, nevertheless we do no such thing on Easter. Traditions require the whole family gather together on Christmas. In contrast, while Easter also is a family celebration there is no such great necessity in gathering the whole family. Another distinguishing feature is the religious origin of these two holidays. While on Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ, on Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the death. And I want to make an emphasis on this difference because it is the main source of all distinctions I have already mentioned.
Along with the differences, Easter and Christmas have some similarities. They both have a religion origin connected to the life and deeds of Christ. Furthermore, the both have symbols which meaning came from the pagan times. The celebration of Christmas just like the celebration of Easter requires special conditions: symbols, decorations, food, etc.
Celebrating Easter and Christmas is about celebrating family and tradition, says Larry Graham, president of NCA. (The Traditions of Easter). Christmas, in the same way as Easter, brings joy and happiness in every home and every heart. People become more cheerful towards each other in these days. And children always get sweets, never mind who bring them Santa Claus or Easter Bunny. Both on Christmas and Easter many businesses, banks and schools might close. As for the not so pleasant comparisons I want to add that As with almost all "Christian" holidays, Easter has been secularized and commercialized.
The dichotomous nature of Easter and its symbols, however, is not necessarily a modern fabrication (Holiday Traditions). So you see that both Christmas and Easter have some similarities and differences. Many symbols came to us from the ancient pagans times and with the time blended in a two lovely holidays, which we appreciate so much. Bibliography Jerry Wilson, The Traditions of Easter, < web > Holiday Traditions, California Mall, < web >
Free research essays on topics related to: easter, santa claus, traditions, christmas, similarities and differences
Research essay sample on Similarities And Differences Santa Claus
