The Good Friday-Easter Sunday Question | United Church of God United Church of God The Good Friday-Easter Sunday Question You are here UCG.org / The Good News / The Good Friday-Easter Sunday Question The Good Friday-Easter Sunday Question Posted on Mar 23, 1997 Login or Create an Account With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later! Sign In | Sign Up × How do the biblical three days and three nights after Jesus Christ's crucifixion fit between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning? Or do they? Photos.com Easter traditions are embraced by many who profess Christianity. However, none of these practices are to be found in the Bible or the customs of the early Church. In the northern hemisphere, the spring of each year brings several of Christianity’s most important religious observances. The Lenten period from Ash Wednesday to Easter is observed by some with fasting and penance. Good Friday, or Holy Friday, as it is sometimes called, is celebrated two days before Easter as a commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Easter Sunday is revered as the day of Jesus’ resurrection, sometimes by sunrise services.

Once we realize that two Sabbaths were involved—first an annual Holy Day, which was observed from Wednesday evening until Thursday evening, and the normal weekly Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening, the fulfillment of Christ’s words becomes clear. These practices are so much an ingrained tradition in the church calendar that many would consider it heretical to question them. But most of the world is scarcely aware that the original apostles did not institute or keep these customs, nor were they observed by the early Christian Church. Try as you might to find them, Lent, Good Friday and Easter are not so much as mentioned in the original Greek wording of the New Testament. The word Easter appears only once in the King James Version of the Bible ( Acts 12:4 Acts 12:4And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. American King James Version × ) in a flagrant mistranslation of the Greek word pascha , which should be translated “Passover,” as most versions render it.

The justification for the Lenten 40-day preparation for Easter is traditionally based on Jesus’ 40-day wilderness fast before his temptation by Satan ( Harper’s Bible Dictionary , “Lent”; Matthew 4:1-2 Matthew 4:1-2 1 Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. × ). The problem with this explanation is that this incident is not connected in any way with Jesus’ supposed observance of Easter. The 40-day pre-Easter practice of fasting and penance did not originate in the Bible. Pre-Christian practices adopted Many people still follow such practices, assuming that such activities honor God and are approved by Him. But, we should ask, how does God regard such extrabiblical customs? Consider God’s instructions to those who would worship Him: “Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?

I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it” ( Deuteronomy 12:30-32 Deuteronomy 12:30-32 30 Take heed to yourself that you be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before you; and that you inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 You shall not do so to the LORD your God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hates, have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it. American King James Version × , emphasis added throughout).

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia notes: “The term Easter was derived from the Anglo-Saxon ‘Eostre,’ the name of the goddess of spring. In her honor sacrifices were offered at the time of the vernal [spring] equinox” (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1982, Vol. 2, “Easter”). Many battles were fought over its observance date, but the Council of Nicea finally fixed the date of Easter in A.D. 325 to fall on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the vernal equinox (March 21). Not generally known is that: “the preparation for Easter season, beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing for a week after Easter Day, was filled with pagan customs that had been revised in the light of Christianity. Germanic nations, for example, set bonfires in spring. This custom was frowned on by the Church, which tried to suppress it . . . In the sixth and seventh centuries [monks] came to Germany, [bringing] their earlier pagan rites[,] and would bless bonfires outside the church building on Holy Saturday. The custom spread to France, and eventually it was incorporated into the Easter liturgy of Rome in the ninth century.

Even today the blessing of the new fire is part of the Vigil of Easter. “Medieval celebrations of Easter began at dawn. According to one old legend, the sun dances on Easter morning, or makes three jumps at the moment of its rising, in honor of Christ’s resurrection. The rays of light penetrating the clouds were believed to be angels dancing for joy. “Some Easter folk traditions that have survived today are the Easter egg, rabbit and lamb. During medieval times it was a tradition to give eggs at Easter to servants. King Edward I of England had 450 eggs boiled before Easter and dyed or covered with gold leaf. He then gave them to members of the royal household on Easter day. The egg was an earlier pagan symbol of rebirth and was presented at the spring equinox, the beginning of the pagan new year. “The Easter rabbit is mentioned in a German book of 1572 and also was a pagan fertility symbol.

The Easter lamb goes back to the Middle Ages; the lamb, holding a flag with a red cross on a white field, represented the resurrected Christ [rather than the sacrifice of His life, as a fulfillment of the Passover lamb, that paid for the sins of the world ( John 1:29 John 1:29The next day John sees Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. × )]” (Anthony S. Mercatante, Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend , New York and Oxford, 1988, “Easter”). Passover out, Easter in Easter traditions are embraced by many who profess Christianity. However, none of these practices are to be found in the Bible or the customs of the early Church. Jesus and His apostles did not establish or perpetuate such practices, which obscure the true biblical meanings and observances of this time of year.

In fact, a 4th-century church historian, Socrates Scholasticus, wrote in his Ecclesiastical History that neither the apostles nor the Gospels taught the observance of Easter, nor did they or Jesus give a law requiring the keeping of this feast. Instead, “the observance originated not by legislation, but as a custom” (chapter 22, emphasis added). Even as early as the close of the 2nd century, the theologian Irenaeus bore witness in his letter to Victor, bishop of Rome, that some early Roman bishops forbade the observance of Passover on the 14th of Nisan. This was the date of the biblical observance practiced each spring by Jesus and the apostles. At the time that the Nisan 14 Passover observance was banned, ecclesiastical authorities introduced Lent and Easter into Christian practice.

Distorting Jesus’ words A century later the Syriac Didascalia recorded the attempts of teachers in Rome to reconcile Jesus’ words that He would be entombed “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” ( Matthew 12:40 Matthew 12:40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. American King James Version × ) with a Friday-afternoon crucifixion and a Sunday-morning resurrection. According to their reasoning, Jesus’ sufferings were part of the three days and three nights of Scripture. Friday morning from 9 to noon was counted as the first day, and noon to 3 p.m. (which was darkened) was considered the first night. Three in the afternoon to sunset was reckoned as the second day, whereas Friday night to Saturday morning constituted the second night. The daylight part of Saturday was the third day, and the night portion to Sunday morning was the third night.

In other words, the three days and three nights in the grave that Jesus said would be the sign that He was indeed sent from God were transformed into a period of two days and two nights, or a total of no more than 48 hours. This has subsequently been reduced even further in modern times by figuring from late-afternoon Friday to early Sunday morning, which takes away another 12 hours or more. Such reasoning has to discount or somehow explain away Jesus’ clear promise that He would be entombed three days and three nights. Easter and Lent are nonbiblical and were not observed by the apostles or the 1st-century Church. The biblical record shows, however, that the early Church diligently kept other observances, the New Testament Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, just as Jesus and the apostles had done ( Matthew 26:17-19 Matthew 26:17-19 17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, Where will you that we prepare for you to eat the passover?

18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say to him, The Master said, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at your house with my disciples. 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. American King James Version × ). These were supplanted in later years by the customs and practices of Easter and Lent. Passover is an annual reminder of Jesus’ sacrificial death to pay the penalty for our sins ( Matthew 26:26-28 Matthew 26:26-28 26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink you all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. American King James Version × ).

The nonbiblical festivals of Lent and Easter, added decades after the time of Jesus Christ and the apostles, only cloud the true significance of Christ’s life, death and resurrection and the purpose of His coming. The Passover was instituted in Exodus 12 and continues, by Jesus Christ’s example and command, but with a change of symbols. Jesus’ death fulfilled the symbolism of the sacrificial Passover lamb ( Matthew 26:17-28 Matthew 26:17-28 17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, Where will you that we prepare for you to eat the passover? 18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say to him, The Master said, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at your house with my disciples. 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. 20 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. 21 And as they did eat, he said, Truly I say to you, that one of you shall betray me.

22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say to him, Lord, is it I? 23 And he answered and said, He that dips his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 24 The Son of man goes as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said to him, You have said. 26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink you all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. × ). Facts about Jesus’ last days Jesus Christ’s promise was fulfilled exactly as He said, a fact that is made clear when we study and compare the Gospel accounts.

These records give a clear, logical explanation that is perfectly consistent with Christ’s words. Let’s focus on Jesus’ last days on earth to gain the proper perspective and understanding of how and when these events occurred. Jesus said that, like the prophet Jonah, He would be entombed three days and three nights and that He would be raised up the third day after His crucifixion and death ( Matthew 12:39-40 Matthew 12:39-40 39 But he answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. American King James Version × ). Jesus’ resurrection could not have been on a Sunday morning because John 20:1-2 John 20:1-2 1 The first day of the week comes Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, to the sepulcher, and sees the stone taken away from the sepulcher.

2 Then she runs, and comes to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken away the LORD out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him. American King James Version × shows that He had already risen before Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, arriving “while it was still dark.” Therefore, neither could His death have occurred Friday afternoon, since that would not allow for His body to be in the grave three days and three nights. Clearly, the Good Friday-Easter Sunday explanation and tradition is without scriptural foundation. Notice also that John 19:31 John 19:31The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) sought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. American King James Version × ).

Mark tells us that the women bought the spices after the Sabbath, “when the Sabbath was past.” Luke, however, tells us that they prepared the spices and oils, after which “they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.” How could the women have bought spices after the Sabbath, yet then prepared them and rested on the same Sabbath? That is obviously impossible—unless two Sabbaths are involved, with a day between them. Once we realize this, the two accounts become clear (see “ The Chronology of Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection “). Christ died near 3 p.m. and was placed in the tomb near sunset that day—a Wednesday in 31. That evening began the “high day” Sabbath, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which fell on Thursday that year. The women rested on that day, then on Friday purchased and prepared the spices and oils for Jesus’ body, which could not be done on either the Holy Day or the weekly Sabbath. They then rested again on the weekly Sabbath before going to the tomb before daybreak on Sunday morning, at which time they discovered that Christ had already been resurrected.

Two Sabbaths confirmed in text The fact that two Sabbaths are involved is confirmed by Matthew 28:1 Matthew 28:1In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. American King James Version × , where the women went to the tomb “after the Sabbath.” The Sabbath mentioned here is actually plural in the original Greek and should be translated “Sabbaths.” Some Bible versions, including Alfred Marshall’s Interlinear Greek-English New Testament , Ferrar Fenton’s translation, Green’s Literal Translation and Young’s Literal Translation , make this clear. Once we realize that two Sabbaths were involved—first an annual Holy Day, which was observed from Wednesday evening until Thursday evening, and the normal weekly Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening, the fulfillment of Christ’s words becomes clear. The Savior of all humanity died near 3 p.m. on Wednesday and was buried shortly before sunset that day. From Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset is one day and one night; from then until Friday sunset is two days and two nights; and from then until Saturday sunset is three days and three nights.

Jesus Christ was resurrected at the end of this three-day and three-night period, near sunset on Saturday. Thus He was already risen long before the women came to the tomb before daylight on Sunday morning. Jesus Christ’s words were thus perfectly fulfilled, as verified by the Gospel accounts. He was not crucified on Friday afternoon, nor was He resurrected on a Sunday morning. The biblical evidence shows the Good Friday-Easter Sunday tradition to be a fabrication. A correct harmonization of all the facts demonstrates that Jesus died near 3 p.m. that Wednesday afternoon, was entombed near sunset and was resurrected near sunset on Saturday, exactly three days and three nights later—just as He had stated. These are the facts, the correct biblical chronology that verifies the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The biblical festivals Actually, the principal festivals and holidays observed by mainstream Christendom are a poor and pale reflection of true biblical teachings. Easter and Lent are a poor substitute for the wondrous truths revealed by keeping God’s feasts.

The New Testament Church continued to observe the annual Passover to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ, but used the new symbols of bread and wine that He instituted ( 1 Corinthians 11:23-28 1 Corinthians 11:23-28 23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do you, as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death till he come. 27 Why whoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. American King James Version × ). Today some continue to commemorate this eminently important event in the same manner, in accordance with Christ’s instructions. Again, the Bible contains no record of the Church observing Easter or Lent during the time of the apostles, nor any biblical command to observe Good Friday or Easter Sunday, especially since Christ did not die on Good Friday and was not resurrected on Easter Sunday. Instead, the apostles faithfully followed Christ’s instructions to observe the biblical Passover “in remembrance” of Him ( Luke 22:19 Luke 22:19And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Holy Saturday Home Calendar Holidays Holy Saturday Holy Saturday Holy Saturday commemorates the day that Jesus Christ lay in the tomb after his death, according to the Christian bible. It is the day after Good Friday and the day before Easter Sunday . It is also known as Easter Eve, Easter Even, Black Saturday, or the Saturday before Easter.

Holy Saturday commemorates the day that Jesus (sculpture of him pictured above) lay in his tomb after he died. He was resurrected on Easter Sunday, the day after Holy Saturday, according to Christian belief. Holy Saturday commemorates the day that Jesus (sculpture of him pictured above) lay in his tomb after he died. He was resurrected on Easter Sunday, the day after Holy Saturday, according to Christian belief. ©iStockphoto.com/Edward Lin What Do People Do? Many Christians worldwide observe Holy Saturday by remembering it as the day when Jesus lay in the tomb. It is a day of both sadness and joy among Christians in many cultures. Many churches hold an Easter vigil (watch) service. Discussions about the meaning behind the rituals, prayer and symbols that are all part of the Easter vigil occur during these services. Some churches also hold large baptism services on this day. Holy Saturday is known as Judas Day in Mexico, where people burn effigies of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Street vendors sell the effigies, which range in height, and make Judas look as ugly as possible.

Effigies designed for children are stuffed with candy and hung in patios at people’s homes. Other effigies are seen on the streets or hung on lamp posts. Firecrackers are attached to many of these effigies and are ignited as soon as the Mass of Glory is over. Children scramble for the candy inside the effigies after they explode. A Czech custom, known as White Saturday, is to rattle keys and burn out Judas by burning the last of the holy oil before the church door. Holy Saturday is observed by the blessing of food and Easter baskets in Poland. Children in many countries spend time decorating and coloring eggs on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Public Life Holy Saturday is a public holiday in many parts of Australia (where it is known as Easter Saturday), and in places such as (but not exclusive to): Belize. Zambia. Zimbabwe. What is Lent? - Blog | What's in the Bible? What's In the Bible? What is Lent? February 22, 2012 Today is Ash Wednesday, so we at What’s in the Bible? wanted to help your families learn more about Lent and the Easter season.

Later today, our resident mom blogger Lisa will share about how her family practices Lent. We hear the question, “what is lent?” a lot, so first we wanted to share with you a bit more background about Lent and how we came to practice it today. Image Courtesy of the Catholic Church (England and Wales) through Creative Commons License What Is Lent? Lent is the season of fasting and self-denial observed by many Christians in the days preceding Easter Sunday each year. The word “Lent” comes from a word meaning “lengthening days,” with the Lenten season consisting of forty fast days as days lengthen in early spring. [1] Since Easter’s date moves each year based on the lunar calendar, Lent’s dates vary from year to year. However, each year it begins on Ash Wednesday, which occurs sometime in February or early March. Where Did Lent Come From? Lent is neither commanded nor implied in the Bible. Instead, it is a tradition that developed slowly over the first several centuries of church history.

During the first three centuries of the church Christians often prepared to celebrate Easter with a “short preparatory fast of one, two, or more days.” [2] At about 190 AD the church father, Irenaeus, “knew nothing of any Easter fast of forty days,” but did mention Christians fasting for shorter periods of time before Easter. [3] These early, pre-Easter fasts were used to mark the time between the death of Jesus and his resurrection, and to prepare one’s heart for Easter Sunday. How the short pre-Easter fasts of the first three centuries evolved into Lent is not entirely clear. Some early Christians in Egypt held a forty day fast beginning January 6 in imitation of Jesus’ own time of fasting. Those preparing for baptism on Easter in Rome would fast for three weeks prior, and something similar happened in other places at different times of the year. By the fourth century, “As Easter came to be seen universally as the primary occasion in the year for baptism … these customs coalesced everywhere into a standard forty-day season of fasting immediately before” the Easter festival.

[4] Canon 5 from the Council of Nicea (325 AD) mentions the period of “Lent,” and a few years later Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria, wrote to his people and urged them to observe the 40-day fast which “all the world” was observing. [5] Why Do People Fast at Lent? In the Roman Catholic tradition Lenten fasting has been seen as a form of penance to the Lord for past sins. Christians from a variety of traditions see it as a time of prayer, repentance, and self-sacrifice for the purpose of focusing their attention on Christ and His sacrifice in the days leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Lent begins on a humble note on Ash Wednesday when people make their way to church to receive an imprint of ashes on their forehead in the form of a cross. “These are to remind us of our mortality and our dependence on God” as well as the sacrifice of Christ, which makes it possible for sinful mortals to go to God. [6] Why Forty Days? Forty is a significant number in the Bible. It is a number associated with anticipation and preparation. Moses waited on Mt.

Sinai forty days to receive the Law (Ex. 34:28), Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years before entering the promised land (Ex. 16:35), Elijah walked forty days to meet with God at Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8), and most significantly, Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness before his temptation (Mark 1:13). Even after Christians had come to agree on a forty-day period of fasting before Easter, there was little uniformity in how churches counted the days. In Jerusalem Lent lasted eight weeks and people fasted Monday through Friday for a total of 40 fast days. In other places people fasted for six weeks, six days a week, making 36 fast days. Many in medieval times pointed to this period of thirty-six days “as the spiritual tithing of the year, thirty-six days being approximately the tenth part of three hundred and sixty-five.” [7] Today Lent lasts six and one half weeks, with exactly forty fast days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Sundays have never been included as fast days, since celebration rather than fasting should characterize every Sunday—the day Jesus rose from the dead. What Do People Give up for Lent?

Like much about Lent, what people give up and how often they abstain has varied throughout history and from person to person. For many years, Roman Catholics were called to fast six days a week. A fast was defined as eating only one full meal per day. Even during these meals they were to abstain from eating all animals (except fish) and animal products, such as milk, eggs, or fat. “This general prohibition of eggs and milk during Lent is perpetuated in the popular custom of blessing or making gifts of eggs at Easter, and in the English usage of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.” [8] The name “Fat Tuesday” may also stem from “a custom of frying foods before Ash Wednesday in order to use up all the animal fat in a household.” [9] In the twentieth century the Catholic Church lightened the fasting requirements for Lent. Today, Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are instructed to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and to abstain from meat other than fish on all the Fridays of Lent.

This helps explain McDonald’s increased marketing for its Filet-O-Fish sandwich every Easter season, and why many restaurants in predominantly Catholic parts of the country hold a Fish Fry on Friday nights (up until the mid-twentieth century, Catholics were instructed to abstain from meat every Friday of the year). While meat is the most common thing left out of one’s diet, people choose to give up all kinds of things during Lent. For example, some choose to abstain from something they enjoy such as chocolate, sugar, coffee, or television for the entire Lenten season. Others choose to fast from all food one day a week in order to give themselves to prayer and meditation on the work of Christ. Do Protestants Observe Lent? At the time of the Reformation the traditions surrounding Lent “were almost entirely swept away, as part of the Reformers’ general rejection of the use of all ceremonies in worship that were at best not understood by ordinary people and at worst interpreted in a highly superstitious manner.” [10] However, over the past two centuries Lent has made a comeback among Protestants. Today it is commonly observed by Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians and members of other mainline Protestant denominations.

In recent years other Protestants such as Baptists and non-denominational congregations have begun to adopt the practice of fasting from something during Lent. [11] While the practices, timing, and even the theology behind Lent has differed over the years and continues to differ between churches and individuals, many Christians continue to prepare for Easter Sunday through some form of fasting. [1] Jack Santino, All Around the Year: Holidays and Celebrations in American Life (Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1994), 102. [2] Paul F. Bradshaw and Hoffman, Lawrence A., eds., Passover and Easter: Origin and History to Modern Times, vol. 5, Two Liturgical Traditions (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1999), 3. [3] Herbert Thurston, “Lent,” In The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 9 (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910). Accessed 6 Feb. 2012. [4] Bradshaw and Hoffman, Lawrence A., Passover and Easter, 5:3.

[5] First Council of Nicaea, ; Athanasius, quoted in Thurston, “Lent.” [6] Santino, All Around the Year, 102–103. Days of Easter Season: Easter is a Season of Holy Days, Not a Single Holiday Days of Easter Season: Easter is a Season of Holy Days, Not a Single Holiday Daniel Sambraus By Austin Cline Easter Season: In Christianity, Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe happened three days after he was buried. Easter is not an isolated holiday: it is the culmination of the season of Lent, which lasts 40 days, and begins the season of Pentecost, which lasts 50 days. Because of this, Easter is a holiday which stands at the center of the Christian liturgical calendar and serves as a focal point for numerous other celebrations, commemorations, and vigils. Read More... Ash Wednesday & Easter: Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent and falls somewhere between February 4th and March 11th, 6 1/2 weeks before Easter.

Early in Christian history the length of Lent varied, but in the 7th century it was fixed at 40 days as a reminder of the 40 days Jesus fasted in the desert. Christians are expected to engage in both fasting and abstinence on this date. Read More... Clean Monday & Easter: Clean Monday is the Monday that begins the season of Great Lent in Eastern Orthodox Churches. This corresponds to the season of Lent found in Western Christendom, although the periods of these two seasons are calculated differently. Both use a period of 40 days between the beginning and end of Lent, but whereas Western Christendom doesnt count Sundays because Jesus is recorded as having resurrected on a Sunday, Eastern Orthodox churches to count Sundays. Read More... Feast of the Annunciation & Easter: In Christianity, the Annunciation refers to the announcement of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to Jesus. This event is celebrated every year as the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th. Because of its proximity to the spring equinox, the Feast of the Annunciation is effectively a Christian celebration of one of the four Quarter Days celebrated in ancient pagan and nature religions .

Read More... Palm Sunday & Easter: Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, is the first day of Holy Week which ends with Easter the following Sunday. It commemorates Jesus entry into Jerusalem prior to being crucified a few days later. Actual ceremonies typically include a procession of palm fronds which are blessed and will later be burned, their ashes to be used in the next years Ash Wednesday. Read More... Lent & Easter: Lent is the penitential period of 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. The name lent is a Germanic word which was originally used to refer to the spring season generally. Over time, however, it came to be used to replace the Latin term quadragesima, which means forty days. According to biblical accounts, Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days of fasting, meditation and reflection before beginning his ministry. Read More... Pentecost & Easter: Probably derived originally from a harvest festival among the Canaanites , Petecost (Greek for fifty days) was a festival among the ancient Hebrews which came exactly fifty days after passover.

In later Jewish literature it was sometimes claimed that it commemorated the anniversary of Moses' receiving the Law at Mt. Sinai. The Jewish term for this day is Shavuot. Read More... Whit Sunday & Easter: Whit Sunday is a Christian holiday during Pentecost, the 50 days following Easter (it originally coincided with the Jewish feast of Shavuot). It falls on the first Sunday after Easter. Although this date is rarely observed today, during the Middle Ages Christians would often celebrate for up to an entire week. Many forms of celebration, for example the use of a May Pole, indicate that this date was used to incorporate various pagan celebrations and traditions. Read More... Holy Week & Easter: Holy Week is the final week of Lent . It begins with Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, and ends with Easter Sunday. During this week Christians are expected to devote time to the study of the passion of Jesus Christ - his suffering, his death, and his eventual resurrection which is commemorated on Easter. Read More...

Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, is the Thursday before Easter and the date during Holy Week to commemorate both Judas  betray of Jesus and Jesus creation of the rite of Eucharist during the Last Supper. Early Christians celebrated it with a general communion taken by both the clergy and lay members of the church and marked the date for penitents have have a public reconciliation with the community. Read More... Good Friday Good Friday is the Friday before Easter and the date during Holy Week when Christians do penance and commemorate the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ . The earliest evidence of Christians engaging in fasting and penance on this date can be traced back to the second century - a time when many Christians celebrated every Friday as a feast day in remembrance of Jesus death. Read More... Holy Saturday Holy Saturday is the day before Easter and is the date during Holy Week when Christians engage in preparations for Easter services. Early Christians normally fasted during the day and participated in an all-night vigil before a baptism of new Christians and celebratory Eucharist at dawn. In the Middle Ages many Holy Saturday events were transferred from the nighttime vigil to dawn services on Saturday. Read More...

Lazarus Saturday Lazarus Saturday is a part of the Easter celebrations of the Eastern Orthodox Church and commemorates the time when Jesus is believed to have raised Lazarus from the dead, signalling Jesus powers over life and death. It is the only time during the year that the resurrection service is celebrated on a different day of the week. Read More... Easter Sunday in the Catholic Church By Scott P. Richert Updated December 31, 2016. Easter is the greatest feast in the Christian calendar. On this Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. For Catholics, Easter Sunday comes at the end of 40 days of prayer , fasting , and almsgiving known as Lent . Through spiritual struggle and self-denial, we have prepared ourselves to die spiritually with Christ on Good Friday , the day of His Crucifixion, so that we can rise again with Him in new life on Easter. For the date of Easter in this and other years, and for information on how the date of Easter is calculated, see When Is Easter?

A Day of Celebration In Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches on Easter, Christians greet each other with cries of "Christ is risen!" and respond "Indeed He is risen!" Over and over, they sing a hymn of celebration: Christ is risen from the dead By death He conquered death And to those in the graves He granted life! In Roman Catholic churches, the Alleluia is sung for the first time since the beginning of Lent. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us in his famous Easter Homily , our fast is over; now is the time for celebration. The Fulfillment of Our Faith Easter is a day of celebration because it represents the fulfillment of our faith as Christians. Saint Paul wrote that, unless Christ rose from the dead, our faith is in vain ( 1 Corinthians 15:17 ). Through his death, Christ saved mankind from bondage to sin, and He destroyed the hold that death has on all of us; but it is His Resurrection that gives us the promise of new life, both in this world and the next. The Coming of the Kingdom That new life began on Easter Sunday.

In the Our Father , we pray that "Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven." And Christ told His disciples that some of them would not die until they saw the Kingdom of God "coming in power" ( Mark 9:1 ). The early Christian Fathers saw Easter as the fulfillment of that promise. With the resurrection of Christ, God's Kingdom is established on earth, in the form of the Church. New Life in Christ That is why people who are converting to Catholicism traditionally are baptized at the Easter Vigil service, which takes place on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter), starting sometime after sunset. They have usually undergone a long process of study and preparation known as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). Their baptism parallels Christ's own Death and Resurrection, as they die to sin and rise to new life in the Kingdom of God. The Sacrament of Baptism Communion: Our Easter Duty Because of the central importance of Easter to the Christian faith, the Catholic Church requires that all Catholics who have made their First Communion receive the Holy Eucharist sometime during the Easter season , which lasts through Pentecost , 50 days after Easter.

(The Church also urges us to take part in the Sacrament of Confession before receiving this Easter communion.) This reception of the Eucharist is a visible sign of our faith and our participation in the Kingdom of God. Of course, we should receive Communion as frequently as possible; this " Easter Duty " is simply the minimum requirement set by the Church. Why is it called GOOD Friday? Why is it called GOOD Friday? Submit questions - New Articles QUESTION: Why is two days before Easter Sunday called GOOD FRIDAY? What makes the day so great? ANSWER: The time you mention is called GOOD Friday in some countries but is also referenced differently in other nations. In some places around the globe , the last workday of the week before Easter is prefixed with words such as Holy , Black , Great, Long and Silent. What some people might find surprising is that the Bible is completely silent regarding any religious observance on the Friday before a believed resurrection of Jesus on Sunday morning (see our article " Three days and three nights " for more information). In fact, even the name of the day of the week Jesus was believed to be crucified on does not appear anywhere in the Bible.

The ONLY day called by a given name in Scripture is the seventh day, which is the Sabbath . The names of the other days are first, second, third and so on. A 1911 Encyclopedia states the following about this day. "The origin of the custom of a yearly commemoration of the Crucifixion is somewhat obscure. It may be regarded as certain that among Jewish Christians it almost imperceptibly grew out of the old habit of annually celebrating the Passover on the 14th of Nisan" (Nisan, also called Abib, is the first month of the Hebrew year). This day was made as a fast day by the Roman Catholic Church in the 4th century A.D. (long after Jesus died). Its purpose is to commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus . The following is the Catholic Church's explanation. "Good Friday is the English designation of Friday in Holy Week . . . (the day) on which the Church keeps the anniversary of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

"From the earliest times the Christians kept every Friday as a feast day ; and the obvious reasons for those usages explain why Easter is the Sunday par excellence, and why the Friday which marks the anniversary of Christ's death came to be called . . . Some say it (the term) is from Gottes Freitag; others maintain that it is from the German Gute Freitag, and not specially English." (The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VI, 1909)

Question: What comes two days before Easter Sunday?
Answer: Good Friday