The Windermere List: Easter Edition

The Council of Nicea: the first Catholic ecumenical council, who made Easter a true holiday back in 325 AD

Christian calendar: Easter Sunday is considered the most important day of the year

Quinquagesima: the fifty-day period leading up to Easter and, for some, the period when meat is forbidden

Easter symbols: bunnies, eggs, plastic grass, chicks, ham, candles, palm branches, etc.

Lighting Easter candles: some associate it with pagan customs of lighting bonfires to welcome the rebirth of the sun god

Chocolate Easter bunnies: most children eat the ears first, but there are about 10% who eat the tails first

The world’s largest Easter egg: found in Vegreville, Alberta, it weighs 5,000 pounds and is 9.5 m tall, 7.8 m long, and 5.5 m wide

“Christian” celebration: its timing and symbolism are linked to the Jewish celebration of Passover

The use of Easter eggs: a custom possibly originated from paganism, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia

71 million pounds: the approximate amount of chocolate sold in the week leading up to Easter

References:

partysugar. (2010, February 23). Easter Fun Facts! [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.yumsugar.com/Easter-Fun-Facts-200482

Easter Fun Facts and Activities. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gifts-flowers-giftbaskets.com/Easter_Fun_Facts

Holweck, F. (1909). Easter. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05224d.htm

Beautiful Easter Pictures: Easter Eggs—the Symbols of Hope, Life and Rebirth. (2011, April 22). Retrieved from http://www.moyeamedia.com/blog/?p=910

Easter Facts. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.easterfacts.net/

Robinson, B.A. (2007, April 11). The Christian origins of Easter. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Retrieved from http://www.religioustolerance.org/easter2.htm

This entry was posted on April 4, 2012 by The Windermere Word. It was filed under > Windermere Word 11/12, April 11/12 and was tagged with easter, Thea Sample, Windermere List.