Easter

EASTER COMES IN THE SPRING each year. It is a joyful celebration because it honors the resurrection of Christ. It is the day he is said to have risen from the dead. This happy day follows a long period of penance and mourning for the death of Jesus Christ. The 40 days, called Lent, begin on Ash Wednesday. They extend through Good Friday, the day of Christ's crucifixion, and end on Easter Sunday.

Easter occurs on a different Sunday each year. It is celebrated on the first Sunday that follows the first full moon after March 21st (the first day of spring). The Roman Emperor Constantine, who was a Christian, set this date for Easter back in the year 325 A.D. Most churches have followed his rule ever since.

The celebration of Easter is one of the most important holidays in Christian countries throughout the world. But many Easter customs are not religious. In America, there is an Easter "parade." In towns and cities, people go walking or to church in their newest clothes. Men sometimes dress formally and women and girls traditionally have a new Easter bonnet.

Brightly colored Easter eggs are another part of the celebration. In some areas they are given out on Easter morning. In other places, they are hidden, and children must hunt for them. Egg-rolling is another Easter pastime. Each year, an egg-rolling contest is held on the lawn of the White House in Washington. Contests are also held in England and Germany.

How did eggs come to be part of the Easter celebration? Perhaps because they are the symbol of new life. Christ's resurrection was a new life. Also, Easter comes at the beginning of spring, when all of nature comes to life after the cold winter.

The Easter rabbit appears each year, too. In Germany, people say the Easter rabbit brings the eggs and hides them in houses. This idea was brought over to the United States by German settlers.

In Russia and many of the other Slavic countries, Easter eggs are works of art. Beautiful and intricate designs of many colors are drawn on the eggs. They are painted by hand, and many are saved and passed down through the generations. The custom also includes taking the eggs to church to be blessed. In Italy, also, eggs are taken to church to be blessed.

Easter eggs, parades, and bunnies have no part at all in the Latin American Easter. All of Holy Week -the week before Easter- is a religious festival in Mexico and South America. On Palm Sunday, palm leaves are blessed in the churches, as they are in many North American churches. Churches are decorated with fruit and green plants. There are religious processions and Passion plays, telling the Easter story.

People go into deep mourning on Good Friday, but Catholics in Latin America celebrate the resurrection on Easter Saturday. After church, people go into a wild celebration, with whistles, church bells, and fireworks! In many places, people play rough games with a straw figure dressed up as Judas, who told the Roman soldiers where to capture Jesus. The Judas is hanged or burned by the crowd.

In Europe, too, there are many solemn processions on Good Friday. These are sad funeral processions mourning the death of Christ. In a town in Italy, young men run through the streets. As they run, they hit themselves on the legs with pieces of cork studded with broken glass, so that they will be hurt as Christ was.

Lent, the 40 days of penance, is an important and serious part of the Easter season. And Carnival, right before Lent, is the wildest holiday of the year in many parts of Europe and Latin America. There are great parades, street dances, and costume balls for three days or even longer. The biggest South American carnival is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Even the very poorest people work for months to have a beautiful costume for the street dances.

French settlers brought this custom of carnival over to the United States. A Mardi Gras carnival is held in New Orleans each year.

Mardi Gras really means "Fat Tuesday" in French, because everyone tries to eat up the good things they will not eat after Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. In England, people often have pancake festivals. In Germany, they make doughnuts.

With all the parades and customs, though, Easter is still mainly a time to celebrate new life. Spring is in the air. The long days of winter and of Lent are over. It is a day to remember the man who was born on Christmas, died on Good Friday, and rose again on Easter Sunday. Spring and the rituals of Easter Bunnies and egg hunts signify re-birth and a new time to reflect and renew.

Legendary Tale
The tradition of the Easter rabbit came to America with German immigrants during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Edible name Tags
Make anyone feel special with a personalized cookie. Use the cookie as place cards or include in an Easter Basket

Easter Tree
Who says trees are just for Christmas? Place some pussy willow stems in a flower pot, them trim your Easter tree with edible cookies

Cookie Hunt
Create Easter cookies and place them in our cellophane bags. Hide them in the yard or home and invite the kids to a festive Easter cookie hunt.

Easter Treats
To find an assortment of Easter Goodies, Basket Stuffers, Treat box, Cello Bags, Shred, Eggs-traordinary gifts, tableware and decorations hop on over.

Easter Decorating & Party Kits
Easter Candy Bars
Easter Candy Wrappers

Easter Decorama
Easter Inflatable Sign
Springtime Confetti
Easter Tissue Bunny
Bunny & Chick Garland
Springtime Garland
Easter Scene Setter
Bunny Cutouts
Pastel Balloons
Yellow Squirt Ducks

Easter Basket Favors

Easter Gift Baskets
Easter beaded floral egg boxes
Easter spring babies felt bags

Easter - Parade Costumes
Deluxe Easter Bunny
Supreme Bunny Suit Adult
Parade Bunny Adult
Classic Easter Bunny
Premium Rabbit Complete, Grey
Bunny Infant Costume 12-24 Months
Hatchling (Special Order)

Easter Pageant Costumes
Jesus Wig and Beard
Shepherd Costume
Shepherd Costume, Adult
Shepherd Adult Deluxe

Easter Gift Baskets
Sincere Gratitude Box
Grand Thank You Gift Set
Thanks Deluxe Care Box
Treats For Troopers Box
Master Of The Grill Set
Classic Snacks Basket
Super Star Gift Box
Small Bon Appetite Box

Easter Baskets For Him
Gourmet Desk Caddy Set
Nascar Lovers Gift Chest
Football Fanatic Basket
All Star Sports Gift Box
Golfing Around Gift Bag
Gone Fishing Gift Box

Easter Baskets for Her
Sunflowers Gift Set
Hugs For Mom Gift Set
Spa Refresher Gift Set
Spoil Me Spa Gift Set
Truffle Towers Gift Pack
Bath & Body Spa Caddy
Home Sweet Home Basket

Easter Gifts and Baskets
Java Tray Gift Set
Chocolate Gourmet Basket
Gourmet Gift Chest
Sugar Free Gift Basket
A Cut Above Board Basket
Simply Delicious Basket
Gold Bow Gift Basket
Candy Grams
Lollipops & Candy

Easter Books

Easter Pageant Costumes and Accessories

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Easter Supplies

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