This year, on the 6th of April, billions of people will be celebrating Easter Sunday.

This always happens after a period of fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, commonly known as Lent.

Lent recognises and celebrates Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and especially all the suffering that he went through to free us from our sins.

The final week (Holy Week), celebrates the story of Jesus' final days on Earth.

This important date in the calendar has a massive cultural significance among the Christian church.

But what is the origin of this annual tradition?

Well, it all started in the year 30 A.D.

Palm Sunday

 

Jesus was on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Jerusalem.

He sent two of his disciples to untie for him a previously unridden donkey.

He did this to fulfil an ancient prophecy that had been made about his final week.

A crowd had gathered nearby to celebrate Jesus’ return after his pilgrimage, where he resurrected Lazarus.

The crowd threw palm leaves and their cloaks on the ground in front of his path, treating him like a king.

Maundy Thursday

Judas Iscariot had gone up to the high priests, who already had a problem with Jesus over fears that he would destroy the Holy Temple, and received thirty silver coins to betray Jesus.

Jesus had booked a room for him and his disciples to eat at.

He already knew that there was a plot to betray him and prophecised it to his disciples.

He took bread and wine and blessed them in his name.

Then Jesus said that, his faithful disciple, Peter will deny ever knowing Jesus three times by 3 AM.

After the feast, he then went up to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray to God.

But then, Jesus was seized by a mob under the control of the high priests.

There, he was taken to Pontius Pilate, who gave him the death sentence.

He was then mocked and crucified.

Good Friday

This is the day Jesus was said to have died.

A powerful force then travelled through Israel, shaking the Earth violently and resurrecting God's people.

This struck the fear of God into the guards who were with him at that time.

After that, a follower, called Joseph, came up to Pilate, and requested Jesus' remains.

He then took the body and placed it into a large cave and rolled a boulder over the entrance, sealing Jesus inside.

Easter Sunday

Jesus' mother, Mary, went over to the tomb.

Suddenly, an angel came from above and rolled away the stone that had once sealed Jesus, explaining that he had already risen.

They then ran from the tomb both scared and joyous.

Jesus appeared in front of them declaring,

Peace be with you

the women who were running stopped and worshipped him.

After Jesus had commanded them to spread the news, they went and informed the local guards.

They ran to the chief priests and declared to them the miracle.

Later eleven of his disciples, excluding Judas, went up to the hill as commanded by Jesus earlier, and were greeted with his final commands before his ascension to heaven.

The establishing of the holiday

Around the year 325, the church declared the Easter Holiday.

They created the Holy Week, to commemorate the timeline of events in Jesus' final days.

The painting of Easter came much later, in the year 1290, to celebrate the end of the tradition of Lenten fasting

In the 19th century the common traditions of chocolate eggs and easter bunnies became a widespread part of the holiday alongside the already established Christian traditions.

And that's how we got modern day easter, the story of Jesus' life merged with modern traditions and folklore, that we know and love.

Happy Easter!