Make your friends/ family/ dear ones go LOL on Easter with the timeless question of what came first.
Make this Easter a special one for your friends/ siblings/ cousins/ dear ones with this cool Easter game.
Labels: Easter Wishes
Name: Michael Ringwood
From: Miami, Florida
About me: I love pets! Rex – my German Shepherd, and I can't resist my temptation of talking about him whenever I can. I have a passion for writing on various interesting topics -- especially about recipes and food. I have a big interest in the restaurant business. I travel around to different restaurants to experience the service and the food.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Easter is here... with baskets fulla fun and good cheer ! Celebrate this joyful occasion with your friends/ family/ associates/ acquaintances and brighten up their Springtime with our warm and cute Happy Easter ecards. Wish them lotsa fun and smiles with these wonderful ecards and make their Easter a truly eggs-tra special one.
Make your friends/ family/ dear ones go LOL on Easter with the timeless question of what came first.
Make this Easter a special one for your friends/ siblings/ cousins/ dear ones with this cool Easter game.
Make your friends/ family/ dear ones go LOL on Easter with the timeless question of what came first.
Make this Easter a special one for your friends/ siblings/ cousins/ dear ones with this cool Easter game.
Easter or Oestre, as it is sometimes called, celebrates the Resurrection of Christ following his crucification previously. The word 'Oestre' was the old Teutonic word for dawn/sunrise. This word is one of the roots of our word 'east', and also the name of the female hormone 'estrogen'.
Dating back to the period AD 27 to 33, Easter is widely celebrated throughout the world. Christ's crucification and resurrection mark the basis for the salvation of mankind. Although Christian in nature, Easter, brings together the entire human race. Here are some lesser known facts about Easter-
Easter, also known as Pascha (Greek: Passover), the Feast of the Resurrection, the Sunday of the Resurrection, or Resurrection Day, is the most important religious feast of the Christian liturgical year, observed between late March and late April.
Easter is named after Eastre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess! Her symbols were the hare and the egg.
It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, which his followers believe occurred on the third day after his death by crucifixion.
In Western Christianity, Easter always falls on a Sunday from March 22 to April 25 inclusive. The following day, Easter Monday, is a legal holiday in many countries with predominantly Christian traditions. In Eastern Christianity, Easter falls between April 4 and May 8 between 1900 and 1970 based on the Gregorian date.
Those following the Church of Alexandria, actually follow an ecclesiastic full moon instead of an astronomical moon-
The ecclesiastical rules are:
Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or afterMarch 21 (the day of the ecclesiastical vernal equinox).
This particular ecclesiastical full moon is the 14th day of a tabular lunation (new moon).
In Western Christianity, Easter marks the end of the forty days of Lent, a period of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter which begins on Ash Wednesday. The week before Easter is very special in the Christian tradition: Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday respectively commemorate Jesus's entry in Jerusalem, the Last Supper and the Crucifixion.
In Eastern Christianity, preparations begin with Great Lent. Following the fifth Sunday of Great Lent is Palm Week, which ends with Lazarus Saturday. Lazarus Saturday officially brings Great Lent to a close, although the fast continues for the following week.
The resurrection of Jesus took place during the Passover. The Passover is the 8 day observance commemorating the freedom and exodus of the Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records the largest Easter egg ever made was just over 25-ft high and made of chocolate and marshmallow. The egg weighed 8,968 lbs. and was supported by an internal steel frame.
Labels: Easter Facts
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
It's Easter ! Time to rejoice and celebrate. Convey your wishes for happiness and joy to your colleagues/ employees/ partners/ associates/ business acquaintances with our warm and special Easter Formal Greetings ecards. Reach out to them with these wonderful ecards and make their Easter a memorable one.
Wish your business/ social acquaintances a Happy Easter with this beautiful ecard.
Wish your friends/ colleagues/ associates/ dear ones happiness and success with this beautiful Easter ecard.
Wish your business/ social acquaintances a Happy Easter with this beautiful ecard.
Wish your friends/ colleagues/ associates/ dear ones happiness and success with this beautiful Easter ecard.
Labels: Easter Formal Greetings
The celebration of Easter extends beyond the church. Since its origins, it has been a time of celebration and feasting. Today it is commercially important, seeing wide sales of greeting cards and confectionery such as chocolate Easter eggs, marshmallow bunnies, Peeps, and jelly beans.
Here's a gist of how Easter is celebrated by the Pagan population or the less-religious Christian community and the rest of the world.
1. America:
Throughout North America, the Easter holiday has been partially secularized, so that some families participate only in the attendant revelry, central to which is decorating Easter eggs on Saturday evening and hunting for them Sunday morning, by which time they have been mysteriously hidden all over the house and garden. Many families in America will attend Sunday Mass or services in the morning and then participate in a feast or party in the afternoon.
2. Belgium:
Belgium shares the same traditions as North America but sometimes it is said that the Bells of Rome bring the Easter Eggs together with the Easter Bunny. The story goes that the bells of every church leave for Rome on Saturday which is called "Stille Zaterdag" which means "Silent Saturday" in Dutch. So since the bells are in Rome, the bells don't ring anywhere.
3. Scandinavia:
In Norway, in addition to skiing in the mountains and painting eggs for decorating, it is tradition to solve murders at Easter. All the major television channels show crime and detective stories (such as Poirot), magazines print stories where the readers can try to figure out who did it, and many new books are published. Even the milk cartons change to have murder stories on their sides. Another tradition is Yahtzee games. In Finland and Sweden, traditions include egg painting and small children dressed as witches collecting candy door-to-door, in exchange for decorated pussy willows. This is a result of the mixing of an old Orthodox tradition (blessing houses with willow branches) and the Scandinavian Easter witch tradition. Fake feathers and little decorations are also placed on willow branches in a vase. For lunch/dinner on Holy Saturday, families traditionally feast on a smörgåsbord of herring, salmon, potatoes, eggs and other kinds of food. In Finland, the Lutheran majority enjoys mämmi as another traditional easter treat, while the Orthodox minority's traditions include eating pasha instead.
4. Netherlands:
In the eastern part of the Netherlands (Twente and Achterhoek), Easter Fires are lit on Easter Day at sunset.
5. Central Europe:
In the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, a tradition of whipping is carried out on Easter Monday. In the morning, males whip females with a special handmade whip called pomlázka (in Czech) or korbáč (in Slovak). The pomlázka/korbáč consists of eight, twelve or even twenty-four withies (willow rods) and is usually from half a metre to two metres long and decorated with coloured ribbons at the end. The purpose is for males to exhibit their attraction to females. The whipped female gives a colored egg to the male as a sign of her thanks and forgiveness. In some regions the females can get revenge in the afternoon when they can pour a bucket of cold water on any male. The habit slightly varies across the Czech Republic.
In Hungary (where it is called Ducking Monday), perfume or perfumed water is often sprinkled in exchange for an Easter egg.
Source: wikipedia
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Labels: Non-religious Easter Traditions
Monday, February 26, 2007
The Easter Weekend is always fun! It's a time to be with friends, family and loved ones. And also a time for Easter parades, egg hunts or attend church services and have a joyful time.
Send this eCard !
Send this eCard !
Labels: Easter Weekend
This is something that I found here, for Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle Kicking.
The Easter Monday tradition of 'Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle Kicking' in Hallaton, Leicestershire, England, is really quite intricate. To start, the ingredients of a hare pie include:
4 pounds of flour
2 pounds of lard
2 hares
3 pounds of onions
7 pounds of potatoes
Seasoning
The pie is cooked on Easter Monday, using a 20-inch square tin, at either the Torch House, which belongs to Torch Trust for the Blind or at the Bewick Arms.
The pie is paraded in a procession through the village from the Fox Inn to the gate of St. Michael's Church. Immediately behind the pie in the procession are the three 'bottles' that are used for the Bottle Kicking match. These are actually small barrels, about 14 inches high by 9 inches in diameter and weighing about 20 pounds. Two of these are brown in color and filled with about a gallon of ale each. The remaining 'bottle' is left empty and is colored red and white.
The pie is distributed by the rector of St. Michael's Church to the crowd. Some of the pie is put into sacks and carried away with other processions through the village, ending at the top of Hare Pie bank. This is where the Bottle Kicking match takes place between Hallaton and the neighboring village of Medbourne. There is no limit to the number of competitors in the Bottle Kicking match.
The competitors arrange themselves in a circle at the top of the bank. The chairman of the Bottle Kicking match throws the first full bottle into the air and allows it to fall on the ground. This is repeated twice more. When the bottle lands on the ground the third time, it is 'in play.' What follows is a chaotic battle between the two teams to move the bottle toward their respective villages over their respective touch lines, which are between two separate streams at each end of Hare Pie bank, approximately three-quarters of a mile apart. There are numerous hedges, lanes, ditches and even barbed wire between the two touch lines.
Once the first score has been made, the whole process is repeated with the empty bottle. If the previous losing team effects a tie, the process is repeated with the final bottle. At the end of the match, both teams walk back to Hallaton, where the winning team drinks both bottles and the losing team has to watch!
It is believed that Hare Pie bank was previously a stowe, a place of pagan worship.
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Labels: Easter Monday Tradition
Friday, February 23, 2007
It's Easter ! Time for egg painting, egg hunts and a whole lotta egg-citement ! Celebrate the joys of this bright season and have lotsa fun with your friends, family and loved ones. Send them your wishes for a hippity-hoppity happy time with our cute Easter Fun ecards. Go on... make this Easter a memorable one for everyone with these funny pranks, jokes or cool surprises.
Wish everyone you know with this eggs-tremely funny Easter joke.
Make your pals/ siblings/ dear ones go LOL with this eggs-tra funny Easter riddle.
Wish everyone you know with this eggs-tremely funny Easter joke.
Make your pals/ siblings/ dear ones go LOL with this eggs-tra funny Easter riddle.
Labels: Easter Fun Greetings
What is Easter without a couple of good jokes? Check out these that I got from here!
Why does the Easter bunny have a shiny nose?
His powder puff is on the wrong end.
Is it true that bunnies have good eyesight?
Well you never see a bunny wearing glasses, do you?
What is the difference between a crazy bunny and a counterfeit banknote? -
One is bad money and the other is a mad bunny!
Why did the Easter egg hide? He was a little chicken!
Why did a fellow rabbit say that the Easter Bunny was self-centered?
Because he was eggo-centric!
Why does the Easter bunny have a shiny nose?
His powder puff is on the wrong end.
Is it true that bunnies have good eyesight?
Well you never see a bunny wearing glasses, do you?
What is the difference between a crazy bunny and a counterfeit banknote? -
One is bad money and the other is a mad bunny!
Why did the Easter egg hide? He was a little chicken!
Why did a fellow rabbit say that the Easter Bunny was self-centered?
Because he was eggo-centric!
Labels: Easter Jokes
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Hey, Easter is also about all things sweet - like Easter candies! So check out this quiz to know what kind of an Easter candy are you...
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| You Are a Bunny Pop |
 It takes a whole lot more than three licks to get to your center. You cheeky bunny! |
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Labels: Easter Candy
A few of Easter trivia that I found here -
Decorating and colouring eggs for Easter was the custom in England during the middle ages. The household accounts of Edward I, for the year 1290, recorded an expenditure of eighteen pence for four hundred and fifty eggs to be gold-leafed and coloured for Easter gifts.
The most famous decorated Easter eggs were those made by the well-known goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge. In 1883 the Russian Czar, Alexander, commissioned Faberge to make a special Easter gift for his wife, the Empress Marie.
The first Faberge egg was an egg within an egg. It had an outside shell of platinum and enameled white which opened to reveal a smaller gold egg. The smaller egg, in turn, opened to display a golden chicken and a jeweled replica of the Imperial crown.
This special Faberge egg so delighted the Czarina that the Czar promptly ordered the Faberge firm to design further eggs to be delivered every Easter. In later years Nicholas II, Alexander's son, continued the custom. Fifty-seven eggs were made in all.
In 1878 President Hayes and his wife Lucy officially opened the White House grounds to the children of the area for egg rolling on Easter Monday. The event has been held on the South Lawn ever since, except during World War I and World War II. During the war years the Easter Egg Roll was held at the National Zoo, and other Washington locations.
Send this eCard !
Send this eCard !
Decorating and colouring eggs for Easter was the custom in England during the middle ages. The household accounts of Edward I, for the year 1290, recorded an expenditure of eighteen pence for four hundred and fifty eggs to be gold-leafed and coloured for Easter gifts.
The most famous decorated Easter eggs were those made by the well-known goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge. In 1883 the Russian Czar, Alexander, commissioned Faberge to make a special Easter gift for his wife, the Empress Marie.
The first Faberge egg was an egg within an egg. It had an outside shell of platinum and enameled white which opened to reveal a smaller gold egg. The smaller egg, in turn, opened to display a golden chicken and a jeweled replica of the Imperial crown.
This special Faberge egg so delighted the Czarina that the Czar promptly ordered the Faberge firm to design further eggs to be delivered every Easter. In later years Nicholas II, Alexander's son, continued the custom. Fifty-seven eggs were made in all.
In 1878 President Hayes and his wife Lucy officially opened the White House grounds to the children of the area for egg rolling on Easter Monday. The event has been held on the South Lawn ever since, except during World War I and World War II. During the war years the Easter Egg Roll was held at the National Zoo, and other Washington locations.
Send this eCard !
Send this eCard !
Labels: Easter Trivia
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
It's Easter ! The bunny has hopped into town and it's time again to go hunting for the delightful chocolate eggs. Reach out to your friends, brothers, sisters, cousins and loved ones with our cute Easter Egg Hunt ecards. Wish them a fun time searching every nook and corner for their own treasure trove and make their Easter an egg-citing one with these cheerful ecards.
Send this ecard to wish your friends/ siblings/ loved ones a fun time hunting for Easter eggs.
Wish your friends/ siblings/ dear ones a great Easter with this fun-filled egg catching game.
Send this ecard to wish your friends/ siblings/ loved ones a fun time hunting for Easter eggs.
Wish your friends/ siblings/ dear ones a great Easter with this fun-filled egg catching game.
Labels: Easter Egg Hunt
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Here's the story of the White House Easter Egg Roll that I have here, from this wonderful site!
The original site of the Easter Egg Roll was the grounds of the United States Capitol. The event began during the Presidency of James Madison (1809-1817) at the suggestion of his wife, Dolley Madison. Mrs. Madison was fascinated to learn that Egyptian children rolled colored eggs on the site of the Pyramids. She thought the children of the Washington area would enjoy this enchanting activity.
In 1877, under orders from members of Congress, Capitol policemen required the children to leave the grounds. Some Congressmen, tired of slipping and sliding on the remains of boiled eggs, felt the grounds should no longer be torn up in such a way. Some sources tell us that one irritated nursemaid, followed by several of her charges, stormed down to the White House where she demanded access to the White House grounds for egg rolling. Others claim that President Rutherford B. Hayes, riding by the Capitol grounds in his carriage, saw the tearful children and invited them to the White House for their egg roll.
In 1878 President Hayes and his wife Lucy officially opened the White House grounds to the children of the area for egg rolling on Easter Monday. The event has been held on the South Lawn ever since, except during World War I and World War II. During the war years the Easter Egg Roll was held at the National Zoo, and other Washington locations.
The White House Easter Egg Roll is eagerly awaited each year by thousands of children. It is always held on the Monday after Easter, on the South Lawn of the White House. Children hunt for brightly colored wooden signature eggs hidden in hay. Many of these eggs have been signed by famous people, including the athletes, astronauts, musicians, and celebrities from film, television, and theatre who visit the White House during the year. Of course, the real treasures are the eggs personally signed by the President and First Lady (as well as Socks)!
By the late 1800s such games as "Egg Picking," "Egg Ball," "Toss and Catch," and "Egg Croquet" were popular Easter Monday activities. The children attending the event take part in many newer activities, but rolling a hard-boiled egg across the lawn is still a highlight of the day.
Labels: White House Easter Egg Roll
Friday, February 9, 2007
Check out these easter Activities that I found here .
Easter Cookies
To be made the evening before Easter
You need:
1c. whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1c. sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible
Preheat oven to 300.
Instructions:
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27
So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1c. sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God' s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read Matt. 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matt. 27:65-66. GO TO BED!
Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matt. 28:1-9
(special note) Great to use for a Sunday School Class or Vacation Bible School too... Cookies can be left on a very very low temp..like 250 degrees. and be ready in a couple of hours...when surface of cookie looks dry and cracked....they are ready to eat!!!!!
Check out More Easter Kids Activities at http://www.squiglysplayhouse.com/ArtsAndCrafts/Holidays/Easter/Index.html
Easter Puzzle...
Send this cute puzzle to let your bro/ sis/ cuz/ friends have lotsa fun on Easter.
Fun Filled Easter For You !
Wish all the kids you know a fun-to-the-max Easter with this cute ecard.
Easter Cookies
To be made the evening before Easter
You need:
1c. whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1c. sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible
Preheat oven to 300.
Instructions:
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27
So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1c. sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God' s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read Matt. 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matt. 27:65-66. GO TO BED!
Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matt. 28:1-9
(special note) Great to use for a Sunday School Class or Vacation Bible School too... Cookies can be left on a very very low temp..like 250 degrees. and be ready in a couple of hours...when surface of cookie looks dry and cracked....they are ready to eat!!!!!
Check out More Easter Kids Activities at http://www.squiglysplayhouse.com/ArtsAndCrafts/Holidays/Easter/Index.html
Easter Puzzle...
Send this cute puzzle to let your bro/ sis/ cuz/ friends have lotsa fun on Easter.
Fun Filled Easter For You !
Wish all the kids you know a fun-to-the-max Easter with this cute ecard.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
The festival of Easter abounds in many interesting symbols-from the colorful Easter eggs, the hippy-hoppy bunnies, the glowing candles, the white lilies, the Lamb and the Cross to the Easter bonfires, the list is quite a long one indeed ! But interestingly enough, each of these are such integral parts of the Easter celebration that it's practically unjust to do away with any one of it. Each Easter symbol has its own distinct significance, each one has its own story attached to it, and that is what makes Easter even more colorful !
Easter Eggs: Come Easter, and the first thing that's sure to pop up in your mind are the Easter eggs in their vibrant colors. The Easter egg is the most important symbol of Easter and the one which the kids are most excited about.
Easter Bunnies:
"Bunnies are brown
Bunnies are white
Bunnies are always
An Easter delight !"
Yes, the bunnies ARE really a delight on Easter and yet another important symbol of Easter. Now you must be wondering what have bunnies got to do with Easter. Well, the Easter bunnies have their roots in the fertility lores of the pre-Christian era. Being the most prolific and fertile of all animals, the hare and the bunny or rabbit stand for abundance, profusion and new life. It was the Germans who brought the Easter bunny to America, but since it was not until after the Civil war that Easter gradually began to turn into a real celebration, the acceptance of the Easter bunny as a symbol of Easter celebrations comes in only as a recent addition. They symbolize the bountiful Spring season as well as the joyous Easter. So hop, skip and jump with them as Easter comes by…
The Lamb: An indispensable part of Easter, the Lamb, relates to the Crucifixion of Christ. The sacrifice of a lamb during the first Passover commemorated Christ's death nailed to a cross. This explains why Christ is many a times referred to as the 'lamb of God'. The importance of the lamb is so much that in many Christian homes, the Easter feast is incomplete without the preparation of lamb. This custom however started in the European countries. Today, only for this big day, candies and cakes are baked in the shape of a lamb for decorative purposes.
The Cross: A symbol of Christianity, a symbol of suffering and a symbol of God's victory over death and darkness, the Cross certainly is the most religiously significant part of Easter. The crucifix (Jesus nailed to a cross) signifies the sacrifice given by Christ for the sins committed by mankind. An empty cross, on the other hand, signifies the Resurrection of Christ, his immortality. It symbolizes the victory of life over death, of light over darkness.
Easter Candles: Ever heard the phrase 'The Light of The World' ? It's just one of the many ways by which the Christians call upon their God. A common belief is that Jesus is present in the light of the candles. Now that's precisely why the candles on the altar are put out on Good Friday (the day Jesus died at the cross) and are lit up again on the following Sunday, which is the Easter Sunday. You may, perhaps, also notice that some of the churches light up huge bonfires on the eve of Easter, to burn away all that's decayed and worn-out and to welcome Spring. Some also call it Judas' fire as images of Judas Iscariot (the man who betrayed Christ for thirty pieces of silver) are often burnt in them.
Lilies: Easter is incomplete without the pure, white, fully-bloomed lilies that adorn the churches with their mellow sweetness and chaste beauty. The lilies on Easter symbolize purity-a pure new beginning that's to unfold at the Resurrection of Christ. It's believed that angel Gabriel came to Virgin Mary and sprayed white lilies on her. And, Christ was born ! So, pick what you may this Easter, don't forget the lilies and let happiness bloom all around !
Wishing You A Joyful Easter !
Spell out what Easter really means to you with this eggs-tra special ecard.
Wat Came First ?
A fun-to-the-max ecard to wish your friends/ family/ dear ones a Happy Easter.
Easter Eggs: Come Easter, and the first thing that's sure to pop up in your mind are the Easter eggs in their vibrant colors. The Easter egg is the most important symbol of Easter and the one which the kids are most excited about.
Easter Bunnies:
"Bunnies are brown
Bunnies are white
Bunnies are always
An Easter delight !"
Yes, the bunnies ARE really a delight on Easter and yet another important symbol of Easter. Now you must be wondering what have bunnies got to do with Easter. Well, the Easter bunnies have their roots in the fertility lores of the pre-Christian era. Being the most prolific and fertile of all animals, the hare and the bunny or rabbit stand for abundance, profusion and new life. It was the Germans who brought the Easter bunny to America, but since it was not until after the Civil war that Easter gradually began to turn into a real celebration, the acceptance of the Easter bunny as a symbol of Easter celebrations comes in only as a recent addition. They symbolize the bountiful Spring season as well as the joyous Easter. So hop, skip and jump with them as Easter comes by…
The Lamb: An indispensable part of Easter, the Lamb, relates to the Crucifixion of Christ. The sacrifice of a lamb during the first Passover commemorated Christ's death nailed to a cross. This explains why Christ is many a times referred to as the 'lamb of God'. The importance of the lamb is so much that in many Christian homes, the Easter feast is incomplete without the preparation of lamb. This custom however started in the European countries. Today, only for this big day, candies and cakes are baked in the shape of a lamb for decorative purposes.
The Cross: A symbol of Christianity, a symbol of suffering and a symbol of God's victory over death and darkness, the Cross certainly is the most religiously significant part of Easter. The crucifix (Jesus nailed to a cross) signifies the sacrifice given by Christ for the sins committed by mankind. An empty cross, on the other hand, signifies the Resurrection of Christ, his immortality. It symbolizes the victory of life over death, of light over darkness.
Easter Candles: Ever heard the phrase 'The Light of The World' ? It's just one of the many ways by which the Christians call upon their God. A common belief is that Jesus is present in the light of the candles. Now that's precisely why the candles on the altar are put out on Good Friday (the day Jesus died at the cross) and are lit up again on the following Sunday, which is the Easter Sunday. You may, perhaps, also notice that some of the churches light up huge bonfires on the eve of Easter, to burn away all that's decayed and worn-out and to welcome Spring. Some also call it Judas' fire as images of Judas Iscariot (the man who betrayed Christ for thirty pieces of silver) are often burnt in them.
Lilies: Easter is incomplete without the pure, white, fully-bloomed lilies that adorn the churches with their mellow sweetness and chaste beauty. The lilies on Easter symbolize purity-a pure new beginning that's to unfold at the Resurrection of Christ. It's believed that angel Gabriel came to Virgin Mary and sprayed white lilies on her. And, Christ was born ! So, pick what you may this Easter, don't forget the lilies and let happiness bloom all around !
Wishing You A Joyful Easter !
Spell out what Easter really means to you with this eggs-tra special ecard.
Wat Came First ?
A fun-to-the-max ecard to wish your friends/ family/ dear ones a Happy Easter.
Labels: The Symbols of Easter
The Easter Bunny: Beloved Easter Symbol
Of all the symbols of Easter, none is more beloved than the Easter Bunny. And, of all the symbols of this season, none has a more varied, unique and universal background than this floppy-eared chocolate confection deliveryman. With his place—and yes, for some reason, the Easter Bunny is always referred to as "he"—in the traditions of many cultures, Rabbit can most certainly answer the question, "What's up, doc?" (after all, what would Elmer be without Bugs?).
The Advent of The Easter Bunny
The first documented use of the bunny as a symbol of Easter appears in Germany in the 1500s; although the actual matching of the holiday and the hare was probably a much earlier folk tradition. Not surprisingly, it was also the Germans who made the first edible Easter Bunnies in the 1800s.
The Pennsylvania Dutch brought the beneficent Easter Bunny to the United States in the 1700s. Children eagerly awaited the arrival of Oschter Haws and his gifts with a joy second only to that brought about by the winter visit of Kris Kringle.
Rabbits Revered Around the World
Many Asian and Eurasian cultures revere the rabbit (or hare) as a sacred messenger of the Divine; to the Chinese, he is a creature in the moon, pounding rice (the staff of life) in a mortar.
To the followers of Buddhism the rabbit was placed in the moon as a result of his self-sacrifice in offering himself as food. In a second version, the rabbit cooks himself in Indra's fire since he had no food to offer her and the deity placed him in the moon as a reward. To the Egyptians, the hare (as opposed to the rabbit) was known as un, which meant "to open," or "the opener." This was because the hare, unlike his cotton-tailed cousin, is born with his eyes open. "Un" also meant "period" as it was a symbol for both lunar and human cycles.
These traditions undoubtedly spread to the indigenous tribes of Western Europe much as the Indo-European language base developed through encounters between these two groups. This also blended well with Celtic tradition, which viewed the hare as a symbol of fertility and new life, and the Germanic tradition that the hare brought new life each spring.
Even in North America, the Rabbit/Hare is revered. To the Native American peoples, he was the Trickster/Transformer who either plays the Fool or, in other instances, has brought about a benefit for humankind (i.e., the legend of Rabbit bringing fire to the people). The ancient Mayan culture gives Rabbit credit for inventing Mayan writing.
Just as the ancient sacred places and names were blended into the holiday celebration we know as Easter, so too was the Rabbit/Hare molded from an ancient bringer of new life and renewal to the Easter Bunny, a symbol of a holiday celebrating a resurrection. In truth, the Rabbit stays the same: a messenger of a season when all things are possible and all things can again be new
Easter is here... with baskets fulla fun and good cheer ! Celebrate this joyful occasion with your friends/ family/ associates/ acquaintances and brighten up their Springtime with our warm and cute Happy Easter ecards. Wish them lotsa fun and smiles with these wonderful ecards and make their Easter a truly eggs-tra special one.
Send Free Easter Greeting Cards to your friends & loved ones. ALL cards are absolutely FREE
Beautiful Spring And Happy Easter !
Paint your Easter wishes with this warm and cute ecard.
The Lord Has Ris'n Today !
Reach out to everyone you know with this beautiful and inspiring Easter wish.
Of all the symbols of Easter, none is more beloved than the Easter Bunny. And, of all the symbols of this season, none has a more varied, unique and universal background than this floppy-eared chocolate confection deliveryman. With his place—and yes, for some reason, the Easter Bunny is always referred to as "he"—in the traditions of many cultures, Rabbit can most certainly answer the question, "What's up, doc?" (after all, what would Elmer be without Bugs?).
The Advent of The Easter Bunny
The first documented use of the bunny as a symbol of Easter appears in Germany in the 1500s; although the actual matching of the holiday and the hare was probably a much earlier folk tradition. Not surprisingly, it was also the Germans who made the first edible Easter Bunnies in the 1800s.
The Pennsylvania Dutch brought the beneficent Easter Bunny to the United States in the 1700s. Children eagerly awaited the arrival of Oschter Haws and his gifts with a joy second only to that brought about by the winter visit of Kris Kringle.
Rabbits Revered Around the World
Many Asian and Eurasian cultures revere the rabbit (or hare) as a sacred messenger of the Divine; to the Chinese, he is a creature in the moon, pounding rice (the staff of life) in a mortar.
To the followers of Buddhism the rabbit was placed in the moon as a result of his self-sacrifice in offering himself as food. In a second version, the rabbit cooks himself in Indra's fire since he had no food to offer her and the deity placed him in the moon as a reward. To the Egyptians, the hare (as opposed to the rabbit) was known as un, which meant "to open," or "the opener." This was because the hare, unlike his cotton-tailed cousin, is born with his eyes open. "Un" also meant "period" as it was a symbol for both lunar and human cycles.
These traditions undoubtedly spread to the indigenous tribes of Western Europe much as the Indo-European language base developed through encounters between these two groups. This also blended well with Celtic tradition, which viewed the hare as a symbol of fertility and new life, and the Germanic tradition that the hare brought new life each spring.
Even in North America, the Rabbit/Hare is revered. To the Native American peoples, he was the Trickster/Transformer who either plays the Fool or, in other instances, has brought about a benefit for humankind (i.e., the legend of Rabbit bringing fire to the people). The ancient Mayan culture gives Rabbit credit for inventing Mayan writing.
Just as the ancient sacred places and names were blended into the holiday celebration we know as Easter, so too was the Rabbit/Hare molded from an ancient bringer of new life and renewal to the Easter Bunny, a symbol of a holiday celebrating a resurrection. In truth, the Rabbit stays the same: a messenger of a season when all things are possible and all things can again be new
Easter is here... with baskets fulla fun and good cheer ! Celebrate this joyful occasion with your friends/ family/ associates/ acquaintances and brighten up their Springtime with our warm and cute Happy Easter ecards. Wish them lotsa fun and smiles with these wonderful ecards and make their Easter a truly eggs-tra special one.
Send Free Easter Greeting Cards to your friends & loved ones. ALL cards are absolutely FREE
Beautiful Spring And Happy Easter !
Paint your Easter wishes with this warm and cute ecard.
The Lord Has Ris'n Today !
Reach out to everyone you know with this beautiful and inspiring Easter wish.
Labels: The Easter Bunny
The Easter Season
Easter is not only a holiday but a season unto itself. To many religious people, it marks a time of miracles and a reaffirming of faith. To those with a more secular view of the world, it is a celebration of the end of winter, a time to look toward the warmth of the coming summer and a chance to shed the heavy, dour clothing of the winter for the bright colors of spring.
Easter traditions and symbols are well known: the Easter Bunny, Easter eggs and Easter baskets have become hallmarks of this spring festival. Yet there is more to them than meets the eye. Let us examine these and other Easter traditions and symbols and see just how our modern day version of the Easter holiday developed and from where.
Around the world, the onset of Spring is reason enough for people to get up to high jinks. Spring signifies the rebirth-a time when a bright and fresh world awakens, brimming with new life, bringing cheer to every face and a spring in every step.
Since the Resurrection of Jesus happened around the same time, you'll find that the traditions associated with Easter celebrations are remnants of earlier pagan spring festivals. In fact, the very name 'Easter' is said to be derived from the names of the ancient pagan goddesses of spring and fertility, whose festivals were celebrated with the coming of Spring. Traditions associated with these festivals survive in the Easter Rabbit or Easter Bunny, the colored Easter eggs and the Easter bonfires. But the Easter traditions start with Lent with the rest following:
The Lenten Season: 'Lent' is the 46-day period prior to Easter Sunday. It begins with 'Ash Wednesday', which is a day of fasting and prayer and repentance continued throughout the period of Lent.
Fat Tuesday: The somewhat austere observances of Lent led to the creation of 'Fat Tuesday' (Shrove Tuesday), the day before Ash Wednesday. It is on this day, that Carnivals are taken out to make the best of all kinds of celebrations before Lent begins. The most famous one is the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. 'Fat' in Fat Tuesday refers to the ox that traditionally led the procession on Shrove Tuesday in France.
Holy Week: This is the week immediately preceding Easter Sunday and observances and rituals of this week lead to the culmination of Lent in the celebration of Easter Sunday.
It begins with 'Palm Sunday' and commemorates the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem with crowds placing palms at his feet. Palms are blessed and distributed during church services on Palm Sunday.
This is followed by 'Holy Thursday' which commemorates the Passover meal that Jesus shared with his disciples and where he revealed that he would be betrayed to the Romans who would put him to death. This meal is usually referred to as the 'Last Supper'.
Holy Thursday is followed by 'Good Friday' when Christians commemorate the suffering, crucifixion and death of Jesus. Good Friday is sometimes commemorated by taking out a procession that re-enacts the 14 steps or stations of Jesus' journey from his condemnation to the laying of his body in the tomb.
Passion Plays: In many countries, the dramatization of the story of Jesus' suffering and death dominate Holy Week activities and is a popular tradition of almost all parishes.
Easter Sunday: The Sunday that follows Good Friday brings Christians out in the joyous celebration of the Resurrection of Christ. This is Easter. They commemorate this with church services and feasting, and once more churches will ring out 'Alleluia' !
Wishing You Joys And Blessings of Easter!
Wish your friends/ family/ loved ones a very Happy Easter with this beautiful ecard.
Egg-Makeover Game !
Make this Easter a special one for your friends/ siblings/ cousins/ dear ones with this cool Easter game.
Easter is not only a holiday but a season unto itself. To many religious people, it marks a time of miracles and a reaffirming of faith. To those with a more secular view of the world, it is a celebration of the end of winter, a time to look toward the warmth of the coming summer and a chance to shed the heavy, dour clothing of the winter for the bright colors of spring.
Easter traditions and symbols are well known: the Easter Bunny, Easter eggs and Easter baskets have become hallmarks of this spring festival. Yet there is more to them than meets the eye. Let us examine these and other Easter traditions and symbols and see just how our modern day version of the Easter holiday developed and from where.
Around the world, the onset of Spring is reason enough for people to get up to high jinks. Spring signifies the rebirth-a time when a bright and fresh world awakens, brimming with new life, bringing cheer to every face and a spring in every step.
Since the Resurrection of Jesus happened around the same time, you'll find that the traditions associated with Easter celebrations are remnants of earlier pagan spring festivals. In fact, the very name 'Easter' is said to be derived from the names of the ancient pagan goddesses of spring and fertility, whose festivals were celebrated with the coming of Spring. Traditions associated with these festivals survive in the Easter Rabbit or Easter Bunny, the colored Easter eggs and the Easter bonfires. But the Easter traditions start with Lent with the rest following:
The Lenten Season: 'Lent' is the 46-day period prior to Easter Sunday. It begins with 'Ash Wednesday', which is a day of fasting and prayer and repentance continued throughout the period of Lent.
Fat Tuesday: The somewhat austere observances of Lent led to the creation of 'Fat Tuesday' (Shrove Tuesday), the day before Ash Wednesday. It is on this day, that Carnivals are taken out to make the best of all kinds of celebrations before Lent begins. The most famous one is the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. 'Fat' in Fat Tuesday refers to the ox that traditionally led the procession on Shrove Tuesday in France.
Holy Week: This is the week immediately preceding Easter Sunday and observances and rituals of this week lead to the culmination of Lent in the celebration of Easter Sunday.
It begins with 'Palm Sunday' and commemorates the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem with crowds placing palms at his feet. Palms are blessed and distributed during church services on Palm Sunday.
This is followed by 'Holy Thursday' which commemorates the Passover meal that Jesus shared with his disciples and where he revealed that he would be betrayed to the Romans who would put him to death. This meal is usually referred to as the 'Last Supper'.
Holy Thursday is followed by 'Good Friday' when Christians commemorate the suffering, crucifixion and death of Jesus. Good Friday is sometimes commemorated by taking out a procession that re-enacts the 14 steps or stations of Jesus' journey from his condemnation to the laying of his body in the tomb.
Passion Plays: In many countries, the dramatization of the story of Jesus' suffering and death dominate Holy Week activities and is a popular tradition of almost all parishes.
Easter Sunday: The Sunday that follows Good Friday brings Christians out in the joyous celebration of the Resurrection of Christ. This is Easter. They commemorate this with church services and feasting, and once more churches will ring out 'Alleluia' !
Wishing You Joys And Blessings of Easter!
Wish your friends/ family/ loved ones a very Happy Easter with this beautiful ecard.
Egg-Makeover Game !
Make this Easter a special one for your friends/ siblings/ cousins/ dear ones with this cool Easter game.
Labels: Easter Traditions and Wishes
The origin of Easter lie in pre-Christian religions and Christianity. All in some way or another are a "salute to spring," marking re-birth. The white Easter lily has come to capture the glory of the holiday. The word "Easter" is named after Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. A festival was held in her honor every year at the vernal equinox.
People celebrate the holiday according to their beliefs and their religious denominations. Christians commemorate Good Friday as the day that Jesus Christ died and Easter Sunday as the day that He was resurrected. Protestant settlers brought the custom of a sunrise service, a religious gathering at dawn, to the United States.
Today on Easter Sunday children wake up to find that the Easter Bunny has left them baskets of candy.
He has also hidden the eggs that they decorated earlier that week. Children hunt for the eggs all around the house. Neighborhoods and organizations hold Easter egg hunts, and the child who finds the most eggs wins a prize.
The Easter Bunny is a rabbit-spirit. Long ago, he was called the "Easter Hare." Hares and rabbits have frequent multiple births so they became a symbol of fertility. The custom of an Easter egg hunt began because children believed that hares laid eggs in the grass. The Romans believed that "All life comes from an egg." Christians consider eggs to be "the seed of life" and so they are symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is commemorated by Christians all over the world on the feast of Easter. This is the day that marks the end of the Lenten season, the forty-six-day period (excluding the Sundays) that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter, the period of penitence, of sacrifice and repentance, in preparation for the highest festival of the church year.
Why we dye, or color, and decorate eggs is not certain. In ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and Persia eggs were dyed for spring festivals. In medieval Europe, beautifully decorated eggs were given as gifts.
Easter falls on a Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th.
Basketful Of Easter Wishes !
Send your friends/ family/ loved ones wishes for a Happy Easter with this cute ecard.
Sunny Spring And A Hoppy Easter !
Send your dear ones this cute ecard to spring out with a warm Easter wish.
People celebrate the holiday according to their beliefs and their religious denominations. Christians commemorate Good Friday as the day that Jesus Christ died and Easter Sunday as the day that He was resurrected. Protestant settlers brought the custom of a sunrise service, a religious gathering at dawn, to the United States.
Today on Easter Sunday children wake up to find that the Easter Bunny has left them baskets of candy.
He has also hidden the eggs that they decorated earlier that week. Children hunt for the eggs all around the house. Neighborhoods and organizations hold Easter egg hunts, and the child who finds the most eggs wins a prize.
The Easter Bunny is a rabbit-spirit. Long ago, he was called the "Easter Hare." Hares and rabbits have frequent multiple births so they became a symbol of fertility. The custom of an Easter egg hunt began because children believed that hares laid eggs in the grass. The Romans believed that "All life comes from an egg." Christians consider eggs to be "the seed of life" and so they are symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is commemorated by Christians all over the world on the feast of Easter. This is the day that marks the end of the Lenten season, the forty-six-day period (excluding the Sundays) that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter, the period of penitence, of sacrifice and repentance, in preparation for the highest festival of the church year.
Why we dye, or color, and decorate eggs is not certain. In ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and Persia eggs were dyed for spring festivals. In medieval Europe, beautifully decorated eggs were given as gifts.
Easter falls on a Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th.
Basketful Of Easter Wishes !
Send your friends/ family/ loved ones wishes for a Happy Easter with this cute ecard.
Sunny Spring And A Hoppy Easter !
Send your dear ones this cute ecard to spring out with a warm Easter wish.
Labels: Easter History and Origin
It's Easter ! Time again for the colored eggs, egg hunts or sweet choco treats ! Watch the li'l chicks crack out of their shells, the furry bunnies hop and skip and enjoy the many joys of the season. Reach out to your friends/ family/ associates/ dear ones with our warm and cute Easter ecards and wish them happy Easter Wishes. Wish them a joyful time and make their Easter an eggs-tra special one.
Alleluia ! The Lord is risen !"
That's the proclamation of the festival of Easter, and a time to rejoice in the glory of Christ's Resurrection. Crucified on a Friday (observed as Good Friday), our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ arose again on the following Sunday, overcoming death and darkness to save mankind and bring a spiritual revolution in this world. This was His Resurrection, the historic Rising and the threshold to Easter celebrations.
The festival of Easter or Pascua (as it's known in Spanish) is not celebrated on the same day each year and that's why Easter is called a 'movable' holiday. In fact, Easter is a multiple holiday in the sense that it is celebrated by the Eastern (Orthodox Church) and the Western church on two different days. The reason is simply because the western church uses the Gregorian calendar while the Orthodox Eastern Church uses the Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar is a modification of the Julian calendar and was first proposed by the Neapolitan doctor Aloysius Lilius and decreed by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom it was named, on February 24, 1582.
In the West, Easter is celebrated on the Sunday that follows the full moon which occurs on or after the vernal or spring equinox (March 21); thus, it falls between March 22 and April 25. For the Orthodox Eastern Church, Easter usually comes several weeks after that of the West. Many dates of the Christian calendar are dependent on Easter.
One of the most important of all Christian festivals, Easter is celebrated with much joy and cheer all over the world. A hippity-hoppity mood rules the Easter celebrations when the bunnies come out and the kids are all excited to hunt or make colorful Easter eggs ! The lovely lilies are in bloom, joyous Easter hymns from the Churches sweeten up the breeze, the smell of the hot cross buns take over the senses…and above all, Easter is when that extra spring is added to your steps ! So, go ahead and celebrate the colors, the bounties and the freshness of a very happy Easter !
Alleluia ! The Lord is risen !"
That's the proclamation of the festival of Easter, and a time to rejoice in the glory of Christ's Resurrection. Crucified on a Friday (observed as Good Friday), our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ arose again on the following Sunday, overcoming death and darkness to save mankind and bring a spiritual revolution in this world. This was His Resurrection, the historic Rising and the threshold to Easter celebrations.
The festival of Easter or Pascua (as it's known in Spanish) is not celebrated on the same day each year and that's why Easter is called a 'movable' holiday. In fact, Easter is a multiple holiday in the sense that it is celebrated by the Eastern (Orthodox Church) and the Western church on two different days. The reason is simply because the western church uses the Gregorian calendar while the Orthodox Eastern Church uses the Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar is a modification of the Julian calendar and was first proposed by the Neapolitan doctor Aloysius Lilius and decreed by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom it was named, on February 24, 1582.
In the West, Easter is celebrated on the Sunday that follows the full moon which occurs on or after the vernal or spring equinox (March 21); thus, it falls between March 22 and April 25. For the Orthodox Eastern Church, Easter usually comes several weeks after that of the West. Many dates of the Christian calendar are dependent on Easter.
One of the most important of all Christian festivals, Easter is celebrated with much joy and cheer all over the world. A hippity-hoppity mood rules the Easter celebrations when the bunnies come out and the kids are all excited to hunt or make colorful Easter eggs ! The lovely lilies are in bloom, joyous Easter hymns from the Churches sweeten up the breeze, the smell of the hot cross buns take over the senses…and above all, Easter is when that extra spring is added to your steps ! So, go ahead and celebrate the colors, the bounties and the freshness of a very happy Easter !
Labels: Welcome to Easter Wishes