Easter

History of Easter

Easter will be here in 4 weeks – the last Sunday of March. Why does Easter fall on different dates every year? The date of Easter is determined by the Ecclesiastical Full Moon table. The table was able to be established because astronomers could determine approximate dates of future full moons. Therefore, in Western Christianity the date of Easter is the first Sunday after the Paschal (Passover) Full Moon which is the first Eccleasistical Full Moon after March 20. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ happened after the Jewish Passover, so the early believers of the Asia Minor church wanted Easter to always be celebrated after the Passover.

History of Easter Eggs

Where did the Easter bunny come from? Do rabbits lay eggs?

The beginning of the bunny happened on the sixth day of Creation when God made the creatures that move along the ground. No, rabbits don’t lay eggs like chickens because they are mammals and have babies like dogs and cats. If you happen to be planning to give your child a newborn baby bunny for Easter, see rabbit.org on how to care for it. If you want to teach your little one about the true meaning of Easter, get the book God Gave Us Easter to include in an Easter basket.

The first story of a bunny laying eggs was published by 1680, but the origin of an Easter bunny is traced back to the 13th century in Germany. German immigrants brought the tradition with them to the United States in the 1700’s. Though the Easter bunny and hiding Easter eggs have nothing to do with the true meaning of Easter and the Passover, the practice of dying eggs and having Easter egg hunts for children has become a fun family event that correlates with Good Friday and Easter celebrations in America.

Easter Egg Ideas

Red Designs

One of the prettiest pictures I’ve ever seen of Easter egg designs is in the April 2013 Martha Stewart Living magazine. I like it because the eggs are decorated with red dye and designs, and I love red. The picture is part of a section about Greek and Eastern Europe Easter celebrations. For instance, dark-red eggs are a Greek Easter tradition. The red represents the blood of Jesus Christ, and the egg represents rebirth. The Tsoureki is a Greek sweet bread with red-dyed eggs that are placed in the middle of the bread. I haven’t ever had this would love to try it because it’s sweet and looks incredibly good. The Martha Stewart Living April 2013 issue, which cann be purchased on eBay as part of a lot of four Martha Stewart Living 2013 magazines, includes instructions on how to make the red Easter egg designs and the Tsoureki bread.

Recipe Ideas for Easter

Planning to attend an Easter covered-dish event? Listed below are seven of Kitchen Hospitality’s favorite recipe and other Easster fun ideas found on Pinterest.com:

1. Prettiest Easter Cake:  Easter Cake by The Gunny Sack

   

2. Best Veggie Appetizer:  Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

3. Prettiest Easter Egg Snack:  Rice Krispie Easter Eggs

4. Most Favorite Easter Bread:  Greek Easter Bread Tsoureki Recipe

   

5. Best Get Cracking Recipe eBook:  Get Cracking

   

6. Best Naturally-Dyed Red Easter Eggs:  Red Eggs for Greek Easter

7. Best Easter Egg Craft:  Yarn-Wrapped Easter Eggs

If you liked any of these seven Easter ideas, click on the links to visit the websites for more information.

Got a special Easter tradition? I’d love to hear yours.

 

Fun Sites to Share Your Food and Tablescape Ideas:

Inspiration Thursday

Full Plate Thursday