According to the Christian calendar, Easter marks the end of Holy Week. In Catholicism, Easter celebrations begin on Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord's Supper. Then, on Good Friday, the crucifixion of Jesus is commemorated. Easter Sunday, which celebrates his resurrection and first appearance to his disciples, concludes the Easter celebrations.
Holy Week is the last week of Lent, a period during which Christian believers must observe 40 days of penance and fasting. However, practices during this time vary according to the religion in question. For example, Catholic Christians and Protestant Christians have different practices during Easter.
Easter Sunday was established by decree of the First Council of Nicaea (325 AD) and must always be celebrated on the Sunday after the first full moon of the spring equinox (in the Northern Hemisphere) and autumn (in the Southern Hemisphere).
Easter is classified as a movable feast, as are all other festivities related to this date, such as Carnival, for example.
The celebration of Easter, however, usually takes place between March 22 and April 25.
Easter is celebrated in several countries, mainly those with strong Christian influences. The Spanish call it Pascua, the Italians call it Pasqua, and the French call it Pâques.
Etymologically, the term Easter originated from the Latin Pascha, which in turn derives from the Hebrew Pessach / Pesach, meaning “the passage.”
In 2020, Easter is celebrated on April 12.
We wish everyone a Holy Easter.