Now that spring has officially arrived, a variety of exciting events are on the horizon, with Easter standing out as one of the most significant. Easter, a holiday with roots dating back to the the second century has evolved over time in the way it is celebrated. While some may associate the holiday with a visit of the Easter Bunny, for others Easter might hold profound religious significance as a Christian observance marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The blend of cultural and religious traditions surrounding Easter today reflects the diversity of how people connect with this celebration, whether through festive family gatherings, reflective church services, or community activities that bring everyone together to enjoy the season.
The Easter bunny is not actually an American thing and was actually brought over from the Germans during immigration to Pennsylvania. It started off as a rabbit that would go door to door and leave a little egg filled with a surprise for the children of said house.
According to Allie Drennan, an Easter connoisseur, this belief sprouted from the mythological figure Ostara, a woman, who symbolized new life as the coming of spring. Who had supposedly changed her pet bird into a rabbit to entertain children and bring them joy as spring had come along. It was even said that her pet rabbit would lay colorful eggs to impress the children and make them happy.
There are many different ways a person of the Christian Religion might celebrate Easter. Easter Vigil service on Holy Saturday is one of the most popular ways to celebrate Easter, many people visit their church and reflect on the importance of the day and promise themselves and new life and use spring as a refresh.
Sophie Lafrienere, a sophomore at Woodland, said, “I get Easter baskets in the morning and then I go to one of my grandparents’ houses and celebrate the rest of the day there,”
Another student, Isaiah Adams said, “I just do the usual Easter stuff, baskets and eggs.”
It seems that most Woodland students celebrate Easter by having traditional Easter baskets and egg hunting, promoting the Easter bunny in many households today. Not only does the Easter bunny spark common interest when celebrating Easter but a lot of the students interviewed had stated that they also go to a family member’s house to celebrate, which brings in the family and loving part of Easter that brings people together.
Even though people have similarities in the way they celebrate Easter, people still all celebrate it so differently from each other and each has their own special way of spending this day that makes the holiday so much more important. The way people celebrate Easter shows how much the holiday has evolved to be something so personal and unique.
