REBEKAH GREEN
PRIDE STAFF WRITER

As with any holiday or seasonal event, popular culture commercializes Easter with icons like the Easter Bunny, though many maintain their religious views of the Sunday observance. The name “Easter” has origins with the Pagan goddess Eostre and the festival held during the spring equinox in her honor. This origin also explains the connection some make with rabbits to Easter since the rabbit was Eostre’s symbol and a symbol of fertility. The practices and purposes of Easter, however, vary from culture to culture.

Although Lent, Passover and Christ’s resurrection are religious aspects of the Easter season, many religious and non-religious folk participate in the secular Easter traditions. Dying Easter eggs and hunting for Easter baskets are two ways children celebrate springtime and the idea of rebirth and resurrection that many associate with Easter. Egg tapping is a game more on the competitive side—it requires the opponents to tap their eggs in an attempt to break the others without causing any damage to your own egg. The game also serves as a symbol of rebirth in both Christian and Pagan origins. In central and eastern Europe, egg decorating is generally a popular custom. In the Czech Republic, some celebrate Easter as a welcome to springtime. In Poland, a “blessing basket” is made (filled with items such as bread, cake, sausages and colored eggs) and is taken to the church to be blessed. Easter feasts are common as well, and many dishes and cakes are cooked and baked in preparation for Easter holiday meals. The 40 days preceding Easter Sunday are, for many religious people, a time for abstinence and reflection in preparation for Christ’s resurrection. A tradition of Lent is the Passion play, in which people present a dramatization of the Passion of Christ—the Last Supper and crucifixion of Jesus. Passion plays are performed annually in many countries and in various ways.

Here in the United States, Easter is celebrated with as much diversity as it is around the rest of the world. Both secular and non-secular traditions take place within individual households and communities. The common secular based Easter activities are popular among children (like egg decorating or egg hunting). Just as popular are the religious practices and traditions circulating around the themes of spring, life, rebirth and resurrection. San Diego County has many events available for families to enjoy this Easter. Events include breakfasts and brunches, sunrise church services, plus a handful of Easter egg hunting games. Here is a day-by-day list of events to check out: sandiegofamily.com/things-to-do/holiday-happenings/826.

These are by no means all of the customs that occur during Easter, but rather, a pinch of the different beliefs, rituals and activities people partake in. Despite the specific origin of Easter’s name, its symbols and traditions have expanded to include countless cultures. There is plenty to observe, celebrate and participate in this last week of April.

Photo courtesy of retailmagnolia.com