Easter Sunday, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is one of the most important events of the Christian ecclesiastical year. For Christians throughout the world, the Feast of Easter, celebrating the risen Christ's victory over death, is the foundation of their faith: During the preceding Holy Week, Jesus suffered and died for humankind, thus offering all people hope of redemption. In Jesus's resurrection from the dead on the first Easter Sunday, Christians find reaffirmation of his divinity and hope for their own victory over death. 

Easter is a celebration with both sacred and secular traditions, whose origins have often been forgotten. The dyed and decorated Easter eggs, used almost universally, derive from the fact that the egg was an ancient symbol of life and hence was deemed suitable for celebrating the resurrection.

Easter. (2024). Salem Press Encyclopedia. 

Holi, also known as Holaka or Phagwa, is an ancient Hindu festival held to celebrate the arrival of spring, fertility, love, and the triumph of good over evil. The timing of the festival follows the moon phases during the month of Phalgun, and thus varies each year. It is usually held over two days, starting on the day after the full moon, in late February or early March. 

Two events, Holika Dahan and Rangwali Holi, make up Holi. Bonfires are burned during Holika Dahan to chase away evil spirits, and colored powders are thrown during the relaxed celebration of Rangwali Holi. The colored powder signifies the seasons changing from dark and gray to bright and colorful.

Harmon, A. (2025). Holi (festival). Salem Press Encyclopedia.

Passover, or pesach in Hebrew, begins at sundown on the 14th day of the month of Nisan (March or April), and is observed for the next eight days. Its high point is the seder, a ceremonial meal served in all Jewish homes on the first night. 

Passover celebrates the Exodus, the deliverance of the Jewish people under Moses after their generations of captivity in Egypt. The term “Passover” refers to the way in which God, when he smote the firstborn of the Egyptians, passed over the homes of the Jews in Egypt, since their doors had been marked with the blood of sacrificial lambs in accordance with God's instructions. Thus it is a festival of freedom from bondage, marking the real beginning of the Jewish nation.

Passover (Pesach). (2022). Salem Press Encyclopedia. 

The month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month long period of fasting, communal prayer, reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed to have been revealed to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. 

The annual observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the five pillars of Islam. During this month of fasting, Muslims refrain not only from food and drink, but also from all behavior deemed to be sinful in Islam, devoting themselves instead to prayer and study of the Quran. Food is only eaten before dawn and at night. The spiritual rewards of fasting are believed to be multiplied during this time. 

 Robinson, N. (1999). Islam: A Concise Introduction. Georgetown University Press.