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Everett Carlson
Easter is a widely celebrated holiday in the United States and the Western World. Though it is a religious holiday, many people associate it more with eggs and the Easter bunny than its origins. However, these origins, like Lent, Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday, are important, and should be remembered.
Lent is a season of penitence and self-reflection before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday, which occurs after Transfiguration Sunday, and is usually in late February or early March. This year, it was on March 2. Ash Wednesday represents the sinfulness of man, and is accompanied by the pastor blessing ashes and spreading them on the foreheads of worshippers, saying “Remember, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return'' based on God’s words to Adam and Eve after their fall into sin. (Genesis 3:19) The custom of ashes comes from the old testament tradition of sprinkling ashes on the heads of the grieving and repentant. (Daniel 9:3) This tradition continues today as many people give something up for Lent. This is done in remembrance of the 40 days Jesus fasted in the wilderness. There are also parts of the church service abstained from during Lent, such as the singing of the Alleluia before the Gospel or the Gloria in Excelsis Deo. Pastors wear purple vestments and the altar cloth is purple in remembrance of Christ being mocked as the “King of the Jews”. (Mark 15:17-20)
The last week of Lent is called Holy Week. It begins with Palm Sunday, which represents Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19). Palms are used and distributed in the service, as they were waved by those that awaited his entry. The service has a bittersweet tone, honoring and revering Christ’s triumphal entry into the city, but also recognizing the beginning of his death. Holy Monday may or may not be observed by churches, but it is widely recognized as the day when Jesus cleansed the temple, cursed the fig tree, and reiterated his authority (Luke 19, 13, and 20, respectively).
Holy Tuesday is usually not observed as a church holiday but is recognized as a part of Holy Week. Holy Wednesday celebrates the anointing of Jesus’ feet by Mary of Bethany (John 12), which directly preceded Judas Iscariot’s betrayal. Next, Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum, three of the most important days leading up to Easter. It commemorates Jesus’s institution of the Eucharist (also known as Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper, Matthew 26). Some churches even perform Maundy, or foot washing, on parishioners in a similar manner to how it is described in the Gospels. At the end of the service, the altar is stripped, Psalm 22 is sung, and candles are put out. Everyone leaves in silence in preparation for Good Friday. On Good Friday, all of the altar crosses and crucifixes are veiled. The service is solemn and mournful, as it represents the day of Christ’s crucifixion and death (Matt. 27). Through a series of readings, candles are extinguished until there is very little light left in the church. At the end, the Bible is slammed shut to represent the earthquake that occured after his death. Many churches also have a stations service, in which churchgoers walk through the sanctuary where images of Jesus on the day of His Crucifixion are displayed and accompanying prayers are said.
After sundown on Saturday, the Easter Vigil is celebrated. Candles are lit, the alleluias and the gloria are sung, Holy Communion is served, and catechumens are baptized or confirmed. All this is done in remembrance and celebration of Christ’s resurrection and ascension into heaven. The Easter holiday finishes the dreary, depressing season of Lent with stark contrast: celebration, thanksgiving, and optimism. The Lutheran Lectionary has this passage from the Prophet Isaiah for Easter Sunday, which I think sums up the feeling well: “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.” (65:17-20 KJV) Even smaller details - like the musical background for parts of the service - have a happier tone, in contrast to the minor keys used during Lent and Holy Week.
While I admit I love candy, easter egg hunts, and finding a basket waiting for me Sunday morning, it’s important to remember why Easter is celebrated. Christians believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, was crucified and died for the ultimate propitiation of our sins. On the third day, he rose again from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. Christmas represents a glimmer of hope - the messiah, born in human flesh, a light to the gentiles. Easter represents the fulfillment of that hope.
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