Easter is considered to be one of the most festive events among Christians worldwide, and is thought to be the most significant day as it commemorates the day when Jesus Christ resurrected from death.
(Also Read: Easter 2014: 10 Quotes, Sayings to Share; 6 Prayers, Blessings, Wishes for the Day )
Many Christians view Easter as the greatest feast of the Church year and is marked as a day of joy and celebration to commemorate that Jesus Christ has risen.
As the day of Jesus' resurrection or the Easter 2014 has now arrived, let us take a look at four most essential facts associated with the event:
1. Mary Magdalene, the religious figure in Christianity, is usually thought be the second-most important woman in the New Testament after Mother Mary. When Jesus was crucified by the Romans, she was there supporting him in his final moments and mourning his death. It is said that she stayed with him at the cross after the other disciples (except John the Beloved) had fled. She is the only person that all four Gospels say was first to realize that Jesus had risen. An angel had told her about the fact.
2. The Word 'Easter' is believed to have been derived from an age-old Pagan celebration. It comes from 'Eostara' - A German goddess of the spring equinox and the goddess of rebirth. In early times, the Feast of Eostara marked and celebrated earth's resurrection and rebirth.
3. Easter Eggs and the Easter Bunny both play the role of signifying fertility or rebirth, and they are thought to have been carried forward from the feat of Eostara. Other symbols include the pagan joy in the rising sun of spring, often taken as a symbolic representation of the joy in the rising Son of God.
4. Decoration of eggs is an important activity associate with the day, as is the Easter egg hunts commonly organized. Eggs of some form are often hidden, supposedly by a rabbit or hare, and people, especially children, search for them.
Here are 10 fun facts to share about this day:
1. The largest ever Easter egg hunt was held in Florida, where 9,753 children searched for over 501,000 eggs, the Guiness World Records says.
2. One of most expensive eggs known was sold for almost $15 million in 2007. According to the Birmingham Mail, every hour, a cockerel made of jewels pos up from the top of the egg, flaps its wings four times, nods it's head three times and makes a crowing noise.
3. It is estimated that each household spends $131 on Easter each year, $14.7 billion in total.
4. Easter is the biggest candy consuming holiday after Halloween. 120 million pounds of candy are bought each year for the celebration.
5. In the United States alone, 90 million chocolate bunnies, 91.4 billion eggs and 700 million peeps are produced each year.
6. It is said that when people eat a chocolate Easter bunny, 76 percent bite of the ears first, 5 percent go straight for the feet while only 4 percent start eating from the tail.
7. The White House hosts an Easter Egg Roll on the front lawn each year. This tradition was started by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878.
8. Americans consume over 16 million jelly beans on Easter.
9. Egg farmers across the country donate more than 11 million eggs to food banks across the nation in order to help Americans in need.
10. Almost one in five children have said they've made themselves ill by eating too much chocolate over the Easter holidays.
(ED:VS)
