| Eastertide celebrating rebirth, resurrection and the renewal of Light coming into Life and the World. |
The return of Spring and light,
has been celebrated by peoples everywhere
since the beginning of time
- in many different ways.
The ancient Saxons, for example,
celebrated the return of spring with an uproarious festival
commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime, Eostre (or Ostara)
- from which we get the name Easter.
People elsewhere, celebrated it in other ways.
Over time, we in the western world
combined the festivities and practices of our ancestors,
and eventually added the major annual Christian feast
we know as Easter and incorporated the various different
elements of our cultural ancestors.
The Easter Bunny symbol originated
as the earthly symbol of the goddess, Eostre.
The rabbit is of course, also the symbol of reproduction and birth.
This symbol of Easter was brought to North America
by the German people who settled there
(in Germany, Easter is called “Ostern”).
The Easter Egg: the egg was a symbol of rebirth
in most cultures from the earliest times.
They were often wrapped in gold leaf or,
if you were a peasant,
coloured brightly by boiling them with the leaves
or petals of certain flowers.
For Christians, the actual feast is known as the The Easter Triduum.
This consists of the three holy days from Maundy Thursday
through the vigil of Easter which focus on Christ's passage
from death to life.
The three Holy Days are:
Holy (Maundy) Thursday,
Good Friday
and Holy Saturday
(Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday).
Easter is the most important observation in the Christian liturgical year.
It is called by many names in different languages:
we have already seen the English origin.
Alternate, less common, names for Easter include
the "Sunday of the Resurrection”,
"Pascha,"
and "Resurrection Day”
(pascha derives from "Pesach"
(פסח in Hebrew)
the name for Passover.
In The Netherlands,
Easter is called “Pasen”, and
in French it’s Pâques
(both from the Hebrew).
The Date of Easter: prior to A.D. 325,
Easter was variously celebrated on different days of the week,
including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
has been celebrated by peoples everywhere
since the beginning of time
- in many different ways.
The ancient Saxons, for example,
celebrated the return of spring with an uproarious festival
commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime, Eostre (or Ostara)
- from which we get the name Easter.
People elsewhere, celebrated it in other ways.
Over time, we in the western world
combined the festivities and practices of our ancestors,
and eventually added the major annual Christian feast
we know as Easter and incorporated the various different
elements of our cultural ancestors.
The Easter Bunny symbol originated
as the earthly symbol of the goddess, Eostre.
The rabbit is of course, also the symbol of reproduction and birth.
This symbol of Easter was brought to North America
by the German people who settled there
(in Germany, Easter is called “Ostern”).
The Easter Egg: the egg was a symbol of rebirth
in most cultures from the earliest times.
They were often wrapped in gold leaf or,
if you were a peasant,
coloured brightly by boiling them with the leaves
or petals of certain flowers.
For Christians, the actual feast is known as the The Easter Triduum.
This consists of the three holy days from Maundy Thursday
through the vigil of Easter which focus on Christ's passage
from death to life.
The three Holy Days are:
Holy (Maundy) Thursday,
Good Friday
and Holy Saturday
(Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday).
Easter is the most important observation in the Christian liturgical year.
It is called by many names in different languages:
we have already seen the English origin.
Alternate, less common, names for Easter include
the "Sunday of the Resurrection”,
"Pascha,"
and "Resurrection Day”
(pascha derives from "Pesach"
(פסח in Hebrew)
the name for Passover.
In The Netherlands,
Easter is called “Pasen”, and
in French it’s Pâques
(both from the Hebrew).
The Date of Easter: prior to A.D. 325,
Easter was variously celebrated on different days of the week,
including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The church (Rome/Catholic) eventually decided
that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday
that occurs after the first full moon
on or after the vernal equinox.
However, it’s not quite that simple – of course.
The "full moon" in the rule is the ecclesiastical full moon,
which is defined as the fourteenth day of a tabular lunation,
where day 1 corresponds to the ecclesiastical New Moon.
It does not always occur on the same date
as the astronomical full moon.
The ecclesiastical "vernal equinox" is always on March 21.
Therefore, Easter “must be” celebrated
on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25.
Liturgically, Easter is the culmination of The Lenten Season:
Lent is the forty-six day period just prior to Easter Sunday.
(The word “lent” comes from the Middle-English
word for spring, “lengthening days”)
Lent officially begins on Ash Wednesday.
Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") is a celebration,
sometimes called "Carnival," practiced around the world,
on the Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday (it's also known as Pancake Tuesday).
It was designed as a way to "get it all out"
before the sacrifices of Lent began.
Ash Wednesday begins very dramatically with the reception of ashes
- which are a symbol of mourning –
(the ashes are from the palm crosses from the previous year which are brought by
the congregation, and burnt in a cauldron)
The priest dips his finger in the ashes and draws a cross
on each person’s forehead . . .
this identifies them as Christians and marks them as “God’s people”
The special practices of Lent . . .
added prayer, fasting,
abstinence, almsgiving . . .
remind us that this is no ordinary time
- it is a time of reflection,
a re-consideration of one’s life journey,
and a preparation for the symbolism
that Easter recreates each year.
It takes the Church fifty days to celebrate it:
from the close of Easter Sunday until Pentecost.
that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday
that occurs after the first full moon
on or after the vernal equinox.
However, it’s not quite that simple – of course.
The "full moon" in the rule is the ecclesiastical full moon,
which is defined as the fourteenth day of a tabular lunation,
where day 1 corresponds to the ecclesiastical New Moon.
It does not always occur on the same date
as the astronomical full moon.
The ecclesiastical "vernal equinox" is always on March 21.
Therefore, Easter “must be” celebrated
on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25.
Liturgically, Easter is the culmination of The Lenten Season:
Lent is the forty-six day period just prior to Easter Sunday.
(The word “lent” comes from the Middle-English
word for spring, “lengthening days”)
Lent officially begins on Ash Wednesday.
Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") is a celebration,
sometimes called "Carnival," practiced around the world,
on the Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday (it's also known as Pancake Tuesday).
It was designed as a way to "get it all out"
before the sacrifices of Lent began.
Ash Wednesday begins very dramatically with the reception of ashes
- which are a symbol of mourning –
(the ashes are from the palm crosses from the previous year which are brought by
the congregation, and burnt in a cauldron)
The priest dips his finger in the ashes and draws a cross
on each person’s forehead . . .
this identifies them as Christians and marks them as “God’s people”
The special practices of Lent . . .
added prayer, fasting,
abstinence, almsgiving . . .
remind us that this is no ordinary time
- it is a time of reflection,
a re-consideration of one’s life journey,
and a preparation for the symbolism
that Easter recreates each year.
It takes the Church fifty days to celebrate it:
from the close of Easter Sunday until Pentecost.
Easter – the Liturgical time:
Holy Thursday:
the Easter Triduum begins with Mass on Holy Thursday evening,
when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet.
It was His act of symbolizing
the importance of “service”: to serve others.
Good Friday:
The Good Friday rites center around the reading of the Passion of Jesus.
With simple dignity that story is retold,
followed by prayers for the entire world,
for this powerful mystery brings blessings to the world.
According to ancient tradition,
an image or relic of the cross is venerated this day,
and the sacrament of Christ’s love for his church is received.
(Many churches carry a cross in procession
through their towns' streets in memoriam)
It is a day of fasting and quiet mourning.
The Easter Vigil:
this is the high point of the Easter triduum
celebrating the passion and resurrection of Jesus.
With a rich display of symbols,
rites and readings,
the church in worship expresses her faith
in the mystery that brings her into being.
(“church” simply means “community”)
Light conquers darkness: the vigil opens with a service of light.
Like the Jewish Passover, our Easter celebration coincides with the beginning of
spring, when the sun offers new warmth and earth is ready to flower again.
Lent and Easter together point to the long tradition of seeing this holy mystery
through signs of the natural world.
The lighting of the fire
and the Easter candle
go back to rites that long preceded Christianity.
The candle, carried with loving reverence
and lyrically praised in word and song,
is a symbol of Christ, “the light of the world,”
and celebrates the victory of light over darkness
that humanity has ever longed for. 1
Holy Thursday:
the Easter Triduum begins with Mass on Holy Thursday evening,
when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet.
It was His act of symbolizing
the importance of “service”: to serve others.
Good Friday:
The Good Friday rites center around the reading of the Passion of Jesus.
With simple dignity that story is retold,
followed by prayers for the entire world,
for this powerful mystery brings blessings to the world.
According to ancient tradition,
an image or relic of the cross is venerated this day,
and the sacrament of Christ’s love for his church is received.
(Many churches carry a cross in procession
through their towns' streets in memoriam)
It is a day of fasting and quiet mourning.
The Easter Vigil:
this is the high point of the Easter triduum
celebrating the passion and resurrection of Jesus.
With a rich display of symbols,
rites and readings,
the church in worship expresses her faith
in the mystery that brings her into being.
(“church” simply means “community”)
Light conquers darkness: the vigil opens with a service of light.
Like the Jewish Passover, our Easter celebration coincides with the beginning of
spring, when the sun offers new warmth and earth is ready to flower again.
Lent and Easter together point to the long tradition of seeing this holy mystery
through signs of the natural world.
The lighting of the fire
and the Easter candle
go back to rites that long preceded Christianity.
The candle, carried with loving reverence
and lyrically praised in word and song,
is a symbol of Christ, “the light of the world,”
and celebrates the victory of light over darkness
that humanity has ever longed for. 1
Joyeuse Pâques (Happy Easter – French)
Frohe Ostern! (Happy Easter – German)
Prettige paasdagen! (Happy Easter - Dutch)
2009
Klaas+
Frohe Ostern! (Happy Easter – German)
Prettige paasdagen! (Happy Easter - Dutch)
2009
Klaas+
Let your inner light shine:
make your reaction
to feeling like a stagnant pond
one that progresses you through
to a full flowing river. 2
make your reaction
to feeling like a stagnant pond
one that progresses you through
to a full flowing river. 2
| We are not human beings going through a temporary spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings going through a temporary human experience. 3 I wish you a Happy and Blessed Easter. |
Credits:
[1] K. Tuinman
[2] ~Anon
[3] ~Chelle Thompson
Music: Kristofferson – Why Me, Lord
[1] K. Tuinman
[2] ~Anon
[3] ~Chelle Thompson
Music: Kristofferson – Why Me, Lord
Whatever Easter signifies for you:
whether a personal, spiritual epiphany or rebirth,
light in whatever form or manner re-entering your
life and spirit,
spiritual rebirth and advancement,
or deep religious signification,
whether a personal, spiritual epiphany or rebirth,
light in whatever form or manner re-entering your
life and spirit,
spiritual rebirth and advancement,
or deep religious signification,
Dutch Girl graphic
from KT graphics library
from KT graphics library
To submit comments, requests or materials,
contact me at: outreach@dawncoveabbey.org
contact me at: outreach@dawncoveabbey.org
For empowerment workshops and seminars see: http://www.dawncoveabbey.org/healing-circle
________________________________________________
MorningStar Inspiration from Dawn Cove Abbey
Article, haiku, humour and poem contributions are welcomed, and gratefully received
_______________________________________________
MorningStar Inspiration from Dawn Cove Abbey
Article, haiku, humour and poem contributions are welcomed, and gratefully received
_______________________________________________
 |  |  |  |  |
| ~Explorations In Awareness~ -Demystifying & Detoxifying the Mind to combat Alienation and Dysfunction- Please visit and add your voice. |