Easter is one of the biggest festivals in the Christian faith and its significance can be gauged by the fact that it is usually marked as a major holiday by secular and non-Christian countries as well. Being globally known, non-Christians and non-practicing Christians are familiar with the celebratory aspect of the festival thanks to clever advertising gimmicks by makers of chocolates etc. However, a lot of people do not know the religious reasons behind the celebration of the festival.
Easter marks the end of Lent
Lent is a forty-day period preceding Easter wherein devout Christians are required to ask for penance for their sins, offer prayers and observe fasts to purify their body, mind and spirit of the sins of their flesh. Much like similar fasting rituals in other cultures and religions, this period of fasting too ends with a glorious feast wherein indulgence in food is seen not as a sin. The Last week of Lent is marked with a bunch of important religious days like Holy Thursday (also known as Maundy Thursday) which commemorates the foot washing and the Last Supper that Christ had with his disciples and Good Friday which commemorates the crucifixion and death of Christ. Easter itself marks the day on which Jesus Christ resurrected.
It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ
The New Testament describes in some detail how Jesus Christ was crucified on Good Friday and how he was resurrected on the third day, as he had promised his followers he would. This day of resurrection is marked as Easter in Christianity. It is essentially a day of thanksgiving for the return of the messiah as well as a celebration that marks the love of Christians for Jesus Christ who gave his life to repent for the sins of man.
