The Season of Easter
"Easter" comes from an old English word related to dawn and shining. At Easter we stand in light of the resurrection to see a new creation, transformed by the grace and glory of God. We celebrate the presence and power of the risen Christ in his church, proclaiming his good news through Word and Sacrament. We rejoice in the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is the "Lord and giver of life." In the fullest sense, Easter is a new way of life, in which we are "dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 6:11); for this reason, it is an especially appropriate time to celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism.
The date for the festival of the Resurrection of the Lord changes from year to year as it is calculated in relation to the phases of the moon. Since the Council of Nicaea in 325, Western Christians have celebrated Christ's resurrection on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox (March 21), occasionally shifting the date to the following week to avoid coinciding with the Jewish Passover. This elaborate computation means Easter Sunday may take place as early as March 22 or as late as April 25. Eastern Christians use a different set of astronomical tables based on the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian; for this reason, the Catholic/Protestant and Orthodox celebrations of Easter typically occur on different Sundays.
The Resurrection of the Lord is the center of the Christian year, and the good news we proclaim on this day is the very heart of the gospel. Easter Sunday is something like the keystone of an arch - the top and center stone upon which all others lean and depend - in terms of both its theological significance and its relation to other festivals and seasons. Theologically, the faith we claim and the life we live depend on the affirmation, celebration, and proclamation of Christ's resurrection. Chronologically, because the date of Easter varies, many of the other events of the Christian year - from the Transfiguration of the Lord and Ash Wednesday through the Day of Pentecost and Trinity Sunday - pivot around the date of Easter Sunday, shifting accordingly.
As with Christmas, Easter refers not only to a single day, but to a whole season of celebration in the Christian year. The season of Easter spans the fifty days between the Resurrection of the Lord and the Day of Pentecost, and encompasses the Ascension of the Lord. Traditionally, the first service of Easter takes place on the eve of the Resurrection of the Lord with the Great Vigil of Easter. The seven weeks of the Easter season make up a "week of weeks" (seven times seven): a symbol in time of the fullness and abundance of God's grace. In ancient practice, fasting and kneeling were forbidden during the weeks of Easter. In this most joyful season, we celebrate the great mystery of our faith - that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.
COLORS: white and gold, except for the Day of Pentecost (red)
- from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship (2018)
The date for the festival of the Resurrection of the Lord changes from year to year as it is calculated in relation to the phases of the moon. Since the Council of Nicaea in 325, Western Christians have celebrated Christ's resurrection on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox (March 21), occasionally shifting the date to the following week to avoid coinciding with the Jewish Passover. This elaborate computation means Easter Sunday may take place as early as March 22 or as late as April 25. Eastern Christians use a different set of astronomical tables based on the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian; for this reason, the Catholic/Protestant and Orthodox celebrations of Easter typically occur on different Sundays.
The Resurrection of the Lord is the center of the Christian year, and the good news we proclaim on this day is the very heart of the gospel. Easter Sunday is something like the keystone of an arch - the top and center stone upon which all others lean and depend - in terms of both its theological significance and its relation to other festivals and seasons. Theologically, the faith we claim and the life we live depend on the affirmation, celebration, and proclamation of Christ's resurrection. Chronologically, because the date of Easter varies, many of the other events of the Christian year - from the Transfiguration of the Lord and Ash Wednesday through the Day of Pentecost and Trinity Sunday - pivot around the date of Easter Sunday, shifting accordingly.
As with Christmas, Easter refers not only to a single day, but to a whole season of celebration in the Christian year. The season of Easter spans the fifty days between the Resurrection of the Lord and the Day of Pentecost, and encompasses the Ascension of the Lord. Traditionally, the first service of Easter takes place on the eve of the Resurrection of the Lord with the Great Vigil of Easter. The seven weeks of the Easter season make up a "week of weeks" (seven times seven): a symbol in time of the fullness and abundance of God's grace. In ancient practice, fasting and kneeling were forbidden during the weeks of Easter. In this most joyful season, we celebrate the great mystery of our faith - that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.
COLORS: white and gold, except for the Day of Pentecost (red)
- from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship (2018)