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Easter Traditions

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Easter, which celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection[1] from the dead, is Christianity's most important holiday. It has been called a moveable feast[2] because it doesn't fall on a set date every year, as most holidays do. Instead, Christian churches in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox[春分] on March 21. Therefore, Easter is observed anywhere between March 22 and April 25 every year. Orthodox Christians[3] use the Julian calendar[4] to calculate when Easter will occur and typically celebrate the holiday a week or two after the Western churches, which follow the Gregorian calendar[5].

[1]the Resurrection:In the Christian religion, the Resurrection is Jesus Christ's return to life on the third day after his death, or the return of all people to life at the end of the world. （基督教所宣扬的）耶稣复活；最后审判日全部死者的复活

[2]a moveable feast:译为“不固定的盛节/圣节”“流动的盛宴”，指的是西方传统中有一些日期并不固定的节日，例如纪念耶稣复活的复活节往往是在春分月圆后的第一个星期日，但如果月圆那天刚好是星期天则要推迟到下一星期。（美国作家海明威所写的一本回忆录即以“A Moveable Feast”为题。）

[3]Orthodox ['ɔː(r)θədɒks]

(of religious people) having more traditional beliefs than other people in the same religious group （宗教信徒）正统派的

orthodox Christians/Jews/Muslims

正统派基督教徒／犹太教徒／穆斯林

the (Greek/Russian/Eastern) Orthodox Church:a part of the Christian Church, with many members in Greece, Russia, and eastern Europe （希腊／俄罗斯／东）正教

[4]the Julian calendar:the system of arranging days and months in the year introduced by Julius Caesar, and used in Western countries until the Gregorian calendar replaced it 儒略历（凯撒大帝制订的日历，在西方国家一直使用至以阳历取代为止）

[5]the Gregorian calendar:the system used in many parts of the world to divide the 365 days of the year into weeks and months, and to number the years 格列高利历，公历，阳历

The exact origins of this religious feast day's name are unknown. Some sources claim the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Other accounts trace Easter to the Latin term hebdomada alba, or white week, an ancient reference to Easter week and the white clothing donned[6] by people who were baptized[7] during that time. Through a translation error, the term later appeared as esostarum in Old High German, which eventually became Easter in English. In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover[8]. Jesus' crucifixion[9] and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem[耶路撒冷] to celebrate Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew[希伯来人]), the Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites' exodus[10] from slavery in Egypt. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter.

[6]don:to put on a piece of clothing 穿上（衣服）

He donned his finest coat and hat.

他穿上了他最帅的外套，戴上了他最好的帽子。

[7]baptize:to make someone officially a member of the Christian Church in a service of baptism 以洗礼方式使某人加入基督教教会

Were you baptized a Catholic?

[8]Passover:the Jewish religious festival and holiday in memory of the escape of the Jews from Egypt逾越节（犹太人的宗教节日） 犹太民族最古老的节日，是为纪念历史上犹太人在摩西的领导下成功地逃离埃及，为感谢上帝的拯救而设立的节日。

[9]crucifixion [.kruːsɪ'fɪkʃ(ə)n]

the act of crucifying someone 钉死在十字架上

the Crucifixion:the death of Jesus Christ on a cross 耶稣受难

[10]exodus ['eksədəs]

the movement of a lot of people from a place （大批人的）退出，离开

There has been a mass exodus of workers from the villages to the towns.

一直有大量工人源源不断从农村涌入城市

Easter is really an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to a single-day observance[11]. Lent[12], the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time of reflection and penance[13] and represents the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry[14], a time in which Christians believe he survived various temptations by the devil.

[11]observance

1）the practice of obeying a law, celebrating a festival or behaving according to a particular custom（对法律、习俗的）遵守，奉行；（节日的）庆祝

2）an act performed as part of a religious or traditional ceremony 宗教（或传统节日）的仪式

[12]Lent:in the Christian Church, the period of 40 days from Ash Wednesday to the day before Easter, during which some Christians give up some type of food or activity that they enjoy in memory of Christ's suffering 大斋期，四旬期（从圣灰日至复活节前一日，共 40 天）

[13]penance ['penəns]

an act that shows that you feel sorry about something that you have done, sometimes for religious reasons 悔过，悔罪；补赎

As a penance, she said she would buy them all a box of chocolates.

为了表示歉意，她说她要给他们每个人都买一盒巧克力。

[14]ministry the work and duties of a minister in the Church; the period of time spent working as a minister in the Church 神职；牧师职位；神职任期

The day before Lent, known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday[15], is a last hurrah[最后的狂欢/努力] of food and fun before the fasting[禁食;斋戒] begins. The week preceding Easter is called Holy Week and includes Maundy Thursday[16], which commemorates Jesus' last supper with his disciples[门徒,信徒]; Good Friday[17], which honors the day of his crucifixion; and Holy Saturday[18], which focuses on the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection. The 50-day period following Easter Sunday is called Eastertide and includes a celebration of Jesus' ascension into heaven[耶稣升天].

[15]Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday:the day before the beginning of Lent, celebrated as a holiday in some countries, with music and dancing in the streets 肥美的星期二，狂欢节（大斋期的前一天）

*Ash Wednesday:the first day of Lent 圣灰星期三（基督教四旬期首日）

[16]Maundy Thursday:(in the Christian Church) the Thursday before Easter （基督教）圣星期四，濯足节

[17]Good Friday:the Friday before Easter, the day when Christians remember the Crucifixio耶稣受难日（复活节前的星期五）

[18]Holy Saturday:It commemorates the day that Jesus Christ's body lay in the tomb and the Harrowing of Hell.神圣周六，耶稣受难日的隔天，复活节的前一天，它是纪念耶稣死后，尸体放在墓穴的那一天，天主教徒会在这一天守夜。

In addition to Easter's religious significance, it also has a commercial side, as evidenced by the mounds of jelly beans and marshmallow chicks that appear in stores each spring. As with Christmas, over the centuries various folk customs[民间风俗] and pagan[19] traditions, including Easter eggs, bunnies, baskets and candy, have become a standard part of this holy holiday.

[19]pagan

1）a person who holds religious beliefs that are not part of any of the world's main religions 异教徒（信奉非主流宗教者）

2）used in the past by Christians to describe a person who did not believe in Christianity 教外人（旧时的基督徒用以指非基督徒）