Easter Facts and Trivia

• Easter is a Christian festival that celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

• The term ‘Easter’ came from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility.

• Some countries call it ‘Pascha’, which means ‘Passover’ in Hebrew.

• Easter is a “movable feast” that occurs between March 22 and April 25, depending on the phases of the moon.

• The week leading up to Easter is called Holy Week or Passion Week.

• Eggs and rabbits are ancient symbols of fertility and new life.

• Easter is the second top-selling candy holiday after Halloween.

• 76% of Americans think the ears of a chocolate bunny should be the first to be eaten.

• Historically, most early Easter celebrants would have eaten lamb for this special occasion since the holiday has its roots in Jewish Passover. But these days, many American Easter dinners now feature ham instead, because of the timing of the holiday. Years ago, hams cured over the winter months would have been ready to serve in the early spring.

• Easter lilies are a relatively new tradition. These beautiful blooms first originated in Japan and arrived in England in the late 18th century. The United States only caught onto the trend after World War I. The transition from dormant bulbs to delicate flowers brings to mind hope and rebirth, two important themes of the Easter celebration.

• Easter eggs have medieval origins. Think Easter egg hunts are a strange tradition? It’s a medieval children’s game: A priest would give one of the choir boys a hard boiled egg, and the boys would pass it amongst themselves until the clock struck midnight, when whoever was holding it got to eat it. We hope they at least got some salt and pepper to go with it.