The holiday plays a role in the process of socialization of the person, the perception of his role and relationship to social groups. With its emotional background, entertainment, unconventionality, often accompanied by joy and abundance, ability to use various benefits that are unavailable in ordinary time, gifts and entertainment and deviations from the usual rules restricting the behavior of people, holiday for many centuries attracts children and young people, deeply etching into their memory. It is a very important reason to identify oneself with other people – in the days of the feast, young people, often more clearly than in other cases, aware of themselves, their unity with the social group.
Through the rebirth of values, reminders of significant events associated with it, the holiday takes the role of powerful device that broadcast social customs from generation to generation, helps people to realize their identity with the society culture.
Any celebration in its entertainment part contains elements of satire, comedy, and serves as the institute, allowing to correct the shortcomings of the people through their public ridicule.
For celebrating party and its members, holiday also means time for emotional recovery, a special festive mood, atmosphere, participation in the cultural events of the holiday together with all and has more profound implications for them than participating in cultural events of everyday life.
The negative side of the holidays, can be defined as follows: the holidays disrupt the plans of the business and have a negative impact on the economy as a whole. A long weekend is bad for the health of citizens, leads to various negative situations: overeating and alcohol abuse. Also during the large-scale action increases the load on local authorities, police.
The Easter Fest
Modern people celebrate Easter without thinking about the meaning of this holiday. Someone paint the eggs and bake cakes just keeping the family tradition, someone go at night to the Church to sanctify products bought in supermarket with friends. And so, with the barbecues, picnics and egg stickers people forget what is the actual meaning of the holiday.
How did the Easter appear?
Easter is the event that happened in Egypt in the XIII century BC and is described in the old Testament. At that time the Jewish people for centuries were in bondage to the Egyptians, in a very unenviable position. The pharaohs doomed the Israelites to hard labor in the quarries, building pyramids and cities, and one of the Egyptian rulers issued the cruelest edict to kill all male babies born into Jewish families, to lime the Abraham’s tribe. Until that day, God repeatedly brought different cars upon Egypt– epidemics, natural disasters, insect infestations, but the Pharaoh was not frightened. But when, after the cruel intentions of a tyrant, the angel was going through all the cities of Egypt and slew all the Egyptian firstborn, bypassing Jewish, Pharaoh in terror on the same night, let go of all the Israelites.
Since then, the Jews seven days in the year celebrated the old Testament Passover as the holiday of the deliverance of the chosen people from slavery in Egypt. Even then, it could be understood as a type of liberation from death of all mankind, as they believed that among the sons of Israel would be born the Messiah, who will save all the nations of the Earth from suffering (Bradshaw and Hoffman, 131).
And so it happened with the birth of Jesus Christ, who in suffers died on the cross and rose again in the days of the Jewish Passover.
Therefore, in the new Passover, which Christians around the world celebrate today, already put a new meaning – the belief that life after death is not the end, and leads to eternal life and reunification with God.
Why holiday dates do not coincide?
The first Christians complied with the Holy feast of the Passover, committed by the Jews annually from the 14th to the 21st of Nisan. However, they connected with Easter new memories - suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. But over time, the celebration with the Jews was considered by many Christians a contradiction in terms. This was due to different traditions and that the Christian Passover should be performed on Sunday.
The first who introduced the celebration of the Christian Easter Sunday, was Sixtus, the Bishop of Rome, who led the Roman Church from 116 to 126 ad, the Bishop referred to the "wrongness" of the Jewish faith and motivated by the fact that "the Jews rejected Jesus as Savior". However, the transfer date was not accepted by all the local assemblies of the Empire, and over time it began debate and in the bosom of the Christian Church (Andrews University Seminary Studies 127).
This continued until 325 years until the Emperor Constantine I ordered all Christians to celebrate Easter according to the Roman custom on the first Sunday after the Jewish Passover (Shannon 10).
In the sixteenth century Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar, which is consistent with modern astronomical observations, and suggested Jeremiah II, the Patriarch of Constantinople to adopt the innovation. Catholic and Orthodox Church began to carry out calculations on different systems, and the date of Easter ceased to coincide. However, there are years when different denominations mark the holiday on the same day. This was the case in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2014. In the future it will happen in 2017.
Easter in different countries
Almost all countries over the world celebrate Easter and each country has its own customs. In several countries of Europe, Holy week and the week after Easter are the student and school holidays.
For example, in Australia, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are public holidays. There, Easter is celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar. There, March is considered autumn and in contrast to the celebration of Easter in the Northern hemisphere, nature is not blooming, but rather falls into a quiet sleep. In the big cities on Easter weekend, large fairs that bring together people from different ends of the continent are typically organized. At this time Sydney is the largest Australian fair called the "Royal Easter show". Worldwide popular are colored eggs, but in Australia these eggs are not animal, but made of chocolate or sugar. In Europe, Easter Bunny is considered a symbol of holiday, but since Australian rabbits are responsible for the destruction of entire crops and still tear up the ground, destroying the smaller inhabitants of the continent, by local tradition the position of the symbol of the holiday is reserved for a small animal bilby. Inhabitants of green continent very much appreciate their surrounding fauna and flora, but where did the tradition regarding bilby began no one can remember. Most likely "culprit" is the writer of works for children 70-ies of the last century, Rose Marie Dusting, who wrote a book about the Australian Easter bilby. Later she was even given a respectful nickname Lady Bilby. Australians put the Easter bilby along with brands such as mainland, the Koala and even the kangaroo. Especially for these funny animals was created by the protection society, and thousands of fans across Australia recognize only it. The organization for the protection of the environment and animals in particular, call to buy a chocolate bilby for a celebration instead of a rabbit, thus, protecting nature and encouraging to use only treat at Easter.
In Mexico, especially in villages, is celebrated a mega feast of the Nativity. Passion to play this Easter game, came to residents of Mexico a very long time ago. After a devastating cholera epidemic in the winter of 1833, the handful of those who survived, decided to hold the game: "Say thank you". The game is a theatrical performance of the last days of Christ's life. The game starts with the last supper, then the betrayal, the judgement, the procession to the cross, the Crucifixion, and finally Resurrection. For this production, the participants make the costumes and prepare for their roles for almost the entire year. The game is one of the most famous Easter events in Mexico, the feast attracts over 1 million visitors a year.
In America, the city of New York holds an Easter Parade. Every year, hundreds of new Yorkers hold a large procession through the streets of the city to celebrate the religious holiday of Easter. Cars are decorated with flowers and people in a magnificent and extravagant hats move on the boulevards of Manhattan. The parade begins on Sunday at 10 am on Fifth Avenue. Anyone can participate in the procession, however, looking at passing original platforms and costumes is no less interesting.
Easter services are held at sunrise. Favorite Easter pastime of Americans is, rolling eggs on the sloping lawn. This is a very exciting and fun game in which can participate all family members.
In America, as a gift for Easter, is presented a basket made with colored eggs and an incredible amount of sweets. Each egg, according to tradition, contains a question, and the person who received the egg should answer it.
Easter in Germany. The main character is a rabbit that brings colorful and painted Easter eggs. Children take an active part in the preparations for the holiday. They make special Easter baskets. Parents on the eve of Easter fill these baskets with colored eggs, "sweet" gifts, toys and traditional chocolate Easter Bunny. A basket of gifts is usually hidden under the trees of the garden, and early in the morning kids wake up and go on a quest. Adult residents of the country as well exchange gifts.
In Canada, as well as in Germany, everyone's favorite character is the Easter Bunny, who brings chocolate eggs to children. The children hold an Easter competition: who will gather more eggs in the basket. Competitions are usually held in a park or garden, and eggs in advance hiding under trees, are hidden in flowers and other places.
Iceland is very careful and sensitive to the traditions. The most traditional gift for Easter – Easter colored eggs, whose top is decorated with funny yellow chick. Chicken is a symbol of renewal of new life. Gift eggs are accompanied by a little card with a specifically-chosen catch phrase written on it. Anyone who designed this card will ask the recipient to find a phrase or quote that will give him hope and confidence, or even make him think about eternity.
In Slovenia, the main character of Easter is the chicken, so gifts in this country are given in the form of chicken. These are variety of color postcards with chickens, plush toys, gift candles, and, of course, chocolates in the shape of a chicken.
In Poland are organized folk festivals with songs and dances around the campfire. This day is considered a good omen to wash in the stream. According to the old belief, it will give strength and health for the whole year. At Easter it is customary to bake "Baba", like cakes and "mazyriki". "Baba” is baked from sweet yeast dough in a huge cylindrical form. Stuffing can be very diverse: marzipan, candied fruit, chocolate. "Mazyriki" represent, sand pies, decorated sugar eggs, cream flowers and chocolate twigs.
In the UK Easter is also celebrated with joy and fun. The children of this country are rolled in a 2 week Easter vacation. Long before the holidays in preschool, children decorate Easter eggs: chicken, goose or even ostrich. Here is where the expanse of children's fantasy can be valuable: after a traditional painting of eggs, they are pasted over with various sequins and beads using silk and wool, as well as markers and color corrugated paper. For Easter all confectionery and chocolate factories make a wide range of all kinds of Easter eggs made of chocolate with various fillings. Easter in the UK can be marked as a holiday of chocolate.
In France, the celebration of Easter is a special charm. The symbol of universal joy is the bell, not the egg, as is customary in many countries. During the holiday, the tinkling of bells is heard everywhere. Parents make the tree nest, and put chocolate eggs there. Children need to find these nests and get the eggs. Chocolate coins have a great popularity in France. They give everyone as a sign of comfortable life until new Easter.
In Sweden it is believed that the Easter holiday impure force is out on the streets, so the Swedes have a tradition of the bonfires meant to scare off all evil. On the day of the celebration of Easter, the Swedes also celebrate the arrival of spring and decorate their houses with a variety of colorful flowers and toys with chicks. Easter eggs are made from colored paper, with a large candy placed inside.
Conclusion
Easter is a time of universal joy of all Christians in the world. After all, it is the symbol of eternal life, the triumph of Heaven over Hell, the hope that everything will be well. But still, every nation, who profess faith in Jesus Christ, sees this event a little differently, through the prism of their culture, historical development, religious dogmas and other important factors.
Easter is one of the favorite holidays of the Christians: it is a symbol of victory of life over death, light over darkness. Spring gives particular importance to this festival, the time when nature awakens from sleep, there is first green and the first flowers.
Every family, no matter what country it lives in, tries to decorate the dwelling - houses appear in spring flowers, ribbons, colorful garlands, figurines, symbolizing the feast.
Children in different countries celebrate Easter with special joy and gladness that can only be compared to Christmas. They invent various games and activities for themselves during these spring holidays.
Works Cited
Andrews University Seminary Studies. Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 1977. Print.
Bradshaw, Paul F, and Lawrence A Hoffman. Passover And Easter. Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 1999. Print.
Shannon, Jill. Prophetic Calendar. Shippensburg: Destiny Image Publishers, 2009. Print.
