Susan Pennell, age 15, of Monroe, La., for her question:
HOW IS THE DATE FOR EASTER SUNDAY SET?
Easter is a Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important holy day of the Christian religion. Easter is a movable feast. Its date varies each year, but it falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21.
Easter Sunday cannot come before March 22 or after April 25.
The first Nicene Council in A.D. 325 set the method of determining the date of Easter.
Members of Eastern Orthodox Churches sometimes celebrate Easter later than other churches do.
The story of Easter comes from the Bible. The Gospels tell us that the body of Jesus Christ disappeared from His tomb on the third day after His Crucifixion. An angel appeared to His followers and announced: "He is risen."
Eggs represent the new life that returns to nature about Easter time. Early Christians of Mesopotamia were the first to use colored eggs for Easter. Children today often find chocolate eggs or plastic eggs filled with candy decorating the breakfast table on Easter Sunday morning.
Many children believe that an Easter bunny brings their Easter eggs. This belief probably comes from Germany. One legend says that a poor woman dyed some eggs during a famine and hid them in a nest as an Easter gift for her children. Just as the children discovered the nest, a big rabbit leaped away. The story spread that the rabbit had brought the Easter eggs.
In ancient Egypt, the rabbit symbolized birth and new life. Some ancient peoples considered it a symbol of the moon. It may later have become an Easter symbol because the moon determines the date of Easter.
Many Americans and Canadians attend outdoor sunrise services on Easter morning.
Masses of white lilies, symbolizing purity, decorate the altars of churches in many parts of the world on Easter Sunday.
People also often wear new spring cloths to church on Easter. And many women buy special Easter bonnets to wear on the important religious holiday.
In New York City, a fashion parade is held every Easter Sunday afternoon. People in their new clothes march up and down Fifth Avenue, showing off their finery. This same type of parade also takes place on the main streets in many other cities and towns.
Young people also often take part in Easter egg hunts on this special day. Each youngster receives a basket and hunts Easter eggs that adults have hidden around the house or yard. The child who gathers the most eggs in his basket usually wins an extra prize.
On the Monday after Easter, the president of the United States welcomes thousands of children to the White House lawn in Washington, D.C., for an egg rolling contest