March 27, 2016 is Easter Sunday, the third of the 4 major annual Christian festivals (the others being Christmas, Epiphany, and Pentecost). Easter is the joyful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24.1-53, and parallels). On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the power and love of God, which triumphed over the forces of evil and death, reversing the tragic events of Good Friday. We also re-live the joy of Jesus’ first disciples, as they learned that Jesus was indeed alive again. As well, we celebrate the promise that all who believe in Jesus will themselves be raised from death to eternal life, just as he was.
Easter is the oldest and greatest of our Christian festivals. The date of Easter Sunday is “movable”, which means that it changes every year. However, the season of Easter is of fixed length, comprising 50 days (8 Sundays), beginning on Easter Sunday and ending on Pentecost, the festival celebrating the giving of the Holy Spirit.
The symbolic color for Easter is white, signifying joy and celebration.