What is Easter, really?

The origins of Easter are rooted in European traditions. The name Easter comes from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. A festival called Eastre was held during the spring equinox by these people to honor her. The goddess Eastre’s earthly symbol was the rabbit, which was also known as a symbol of fertility. Originally, there were some very pagan (and sometimes utterly evil) practices that went along with the celebration. Today, Easter is almost a completely commercialized holiday, with all the focus on Easter eggs and the Easter bunny being remnants of the goddess worship.

In the Christian faith, Easter is the principal Christian feast day and commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the central event of Christianity.  For Christians, Easter is the holiest day of the year. In Western Christianity, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the vernal equinox marking the beginning of Spring. That date may be anywhere between March 22 and April 25.  Easter Sunday is preceded by the season of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and repentance culminating in Holy Week and followed by a 50-day Easter season that stretches from Easter to Pentecost.

Many Christian denominations also observe Lent,  a penitential season leading up to Easter which begins 46 days before Easter on Ash Wednesday. Palm Sunday, one week before Easter, commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem the week He was crucified, when cheering crowds greeted Him with Palm branches. Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, commemorates Jesus' crucifixion.

There is some disagreement about the exact days of the week, but the Bible says Jesus entered Jerusalem and was greeted by cheering crowds on a Sunday, probably in the year 29 or 30 A.D. He ate The Last Supper with His disciples on Thursday. He was arrested that night, tried, and crucified on Friday, Passover Eve. Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday and appeared to His disciples during the following week. He then ascended to heaven 40 days after His resurrection.

Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead at the time of the Jewish Passover celebration, but there is no mention of an annual celebration in the Bible. Early Christians commemorated Jesus' resurrection on or near the date of Passover, and the celebration was apparently well-established by the mid second century A.D.1 Due to the use of different calendar systems over the years, the dates of Passover and Easter have now drifted apart.

Reprinted from: http://www.gotquestions.org/easter-origins.html; http://www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_easter.htm