When is Easter 2020?
Easter Sunday 2020 will be on the 12 April. This is not dictated by the Gregorian calendar, but by a lunisolar calendar. Since the 4th century, Easter has occurred on the Sunday following the first full moon after the March equinox, which marks the start of spring. This means that each year the date on our calendars is different.
Easter Presents
Easter is a time of joy and celebration when people exchange gifts with their loved ones. With spring making its return, encourage young relatives to play outside again by treating them to a hoverboard or new kids’ bike, after all it’s vital to keep their bodies and minds active and entertained. And to keep the kids busy for less, check out our non-stop toys offers.
What is Easter?
Easter is a religious festival and public holiday during April. To Christians, it is the most important festival of the year and a celebration of Jesus and new life. Easter Sunday (the resurrection) is the most widely celebrated day, but Maundy Thursday (the Last Supper) and Good Friday (the crucifixion) are also observed. Everywhere in the UK, there is a bank holiday on Good Friday and, everywhere in the UK except for Scotland, the Monday after Easter Sunday is also a bank holiday.
Origins of Easter
Though Easter is commonly associated with Christianity, Easter was not immediately adopted by the early church. The first Jewish Christians to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus did so during the Jewish festival of Passover. The earliest evidence of the Christian festival of Easter dates to the mid-2nd century. Additionally, many cultures throughout the history of humanity have celebrated the spring equinox, with different cultures making use of similar symbols, thus the origins of Easter are far reaching and eclectic.
Easter Traditions
For the secular world, Easter is all about the coming of spring and many of our modern traditions have pagan origins. The date of Easter is not fixed to the Gregorian calendar, but is instead governed by a lunisolar calendar. Rabbits are the symbol of the Germanic goddess, Ēostre, whose name is often attributed to the etymology of Easter. Even hot cross buns were baked in the pagan world, with each quarter representing a different season. These celebrations of nature go hand in hand with Paganism’s historically rural population and traditions.
