Easter

Definition of Easter

Easter or Resurrection Sunday is the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus the Christ from the dead. Even before theologians explained the death of Jesus in terms of various atonement theories, the early Church saw his resurrection as the central witness to a new act of God in history and the victory of God in vindicating Jesus as the Messiah.

This event marks the central faith confession of the early Church and was the focal point for Christian worship, observed on the first day of each week since the first century (Acts 20:7; Sunday was officially proclaimed the day of Christian worship in AD 321). Easter as an annual celebration of the Resurrection that lies at the centre of a liturgical year has been observed at least since the fourth century.

Even in Churches that traditionally do not observe the other historic seasons of the Church year, Easter has occupied a central place as the high point of Christian worship.