Happy Easter 2021: All you need to know

Happy Easter, also known as ‘Resurrection Sunday’, Easter is celebrated by Christians around the world on the first Sunday after Good Friday. It is a festival that commemorates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, as described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day after his entombment following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary.

Contrary to what is believed, Easter was not always the day of Christ’s resurrection. Previously, it was a pagan holiday that signified rebirth and renewal. It was celebrated in early spring. The day honoured Eastre, the pagan Saxon goddess. But things changed when the early missionaries converted the Saxons to Christianity. With this, the meaning of the day changed, and it came to be known as Easter.

Many people who follow the Christian faith refer to the week before Easter as ‘Holy Week’, comprising the days of the Easter Triduum including Maundy Thursday, commemorating the Maundy and Last Supper as well as Good Friday, which marks the crucifixion and death of Jesus.