In the United States, as in most Christian countries, Easter is celebrated as the religious holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, so get ready for your Easter Invitations and Holiday Invitations cards. It is at the end of the Lent, which includes a 46-day period beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending with Palm Sunday. During Lent, worshippers follow certain dietary restrictions, such as not being able to eat certain types of meat or having to eat only one meal per day. In Protestant denominations, many worshippers instead choose only to give up a favorite food in order to make a sacrifice in preparation for the Easter holiday.
Easter celebrations have many legends and customs that are pagan in origin and have nothing to do with Christianity. Scholars believe the holiday's name came from the Scandinavian "Ostra" and the Teutonic "Ostern" or "Eastre" both Goddesses of mythology who signify spring and fertility and whose festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox.
American churches observe the holiday on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or following the spring equinox, March 21st. Therefore, the holiday takes place on a changing date and can occur as early as March 22nd or as late as April 25th. Eastern Christian churches, which were closer to the birthplace of the new religion and where old traditions are strong, celebrate Easter according to the date of the Passover festival.
The celebration embodies many converging traditions emphasizing the relation of this holiday to the Jewish festival of Passover, or Pesach, from which is derived. This festival is an important date in the Jewish calendar, which is celebrated for eight days and commemorates the flight and freedom of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The early Christians, many of whom were of Jewish origin, were raised in the Hebrew tradition and regarded it as a new feature of this Jewish festival.
The egg, which symbolizes fertility and new life, is the most identifiable of all the symbols associated with the holiday. The traditions and customs of using eggs at have been associated with this celebration for centuries. Originally Easter eggs were painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring and were used in egg rolling contests or given as gifts. The eggs were colored and etched with various designs. In the early days, lovers and romantic admirers exchanged the eggs, much like valentines. In medieval times, eggs were given to the servants. In Germany, eggs were given to children along with other gifts for the Easter Holiday.
The Easter holiday brings parties and celebrations for families, friends and acquaintances to share joy and happiness and is a time to send your personalized Egg Hunt party invitations. Most of the celebrations will be for children who have come to love the holiday because of the egg hunts, the baskets filled with pastel grass and delicious candy, and the adorable stuffed bunnies and lambs which are common gifts for the season. Many churches will also hold special events for the kids. However, their parties may focus less on the Easter Bunny and more on the religious implications of the event.
Other holiday invitation include Christmas invitations cards, Halloween invitations cards, Mardi Gras invitations cards and more.